The Warren Sun

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On July 26, 2023, Representative John James’ (MI-10) bill, the Soo Locks Security and Economic Reporting Act of 2023, passed the United States House of Representatives. The bill is Rep. James’ first to pass the House and now makes its way to the Senate for consideration.

H.R. 3399 comes on the heels of a 2015 study by the Department of Homeland Security which found that a six-month shutdown of the locks would result in recession, closed factories, shuttered mines, and a pause in U.S. auto and appliance production for most of a year. Furthermore, it could cost around 11 million jobs nationwide.

The bill directs the Secretaries of Transportation and Defense, in addition to the Commandant of the Coast Guard, to study potential security risks of the Soo Locks. It also examines the economic consequences in the event of an operational failure and requests that these departments provide solution recommendations as well as their cost.

After passage of this legislation, Rep. James issued the following statement:

“The Soo Locks are a point of pride for Michiganders, a pillar of our state economy, and crucial to our national security. This legislation is a commonsense, bipartisan step toward protecting the vital infrastructure that keeps our country running. This bill also highlights the need to strengthen our homeland and defense capabilities, particularly Selfridge Air National Guard Base, which would be the first to respond to a threat against our locks,” Rep. James said. “I’m grateful for the support of my Michigan colleagues on both sides of the aisle – Reps. Bergman, Kildee, and Scholten – for co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation. When it comes to securing our economic stability and national defense, there are no party lines.”

Rep. Jack Bergman released the following statement after passage of this legislation:

“Building a new Lock in the Soo has been my top priority since coming to Congress. Although a lack of investment by the Biden Administration has pushed back project completion, we must ensure the Locks are secure and identify any areas where improvement may be needed to protect our most critical pieces of infrastructure. I’m proud to work with my friend Rep. John James to usher this critical legislation through the House and continue our work to secure our Nation’s supply chain,” said Rep. Bergman.

Congressman Kildee also issued the following statement after passage of this bill:

“The Soo Locks are critical to Michigan’s economy. We must ensure the Soo Locks remain secure and open, so businesses who rely on the locks can safely transport goods and agricultural products,” said Rep. Kildee. “I am proud to have supported this bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to protect our supply chains and support Michigan’s manufacturers and growers.”

Congresswoman Scholten issued the following statement after passage of this bill:

“The Soo Locks have come so far thanks to the hard work of Senator Stabenow and our Michigan delegation. Ensuring our state has the full understanding of security and economic risks involved with a failure at the Locks is critical to Michigan's future, and I'm glad to join a bipartisan group of colleagues to fund this study,” said Rep. Scholten.

Michigan is home to the third-largest land border in the country. Ninety-five percent of America’s iron ore—a critical mineral—passes through the Soo Locks. Approximately 7,000 vessels use the locks annually.

Original source can be found here.