Press Releases
John James Urges Congress to Prioritize Flood Mitigation in Southeast Michigan
WASHINGTON, D.C.,
December 11, 2024
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Nate Hampson
(202-225-4961)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Representative John James (MI-10) authored a letter to leaders in the House and Senate advocating for the prioritization of funding for a new flood mitigation pump station in Southeast Michigan. Specifically, Rep. James advocated for $40 million of authorized funds from the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA) to be put towards flood prevention in the region, through projects like the Chapaton pump station. In 2023, as a Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. James fought for the original $40 million authorization. He worked along bipartisan lines to ensure the passage of WRDA through the House and negotiated to keep the $40 million funding in the Senate version. On December 10th, 2024, the House of Representatives passed the final version of WRDA with Rep. James’ support. Now that the money has been authorized, Rep. James is advocating for the funds to be used promptly without delay to prevent any future catastrophe. Recent natural disasters, including Hurricanes Helene and Milton, highlight the devastating human and financial costs of high-intensity weather events. A similar catastrophe in Southeast Michigan would threaten the region’s strategic assets, including the Great Lakes—our nation’s most vital freshwater resource—and critical defense infrastructure such as Selfridge Air National Guard Base and the Detroit Arsenal. Flooding in this region poses a significant risk to our national security, the local and national economy, and U.S. international relations. Rep. James issued the following statement regarding the letter: “Southeast Michigan, our economy, our critical defense assets, and natural resources, are too essential to be neglected. A major flooding event here would jeopardize homeland security, disrupt the economy, and harm our fresh waters. I will continue to lead these efforts to prevent flooding in Michigan and ensure that we are prepared to deal with any potential future natural disasters.” To view the full letter, click here. ### |