Rep. Scholten Fights Back Against DOGE and Wins Big for West Michigan

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (MI03) announced a major win for West Michigan, successfully securing the release of more than $16 million in federal infrastructure funding from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) after it was frozen by a Trump Administration executive order. This victory not only greenlights a critical security upgrade project, but it also protects over 50 construction jobs that were at risk of being cut.

“This was a clear case of Trump and Musk putting political ideology over common sense. TSA’s own infrastructure funds, already appropriated by Congress, were held hostage. That’s not efficiency—it’s dysfunction, and I wasn’t going to let our community pay the price,” said Rep. Scholten. “At a time when DOGE is pulling funding, delaying critical projects, and hurting American workers, we fought back and won. We got this money moving to protect jobs and security at GRR and to prove that West Michigan won’t be sidelined by Musk’s chaos. This is exactly what I am fighting for every day in Congress.”

GRR’s terminal enhancement project, designed to expand the airport’s capacity for checked baggage screening at the request of the TSA, was nearly derailed by DOGE and Trump’s executive order, which placed an indefinite hold on key infrastructure agreements under the guise of “cost efficiency.” In reality, the delay threatened to cost the airport an additional $125,000 every month, plus up to $500,000 in added mobilization and logistical expenses.

In March, GRR reached out for help and the office sprang into action, pressing TSA and the Trump Administration to exempt this vital project from the funding freeze. Thanks to those efforts, an exemption was approved, and the project is back on track. Without action, more than 50 construction workers in West Michigan would have lost their jobs, and a major airport security project would have stalled. But with the funding now released, the airport can proceed with its plans—avoiding costly delays and keeping local workers on the job.

The funds come through an agreement between TSA and the airport—a funding mechanism that is already included in the TSA’s congressional budget. Scholten’s advocacy ensured that DOGE’s erratic cuts did not get in the way of common-sense investments in local infrastructure and national security.

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