The National Defense Authorization Act passed in the U.S. Senate 83-11 late last week. In its current form, the bill authorizes the new Soo Locks construction project to seek more funding.
If President Biden signs the defense bill, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers will be authorized to seek over $3 billion of funding to complete the project.
This past summer, members of U.S. Army Corp of Engineers scrambled to make sure the funding gap in the project, created by inflation and supply chain disruptions, was included in the defense bill to keep the project on schedule.
"This authorization would allow the project to continue moving forward and reestablish our spending limits for it," said Kevin McDaniels of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. "Without the authority to spend money, you can't have a capability to execute money. If the President signs this into law, what we would then see is we have a new spending authorization, which would allow funds to be appropriated."
In a written statement, Michigan Congressman John Moolenaar and member of the House Appropriations Committee, said he will “make sure that Congress uses this new authorization and includes money for the lock construction in future funding bills.”
The bill is awaiting the President Biden's signature.
