Kirk Urges Swift Passage of His Bill to Continue Great Lakes Restoration

Press Release

U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) today released the following statement urging his colleagues to swiftly pass the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA), which includes his bipartisan legislation that authorizes the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act (GLRI) through 2021 and addresses some of the most serious issues that threaten the ecological and economic well-being of the entire Great Lakes basin. As Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, Senator Kirk introduced S. 1024 last April with Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) to protect the source of clean drinking water for 30 million Americans and to keep the lakes safe for families throughout the region. S. 1024 was passed by Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works in January. The House of Representatives is expected to pass a companion bill, H.R. 223, this evening.

Also included in WRDA is a bipartisan package that will provide more resources for places like Flint, Michigan, to upgrade their water treatment and delivery infrastructure. Senator Kirk co-authored the original package that addresses these needs.

"Keeping the Great Lakes clean is critical to unleashing the economic potential of communities along Lake Michigan and protecting the source of drinking water for millions of families. No more American families should have to choose between clean drinking water and their safety. As the author of the bipartisan Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act and an architect of the bipartisan Flint compromise, I call on my colleagues to take this important step towards keeping our waters clean for generations to come."

S. 1024 is supported by:

The Alliance for the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition

The Healing Our Waters- Great Lakes Coalition

The Great Lakes Commission

The Council of Great Lakes Industries

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission

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