Slotkin Announces Nearly $2 Million in Funding for Capital Region International Airport Thanks to Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

LANSING, Mich. – U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) today announced $2.3 million in awards from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that provide new funding for three airports in Michigan's 8th District – a direct result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. That legislation, which Slotkin championed for months and which was signed into law in November, will allocate nearly $2 million to the Capital Region International Airport in Lansing; $159,000 to the Jewett Field Airport in Mason; and $295,000 to Livingston County Spencer J. Hardy Airport in Howell.

"The awards today for airports in Lansing, Howell, and Mason are exactly why I supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law," said Slotkin. "The nearly $2 million for the Capital Region International Airport, in particular, will ensure that this regional asset will continue to provide high-quality service to hundreds of thousands of travelers in mid-Michigan each year; drive economic development in the Tri-County region; and support the livelihoods of thousands of Michigan workers. And this money is just the beginning. Onward and upward on our infrastructure!"

"This funding will help the Capital Region Airport Authority continue to provide safe and efficient aeronautical facilities at the Capital Region International Airport, which serves the needs of businesses and residents across the mid-Michigan region and is a strong asset for our community," said John Shaski, Chairman, Capital Region Airport Authority

The Capital Region International Airport is an essential part of the Tri-County area's economy, serving 447,000 travelers to and from mid-Michigan. The airport supports jobs for 7,400 Michigan workers, provides almost $240 million in wage income, and creates $652 million in value for businesses.

These FAA awards mark the beginning of the more than $10 billion that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is set to bring to Michigan. The law also allocates more than $7.3 billion to repair highways in the state, $563 million to rebuild bridges, $1.3 billion to upgrade water infrastructure, and $100 million to expand rural broadband access. It also includes comprehensive "Buy American" and prevailing wage provisions to support domestic manufacturing and create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs across Michigan that cannot be outsourced.

Slotkin and the Problem Solvers Caucus developed an initial framework in June that laid the foundation for an eventual deal struck between President Biden and Senate negotiators. The bipartisan package later passed with bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House, and was signed into law by President Biden in November.

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