Rep. McDowell offered the following resolution:
House Resolution No. 42.
A resolution to memorialize the United States Congress, the President of the United States, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers to fund expansion of the Soo Locks.
Whereas, The Soo Locks provide a vital link between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes. About 8,000 ships carrying more than 80 million tons of iron ore, coal, wheat, and other cargo pass through the Soo Locks each year. The locks are of the utmost importance to Michigan and play a critical role in our national defense, with 70 percent of the raw materials used by United States steel manufacturers moving through the locks; and
Whereas, Expansion of the Soo Locks is needed to avoid a crippling disruption of shipping. Currently, only one lock is large enough to accommodate the large freighters that carry the majority of cargo on the Great Lakes. If the Poe Lock were to become unusable for any reason, two-thirds of the cargo would not be able to pass through the locks; and
Whereas, The United States Congress first authorized an expansion of the Soo Locks in 1986, but has not provided funding for construction of a new lock despite nearly $13 million spent on planning and design; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize the United States Congress, the President of the United States, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers to fund expansion of the Soo Locks; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the members of the Michigan congressional delegation, and the Secretary of the United States Army.