Tell Congress to Enact President Obama’s Historic Great Lakes Commitment

Climate Change Coming To US Senate Panel Tuesday

California Senator Barbara Boxer’s committee will hold a hearing on the Climate Change bill on Tuesday to hear the testimony of some heavy hitters from the White House.

The heads of Energy, the EPA and Agriculture are expected to testify at the hearing.

The bill that narrowly passed the House and is expected to find an even tougher audience in the US Senate is expected to be a major topic of debate this July.

Razor-Thin Victory For Climate Change; 50/50 split among Great Lakes Fencesitters

In a narrow victory, the US House passed the first ever bill to deal with the affects of climate change on the Great Lakes. It will also provide future dollars toward protection and restoration efforts. In the end, eight republicans joined in the “yes” vote (two from the Great Lakes districts we asked you to call!) as well as several of the Great Lakes fencesitters. The final vote was 219 to 212.

The day of the vote, we asked you to contact twelve of the Great Lakes lawmakers that had not made up their mind yet and remind them that the Read More » »

They Did It! Obama’s Restoration Initiative Gets Thumbs Up

The US House approved President Obama’s historic commitment to Great Lakes restoration with a vote of 254 to 173. The $475 million investment will now head to the US Senate for a vote after the July fourth weekend.

Michigan’s Rep. Bart Stupak (D) voted in favor of the restoration funding today. “The Great Lakes are a national treasure and Michigan’s greatest resource. Our economy, health and way of life depend on protecting both the quality and quantity of Great Lakes water.” But even Rep. Stupak noted that the $475 million is just a down payment and much more Read More » »

House Approves $475M Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

The effort to restore the Great Lakes advanced in the U.S. Congress, as the House of Representatives today approved $475 million to fund a new Great Lakes Restoration Initiative first proposed in President Obama’s budget.

Urge Great Lakes Congressmen To Vote For Climate Change Bill

As the US House nears a historic vote on climate change legislation, several Congressmen with districts on the Great Lakes are still on the fence as to whether or not they will support the bill. The America’s Clean Energy and Security Act promises to help the Great Lakes by protecting the lakes from the predicted devestating affects of climate change as well as providing money toward restoration goals.

Take a look at the list of lawmakers below and please call the Capitol Switchboard 202-224-3121 if any are from your state and urge s/he to protect the lakes by voting in Read More » »

Do you live in Marcy Kaptur’s district?

Great Lakes Rep. Marcy Kaptur is reported to be leaning toward voting “no” tomorrow on the America’s Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), but she remains officially undecided. Ohio has been the focus for opponents of the legislation that would do much to help contain climate change in the Great Lakes and pay for restoration projects while providing new jobs. Perhaps, Rep. Kaptur has not heard how the bill would help the lakes and therefore her very district.

Rep. Kaptur was one of the ten Ohio lawmakers called into a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to discuss the bill. Read More » »

In Climate Debate: Great Lakes States are Targeted

The extreme tug-of-war going on in Congress over the Climate Change legislation has moved its battlefront to the Midwest. A cadre of Republican Congressmen against America’s Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) are targeting Great Lakes lawmakers in an attempt to pry their votes away from the Democratic majority in the US House.

Playing on regionalism, the Republican’s led by Ohio’s John Boehner are arguing that the bill meant to create clean energy jobs while confronting global warming will actually harm coal producing and farm states in the Midwest and South. Advocacy groups working for coal and big industry are circulating Read More » »

President’s Great Lakes Initiative Makes it Past First Senate Hurdle

The US Senate Committee charged with marking up the President’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative approved it yesterday providing $400 million for the initiative. The US House Appropriations Committee approved $475 million last week.

The $400 million is a huge victory because it represents the most that the US Senate panel could give toward the initiative as they have a smaller amount to spend on the committees programs.

Interior Appropriations chairman Diane Feinstein (D-CA) told Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich) that she will support full funding during the conference negotiations. Sen. Levin has been working behind the scenes to ensure that the Senate Committee Read More » »

Bills to hit the Floor

The Great Lakes $475 million and the State Revolving Fund and EPA spending bills are due to hit the floor of the US House this week as well as see a mark-up session in the US Senate tomorrow.

A number of Republicans have had a difficult time choking down the increased spending levels on Interior and EPA budgets (even though spending is $25 million less than President Obama requested) and plan to fight back this week on the US House floor. They are expected to offer amendments that would reduce spending in a number of areas. And Appropriations Subcommittee on Read More » »

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