“My colleagues and I called for the Army Corps to include this crucial funding for new Soo Locks construction in the 2019 work plan. Today’s announcement is real progress and it means design work will begin on a new, second Lock. We only have one lock right now and it’s 50 years old, so starting this process sooner is vital to ensuring we have a second lock to support the millions of American jobs that depend on the iron ore that goes through the Soo each year. Working with Congressmen Jack Bergman and Paul Mitchell, our colleagues in the House, and by gaining President Trump’s support in April, we are now closer to making this project a reality for the first time in decades. I also want to commend the leadership at the Army Corps for including this funding in the work plan and I look forward to working with them as the project moves forward in the years ahead.”

“This is great news for Michigan’s First District, the Great Lakes region, and the entire U.S. economy, which relies on the Soo Locks. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made to finally break ground on a project that’s been delayed for decades. I also applaud the Trump Administration for acknowledging the importance of a new Lock, and for working with the House, Senate, and Great Lakes industries to make construction of a new Lock in Sault Ste. Marie a reality. This new construction funding, coupled with the $57 million allocated in FY18 for modernization of the Poe, is a great next step. I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues to continue getting the job done for northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.”