A rare moment of unanimity rippled through the U.S. House today as lawmakers from both parties lined up behind the Federal Maritime Commission Reauthorization Act of 2025, a piece of legislation that quietly carries heavyweight implications for global trade, maritime power, and the rules that govern the oceans American commerce depends on. Introduced earlier this year by John Garamendi and advanced with key provisions authored by Dusty Johnson, the bill had already cleared the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in September, but the unanimous floor vote gives it a different kind of momentum.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) report titled Transportation Grants: Implementation of Recommendations to Improve Documentation Would Enhance Program for Large, Complex Projects critically examines the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) oversight of the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) discretionary grant program. Launched under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021, the Mega program is aimed at funding large-scale, complex transportation initiatives that are expected to generate substantial national or regional economic, mobility, and safety benefits.

The document “Federal Public Transportation Program: In Brief” by the Congressional Research Service offers an insightful overview of the federal funding assistance provided to public transportation agencies in the United States. This funding is primarily administered through the Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The federal public transportation program, authorized from FY2022 through FY2026 as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), represents a notable increase in federal funding compared to previous authorizations, aiming to enhance the nation’s public transit systems significantly.