Press Releases

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and David Perdue, R-Ga., and U.S. Representative Earl L. "Buddy" Carter, R-Ga.-01, today urged the new administration to make the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP) a top priority.

In a letter to Office of Management and Budget Director-Designate Mick Mulvaney, Isakson, Perdue and Carter called on the Trump administration to fully fund and support SHEP while highlighting the importance of the project to our nation.

"President-Elect Trump has made it clear that he recognizes the value in a robust infrastructure network to keep America competitive," writes Isakson, Perdue and Carter. "With over 95% of the world’s consumers lying outside of the borders of the United States, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to creating new opportunities and building upon existing ones.  The Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, or SHEP, has now been authorized by Congress twice with some form of federal funding for studies or construction for 17 consecutive years.  The State of Georgia, in a public-private partnership, has already raised and contributed most of their share of the project, over $200 million.  The Corps of Engineers estimates that SHEP will deliver at least $174 million in net annual economic benefits upon completion and would boast one of the highest cost-to-benefit ratios of any port in the country."

The letter also highlights the urgent need for funding to stay on a timeline that prevents delays in construction. 

"While we are early in the stages of construction, those expected benefits can’t fully be realized until the project is completed," the delegation continues. "When the Corps of Engineers first released their proposed schedule, they estimated an annual federal commitment of nearly $100 M to efficiently keep the project on track for both time and fiscal estimates.  With the most recent budget request of $42.7 million in the FY17 President’s Budget Request, the federal share is far short of the anticipated funding needed for completion of the project within the next 5 years.  Should the federal share continue its pace of gross underfunding, the project could be delayed by more than 5 years with the federal government’s share increasing by hundreds of millions of dollars.  In essence, the more the federal government holds back in providing their share of the funding, the more it will cost the federal government in the long run."

Click here to view the letter sent to Office of Management and Budget Director-Designate Mick Mulvaney.