Peters Meets with Homeland Security Secretary Nominee Kirstjen Nielsen

WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement after meeting with Kirstjen Nielsen, President Trump’s nominee to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security:

“I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet with Ms. Nielsen and discuss several pressing issues facing Michigan. With one of the longest stretches of our northern border, Michigan is a hub for international commerce, especially with Canada, our nation’s largest trading partner.

“We discussed the need to complete and fully staff the customs plazas at two of our nation’s busiest border crossings—the Gordie Howe Bridge and the Blue Water Bridge, as well as adequate staff and resources for the Port of Monroe and our state’s other ports to accept shipment of goods. I urged Ms. Nielsen to ensure that Department of Homeland Security officials are working cooperatively with local officials to facilitate commerce.

“Finally, I reiterated my concerns about our state’s aging maritime infrastructure, particularly the Soo Locks, which transport an estimated 80 million tons of materials every year. Last year, the Department of Homeland Security completed a report showing the dramatic impact an outage at the Soo Locks would have on our national economy, and I encouraged Ms. Nielson to work with the Army Corps of Engineers to expedite construction of a new lock and prevent a potential economic catastrophe.”