Baldwin, Ribble Secure $2 Million Payment from Army Corps of Engineers to Wisconsin

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and U.S. Representative Reid Ribble (R-WI08) released the following statements after the United States Army Corps of Engineers included the $2 million it owes to the State of Wisconsin for the Fox River Lock in its Fiscal Year 2015 Work Plan unveiled this week. 

“I’m pleased the Army Corps of Engineers will be making good on its debt to the taxpayers of Wisconsin. I thank Congressman Ribble for his bipartisan partnership in seeing this through on behalf of the State of Wisconsin,” said Baldwin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“I felt that it was important for me to press Army Corps of Engineers to fulfill their obligation to Wisconsin over this past year.  Last summer I spoke directly with Jo-Ellen Darcy, the head of the Army Corps, to urge that the final transfer promised payment be made to the State as soon as possible.  I am glad the Army Corps has included their Fox Locks responsibility in their 2015 work plan, finally putting certainty in place,” said Ribble.

In January, Baldwin and Ribble sent a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) Jo-Ellen Darcy and urged the Corps to make good on its debt.

“…as the Corps finalizes its work plan for FY 2015, we urge you to include in the plan the $2 million that is currently owed to the State of Wisconsin,” Baldwin and Ribble wrote. “While we appreciate the Corps’ acknowledgement that the State is still owed $2 million, we urge you to highly prioritize this payment so that it can be included in the FY 2015 work plan.”

The Work Plan outlined the repayment, reading in part, “The allocation also includes $2.122 million to cover the full amount due to match funds contributed by the State, as provided in the September 2000 Memorandum of Agreement to transfer ownership of the Fox River Locks to the State.”

This funding was included as part of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015, a measure that both Ribble and Baldwin supported.