Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of continued preservation and restoration of the Great Lakes through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a very important initiative for the Great Lakes system.

For Michiganders, the Great Lakes are directly linked to our identity, our way of life, our history, and our future.

The Great Lakes basin is home to more than 30 million people, and it contains 90 percent of the Nation's fresh surface water supply. Many know that, but they don't always understand the economic impact. That provides the backbone of a $6 trillion regional economy.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has a strong track record of success, specifically in west Michigan, where the work to clean up toxic hotspots in areas like Muskegon is estimated to have increased property values by nearly $12 million and generated $1 million in new recreational spending. This holds true across west Michigan and the entire region, as every dollar invested in the GLRI generates more than $3 in additional long-term economic activity.

The GLRI is critical to our efforts to protect drinking water, prevent the spread of invasive species, and to accelerate the cleanup of areas of concern.

With the threat of Asian carp inundating our waters, high water levels and erosion threatening our shorelines, and the ongoing threat of PFAS contamination contaminating our water, we must be committed to bipartisan solutions to protect this critical resource.

Recently, my Republican colleagues and I had an opportunity to spend some time with the President, and he recommitted his support for the GLRI and towards the Great Lakes, as well as making sure that Brandon Road and other efforts to keep invasive species out are happening.

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Mr. HUIZENGA. Mr. Speaker, the GLRI is a bipartisan example of an effective and efficient use of taxpayer dollars that protects, preserves, and strengthens the Great Lakes today and for future generations.

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