Rep. Kivela offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 23.

            A resolution to urge the President and Congress of the United States to fund the construction of a new lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

            Whereas, The Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, are of the utmost importance to Michigan and play a critical role in our nation's economy and security. Each year, approximately 10,000 Great Lakes vessels, carrying 80 million tons of iron ore, coal, grain, and other cargo, safely and efficiently traverse the locks. Nearly 80 percent of domestic iron ore—the primary material used to manufacture steel critical to the auto industry, construction, and other industries—travels from mines in Minnesota and Michigan's Upper Peninsula through the Soo Locks; and

            Whereas, Only one of the four Soo Locks is large enough to accommodate the modern vessels that commonly traverse the Great Lakes. Sixty percent of the American and Canadian fleet—carrying 70 percent of the cargo traversing the locks—can only pass through the Poe Lock. The remainder of cargo goes through the smaller MacArthur Lock, with the smallest 100-year-old Davis and Sabin locks rarely used; and

            Whereas, The reliance on one lock poses a serious risk to national security and the economies of the state of Michigan and the United States. A long-term outage of the Poe Lock due to lock failure or terrorist attack would disrupt steel production in the United States, crippling the economy and plunging the country into recession. Because no viable transportation alternatives exist, the United States Department of Homeland Security estimated nearly 11 million jobs would be lost. Other studies indicate that even a short-term failure of 30 days could result in economic losses of $160 million; and

            Whereas, The United States Congress has authorized the construction of a second large, Poe-sized lock at Sault Ste. Marie to replace the Davis and Sabin locks. The project was originally authorized in 1986, and in 2007, Congress authorized the construction at full federal expense; and

            Whereas, The construction of the new lock has been held back by a flawed 2005 economic study that determined the project costs would outweigh the benefits, precluding it from inclusion in an Administration budget. The United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Office of Management and Budget have reprogrammed funds to conduct an Economic Reevaluation Report that is scheduled for completion in late 2017 or 2018; and

            Whereas, A 2017 report to the United States Department of Treasury has already concluded that the economic benefits to Michigan, the Great Lakes region, and the entire country far outweigh the cost of constructing a new lock. The report estimated that the $626 million investment in a new lock would provide a return of up to four times that amount; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the President and Congress of the United States to fund the construction of a new lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; 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, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.