Transport

Last October, our team highlighted the tension between the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 (the “Act”), and state-based negligence hiring claims against transportation brokers.

Since the 2020-2022 supply chain congestion, ocean carriers have faced a wave of Shipping Act claims from customers seeking to recover elevated import costs incurred during the pandemic-driven surge in U.S.

The Trump administration's Maritime Action Plan aims to rebuild US shipbuilding capacity, modernize ports, and expand the merchant fleet through unprecedented public-private partnerships.

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has released the BUILD America 250 Act, a five-year surface transportation reauthorization proposal authorizing approximately $580 billion through fiscal year 2031. The legislation introduces significant changes to highway, transit, rail, and safety programs, including new electric vehicle registration fees, revised bridge funding mechanisms, and a federal framework for autonomous trucking operations.

On May 21, 2026, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is scheduled to begin marking up its $580 billion, five-year surface transportation reauthorization legislation that includes highway, public transportation, rail, highway safety, motor carrier safety and hazardous materials transportation programs.

In a unanimous 9-0 decision, the United States Supreme Court held that state-law negligent hiring claims against freight brokers are not preempted by the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (“FAAAA”).

Another week, another reminder that space and defense come with sky‑high costs. Congress is pushing back on a proposed 23% cut to NASA’s budget with a $24.4 billion plan, while the Trump administration has requested congressional approval for a $1.5 trillion defense budget.

They say things come in threes, and the past couple of weeks in space news have been no exception: the FAA announced user fees for launch and reentry that will run $30,000 per mission and increase annually through 2033.

This is one in a series of GT Alerts examining the president’s FY 2027 budget request to Congress, breaking down the president’s budget for the Department of War (part 1). Part 2 focuses on the U.S. Army’s...