Having grown up on the shores of Lake Erie, I consider it an honor to advocate for the Great Lakes in Congress. The Lakes are an irreplaceable resource and invaluable economic driver. They constitute the largest system of surface freshwater on Earth, provide drinking water for an estimated 48 million people, and generate more than 1.5 million jobs and $60 billion in wages annually.

In 2016, I authored landmark legislation to authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), which provides funding to federal agencies, the Great Lakes states, local communities, and businesses to restore the Great Lakes ecosystem and the economic health of the Great Lakes region. This important bill was signed into law by President Obama in 2016. In 2021, President Trump signed my subsequent legislation to reauthorize GLRI into law.

As the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, and as a Co-Chair of the House Great Lakes Task Force, I will continue working across the aisle to secure the necessary investments to treat the Great Lakes as the national treasure they are.

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