Great Lakes Congressional Watch

Rep. Dave Camp’s Asian Carp Bill Needs Cosponsors

Michigan’s Congressional delegation is stepping up to the plate to support a bill to help stop the invasive Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. Congressional members form the other Great Lakes states – Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, and New York to name a few – need to follow suit.

Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) has penned a letter to his colleagues urging them to co-sponsor the Permanent Prevention of Asian Carp Act (HR5625). So far, only Congressional members from Michigan have co-sponsored the legislation.

The act was introduced in the U.S. House and Senate (S. 3553) after a live Asian Read More » »

Lessons from the Gulf Disaster

The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a tragedy that continues to unfold. It is leading to an important national discussion on America’s energy policy which continues to rely on fossil fuels—and the risks in continuing to do so. The Great Lakes are no stranger to oil and gas exploration. While there is a moratorium currently on any new exploration on the U.S. side of the border, both the United States and Canada have active wells. And Canada has no such moratorium—prompting U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) to go on the offensive, asking the Obama Administration Read More » »

Another One Bites The Dust: Souder to Resign, Specter Ousted

The list of Great Lakes lawmakers who will not return to Congress in January continues to grow by the week. And there are some very heavy hitters on the list. This week, another resignation and a failed primary bid seal the fate of two more Great Lakes policymakers.

U.S. Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.) will resign his seat on Friday after admitting to having an affair with a part-time staffer. Rep. Souder had just won a tough primary against car dealer Bob Thomas.

“It is with great regret I announce that I am resigning from the U.S. House of Representatives as well as Read More » »

Great Lakes Ecosystem Protection Act Priority Issue

The Great Lakes Ecosystem Protection Act needs co-sponsors in both the US Senate and the US House. The US Senate has garnered two more signatures: those of Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) and Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.). These are the first senators to sign on since the bill was introduced in March bringing the total number of Senate co-sponsors to eight. But there are 16 U.S. senators so we still have to get half of the Great Lakes senate delegation to lend their John Hancock to this important bill.

The U.S. House has been more successful at signing Read More » »

Congress Considers Opening the Spigot for Safe Drinking Water

The Great Lakes serve up drinking water for 40 million people, but the region’s infrastructure is old and in need of improvement. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that the Great Lakes need about $75 billion to fix our aging system that controls our drinking water.

This week, the House Subcommittee on Energy and Commerce introduced legislation that would increase funding for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund – a program that gives states loans for drinking water treatment, storage facilities, transmission and distribution systems and for consolidation of the systems.

Congressmen Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) and Read More » »

Rep. Obey’s Departure Will Be Region’s Loss

Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, if you live in the Great Lakes region, you have benefited from the leadership and commitment to restoration that Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) brought to Washington.

Rep. Obey is the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and has secured much-needed funds for Great Lakes restoration. Last year, he led the charge to fully fund the $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

Obey indicated that now that the health care bill passed – an issue he had championed since coming to Congress – Read More » »

If anyone knows the Clean Water Act, it is Rep. Oberstar

U.S. Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) has been Congressman for more than 40 years. During his expansive political career he has been a leader in helping to pass laws to protect the nation’s waterways. Recently, Rep. Oberstar introduced America’s Commitment to Clean Water Act (H.R. 5088) to restore protections of the Clean Water Act of 1972 that have been cast in doubt by U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

When the Clean Water Act was enacted, Oberstar was there, working on the bill as a staffer for then- Minnesota Congressman John Blatnik who was Read More » »

WRDA Reauthorization Offers Opportunity for Great Lakes Restoration

The Great Lakes region has some of the oldest water infrastructures in the nation and we also happen to have a lagging economy. There will be a hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday to consider how the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) – which authorizes Army Corps of Engineers infrastructure projects – could help the economy.

“Our ports, inland waterways and Great Lakes are extremely important to the economy, especially our export economy,” said Janet Kavinoky, director of Transportation and Infrastructure at the US Chamber of Commerce. She will be testifying at the hearing. “It seems to me we’ve gotten Read More » »

The US Senate Budget Resolution Fully Funds GLRI

The ranking and minority chair’s of the US Senate Budget Committee, Senators Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Judd Gregg (R-NH) have replaced the President’s recommended $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative with the full $475 million in the Senate budget resolution which the committee will be considering this week.

Last week, Great Lakes Senators sent a letter to Sens. Conrad and Gregg urging them to fully fund the GLRI at FY2010 levels. President Obama made a commitment to spend $5 billion over the next decade to restore the Great Lakes but lowered funding levels to $300 million for FY2011 for Read More » »

House Bill Would Bring Restoration and Economic Recovery to the Great Lakes

More than 66 percent of Great Lakes wetlands have been filled in or destroyed, Ohio has lost 90 percent of her wetlands, and wetlands provide an essential ingredient in clean water and great lakes restoration. Today, Minnesota Rep. Jim Oberstar (D), Michigan Reps. John Dingell (D) and Vern Ehlers (R) introduced the bipartisan America’s Commitment to Clean Water Act (ACCWA) to restore protections to wetlands, lakes, rivers, streams and waterways that have been eroded by court cases over the past decade.

“We applaud these Great Lakes members for introducing this bill and urge the rest of the Great Lakes congressional delegation Read More » »