Rep. Kaptur Fights Last-Minute Cuts To Seaway Budget

Press Release

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), co-chair for the Great Lakes Task Force in the House of Representatives, came out strongly against a last-minute amendment that would rob $3 million from the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, a 10 percent cut to the organization's funding for the coming year.

"This last-minute cut to the Seaway budget would be a devastating blow to hundreds of communities that depend on the Seaway as a major source for economic activity," said Rep. Kaptur. "Its locks and passages are currently undersized and under-maintained. This year's funding already fails to address these pressing concerns. Cutting an additional ten percent will choke off economic opportunity for communities, all the way from Duluth, Minnesota, through Detroit, Michigan, Toledo and Cleveland Ohio, and Erie, Pennsylvania to Massena, New York, that play a critical role in the American economy. I implore my colleagues to reconsider this ill-advised cut."

The Great Lakes support an estimated 1.5 million jobs, mostly tied to manufacturing, and a $4.5 trillion economy. The region's manufacturing base depends heavily on transportation and shipping through the St. Lawrence Seaway System, which provides the most sustainable and cost-effective method for transporting goods. Cargo traffic through the St. Lawrence Seaway has increased by eight percent in the past year, a number that is expected to increase following the launch of the first regular liner service between the U.S. and Europe in nearly three decades.

Source