Letter to Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States - Kaptur Leads Congressional Call for Appointment of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Administrator

Letter

Dear Mr. President:

As Members of Congress from the Great Lakes region, we are writing to highlight the importance of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation and to urge that an Administrator be appointed for the agency.

Created by Congress in 1954, the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation is an agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It is responsible for operating and maintaining the U.S. portions of the St. Lawrence Seaway, a deep draft commercial waterway that links the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean and connects ports in our states to world markets. Approximately 40 million tons of cargo pass through the Seaway and its navigation locks each year, supporting more than 90,000 jobs in the binational Great Lakes region. This commerce is critical to our manufacturers and agricultural exporters. The agency also works closely with our ports and longshore labor on market development activities to grow Great Lakes cargo volumes and related jobs.

We regret that the agency has been without an Administrator for more than five years. While the civil servant staff should be commended for maintaining status quo operations, the lack of a designated leader has hindered the development of new initiatives that might benefit the Great Lakes and our nation's economy. We urge the White House to prioritize the appointment of a new Administrator for the agency, one that would support the further economic development of the region, while working in partnership with communities and stakeholders within the Great Lakes basin. Thank you for considering our views.