Duckworth, Durbin File Amendment to Appropriations Bill to Restore Funding for Chicago Harbor Lock
The amendment would provide $16.6 million in federal funding to the Chicago Harbor Lock, which is a significant increase from the $298,000 currently allocated to the lock in the Energy and Water Appropriations bill
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, filed an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act to restore to recent funding levels the Chicago Harbor Lock. Currently, the appropriations bill, as well as the President’s proposed budget, only allocates $298,000 for the operation and maintenance of the Chicago Harbor Lock, which is a $16.4 million cut from the lock’s funding level in FY24, which was the last regular appropriations cycle before the full-year continuing resolution (CR) for FY25. If passed, the Senators’ amendment would ensure that the Chicago Harbor Lock receives $16.6 million in federal funding in order to support not only the lock’s operations, but any planned, future work.
The Chicago Harbor Lock provides 24/7 lock operations for commercial towboat and deep draft barges, government, passenger and recreational vessels. It is the second busiest U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) lock in the nation with more than one million commercial passengers and significant recreational traffic. The lock is also used to release water from the Chicago River into Lake Michigan to prevent flooding in downtown Chicago.
“Our harbors and water infrastructure play a critical role in maintaining Chicago’s status as a leader in the global economy,” Duckworth said. “The work the Chicago Harbor Lock does on a daily basis is essential for controlling flooding, managing municipal water supplies, moving goods to market and keeping our supply chains resilient not just for the region but for the nation—but we can’t fully reap these benefits if the Trump Administration continues to recklessly cut millions from Illinois’s infrastructure. I’m proud to work alongside Senator Durbin and our local leaders to restore the federal funding for the lock that our state needs and deserves.”
“Nestled along the city’s shoreline, the Chicago Harbor Lock is one of the busiest locks in the country as it safely shuttles through both commercial and recreational boats. A lock this large, one that our city depends on, should have access to the critical resources it needs to safely and efficiently run its operations,” Durbin said. “I’m introducing an amendment with Senator Duckworth to ensure that the Chicago Harbor Lock receives funding that matches its high-quality operations.”
A copy of the amendment is available here.
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