Durbin, Duckworth, Peters, Slotkin Push OMB To Resume Brandon Road Project

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), today sent a letter to Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russ Vought and Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle urging the leaders to resume work on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project (BRIP), which was halted for administrative review despite the project having been previously reviewed, authorized, and appropriated by Congress. As the Senators note in their letter, pausing BRIP endangers the Great Lakes’ ecosystem and fishing industry.
“We write to express concern over the administrative review and pause of the Brandon Road Interbasin Project (BRIP). Moving this project forward is critical to protecting the Great Lakes from invasive carp. It has been thoroughly reviewed by Congress, the Army Corps of Engineers, and local partners, and its funding has been authorized and appropriated by Congress. The current review is unnecessary and could cause delays that put the Great Lakes’ ecosystem and fishing industry at risk,”the Senators wrote.
As the Senators emphasize in their letter, non-native invasive carp poses a serious threat to the health of the Great Lakes. The species has already entered the lower Mississippi River, spreading to tributaries, lakes, and reservoirs in the area, and traveling as far north as the Illinois River. If no action is taken to address the spread of invasive carp, the Great Lakes region will see the species invade waterways, harm native species, disrupt local ecosystems, and harm both commercial and recreational fishing. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with state and local partners, already spends nearly $70 million annually to control the invasive carp population, but that expense is expected to rise if OMB continues to stall work on BRIP.
The Senators continued, laying out the steps Congress, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and state governments have taken to ensure that BRIP was a sound investment that would address the spread of invasive carp.
“After several years of studying options and reviewing public feedback, in 2019, the Army Corps of Engineers finalized the plan for the BRIP. In 2020, Congress authorized the project. Congress provided $225 million for the construction of the BRIP in 2022 and an additional $47 million in 2023. Illinois and Michigan, the project’s non-federal sponsors, have invested more than $100 million in the project,”the Senators wrote.
“The federal investment currently is on hold without justification, and additional contracts for the project cannot be awarded due to the funding pause,”the Senators wrote.“The current pause and review could increase the cost and slow the final completion date of BRIP, increasing the likelihood that invasive carp could enter the Great Lakes. If invasive carp were to become established in the Great Lakes, they would outcompete existing fish populations, permanently damage ecosystems, and significantly impair the $7 billion Great Lakes economy.”
The Senators concluded their letter by reiterating that President Trump has stated his support for the project.
“Not only does this project have the strong support of Congress and the non-federal sponsors, President Trump also has highlighted the importance of moving the project forward and stopping the invasive carp, saying… ‘we have to save Lake Michigan because these fish that they eat everything in their way, including the other fish,’”the Senators wrote.
“In light of strong support for this project from the President, Congress, and local sponsors, we urge you to end the pause and review of BRIP and release federal funds to the Amry Corps of Engineers Rock Island District without delay,”the Senators concluded.
Durbin and Duckworth have been tireless advocates for the Brandon Road Project and finding a comprehensive approach to protecting the Great Lakes from the threat of invasive carp. Through previousWater Resources Development Acts, they secured authorization for design and construction of the Brandon Road Project, and in December 2024, Durbin and Duckworthsuccessfully included a provisionin theWater Resources Development Act of 2024(WRDA) to increase the federal cost share for the Brandon Road Project. Under the provision, the federal government will pay 90 percent of the operation and maintenance costs for Brandon Road after the project’s construction is complete, significantly lowering the costs of maintaining the infrastructure for Illinois.
In July 2024, Durbin and Duckworth applauded Illinois, Michigan, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for signing aProject Partnership Agreement(PPA) regarding the Brandon Road Project, which was necessary to ensure that the Brandon Road Project moves forward and does not lose valuable federal funding for its construction.
The Senators previously secured$225.8 millionin construction funding for the project from theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act(IIJA) and $47.3 million in the Fiscal Year 2023 government funding bill.
Durbin was also instrumental in forcing the release of the original Brandon Road Study, a draft plan that paved the way for the project, after the first Trump Administration stalled the report’s release.
A copy of the letter is availablehereand below:
January 15, 2026
Dear Director Vought and Assistant Secretary Telle:
We write to express concern over the administrative review and pause of the Brandon Road Interbasin Project (BRIP). Moving this project forward is critical to protecting the Great Lakes from invasive carp. It has been thoroughly reviewed by Congress, the Army Corps of Engineers, and local partners, and its funding has been authorized and appropriated by Congress. The current review is unnecessary and could cause delays that put the Great Lakes’ ecosystem and fishing industry at risk.
After flooding events in the 1970s, non-native invasive carp entered the lower Mississippi River, and spread to tributaries, lakes, and reservoirs. They have spread as far North as the Illinois River, within reach of the Great Lakes. These invasive carp have created significant problems in waterways, out-competing native species, disrupting local ecosystems and habitats, posing recreational hazards, and harming both commercial and recreational fishing. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with state and local partners, spends nearly $70 million annually to control populations of the carp—a number that would be far more significant if invasive carp make it to the Great Lakes.
Federal investment to prevent the spread of invasive carp has been critical to keeping the fish at bay. The Army Corps of Engineers installed electric barriers in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in 2002, 2009, and 2011. Although these barriers serve as a deterrent for upstream movement of the fish, in both 2010 and 2017 invasive carp were found upstream of the barriers, a clear sign that a more permanent solution was necessary.
After several years of studying options and reviewing public feedback, in 2019, the Army Corps of Engineers finalized the plan for the BRIP. In 2020, Congress authorized the project. Congress provided $225 million for the construction of the BRIP in 2022 and an additional $47 million in 2023. Illinois and Michigan, the project’s non-federal sponsors, have invested more than $100 million in the project. The federal investment currently is on hold without justification, and additional contracts for the project cannot be awarded due to the funding pause.
The current pause and review could increase the cost and slow the final completion date of BRIP, increasing the likelihood that invasive carp could enter the Great Lakes. If invasive carp were to become established in the Great Lakes, they would outcompete existing fish populations, permanently damage ecosystems, and significantly impair the $7 billion Great Lakes economy.
Not only does this project have the strong support of Congress and the non-federal sponsors, President Trump also has highlighted the importance of moving the project forward and stopping the invasive carp, saying “it is sort of a bipartisan thing when you get right down to it's a very expensive thing…I looked at the numbers. I said, well, but we have to save Lake Michigan because these fish that they eat everything in their way, including the other fish."
In light of strong support for this project from the President, Congress, and local sponsors, we urge you to end the pause and review of BRIP and release federal funds to the Amry Corps of Engineers Rock Island District without delay. Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.
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