On August 1, 2025 — the day before Vice President JD Vance’s 41st birthday — the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers raised the water level of Ohio’s Little Miami River at the request of the Secret Service so the vice president could go kayaking.

Yes, you read that right.

Federal agencies redirected water flows from Caesar Creek Lake to make it easier for motorized escort boats and emergency personnel to follow Vance’s private birthday outing. While the Secret Service insists this was for “safety,” the public is left asking: why are taxpayer resources being used to adjust river conditions for leisure trips?

The government hasn’t disclosed how much this operation cost — or what environmental impact it had.

Meanwhile, the National Park Service faces funding cuts, public recreation areas are strained, and families across the country are being told to “do more with less.”

We, the undersigned, are calling on the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a full review of:

• The cost of the river-level alteration
• Who authorized the request
• Whether it was necessary for public safety
• How frequently such special accommodations are made for VIP recreation
   

Vice President Vance’s office claims he wasn’t aware the river was raised. That doesn’t change the fact that it happened — and that federal resources appear to have been used to make a public river safer for a personal birthday outing.

Public trust depends on transparency and accountability. We deserve to know how our resources are being used — and whether they’re being abused.

Raising rivers for politicians isn’t public service. It’s privilege. And it’s time someone answered for it.