Press Releases

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-1) led a bipartisan letter sent to President Donald Trump late last week expressing support for modernization of the Soo Locks located in the First District’s Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Representatives Paul Mitchell, Bill Huizenga, Fred Upton, Dave Trott, Justin Amash, John Moolenaar, Tim Walberg, Mike Bishop, Debbie Dingell, Sander M. Levin, Daniel Kildee, David P. Joyce, Mike Kelly, Louise M. Slaughter, Jackie Walorski, Bob Gibbs, Sean Duffy, Richard Nolan, Marcy Kaptur, Jason Lewis, and Glenn Grothman also signed the letter in strong support of the project.  

The Soo Locks play a critical role in the transport of raw materials and goods throughout the Great Lakes region and the United States. A 2015 Department of Homeland Security study projected that an unexpected, six-month interruption in the Poe Lock’s operation would have disastrous economic impacts including a $1.1 trillion fall in the National Gross Domestic Product and a spike in the national unemployment rate to 11.3 percent.

“This project can’t wait,” Bergman said. “The Soo Locks serve as a transportation gateway, and any interruption in service—even on a temporary basis—could have dire consequences for our economic and national security. Modernization now would save time, money, and valuable resources in the long run and could prevent catastrophe for the Great Lakes region and for the United States.”

Soo Locks revitalization reportedly ranks among the Administration’s top-50 infrastructure projects, according to documents circulated by McClatchy’s Kansas City Star.

The full text of the letter is available here.

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