Great Lakes Restoration
Floor Speech
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Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise to speak on the need to vigorously protect the Great Lakes.
The Great Lakes are a vital natural resource not only for my home State of Michigan but for the entire Nation. In addition to providing drinking water for nearly 40 million people, the Great Lakes serve as an economic engine for our entire country. This freshwater system is associated with adding nearly $6 trillion to the U.S. GDP while supporting millions of jobs. It accounts for more than 50 percent of all U.S.-Canadian border trade and facilitates the shipping of over 200 million tons of cargo every year.
But ask Michiganders what the Great Lakes mean to them, and they will tell you that they are a great deal more than simply a source of commerce; the Great Lakes literally define our State. They not only define our borders but who we are among the States. We are, in fact, the Great Lakes State. We love to spend our summers on or near the lakes and, in the process, form the family memories that we hold for a lifetime. It is no exaggeration to say that for Michiganders, the Great Lakes are part of who we are. It is in our DNA.
Over the years, Democrats and Republicans alike have understood the importance of maintaining the vitality of the Great Lakes. That is why, in 2004, President George W. Bush signed an Executive order to promote a Great Lakes regional collaboration.
Then, in 2010, President Obama built on his predecessor's leadership. In his very first budget request, President Obama called for the funding for what would later be known as the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The GLRI today remains a bipartisan success story because it provides a platform for Federal Agencies and States to come together to address the biggest threats to our lakes.
Let me give you a few examples of the positive impact that the GLRI has had in my home State of Michigan.
In Deer Lake, near Ishpeming in the Upper Peninsula, GLRI funds were used to successfully eliminate mercury runoff that had contaminated local wildlife. Over just a few years, these funds were used to restore the natural habitat, and as a result, Deer Lake was no longer considered a Federal area of concern.
Thanks to the support of the GLRI, sufficient improvements were made to prevent runoff at the Gloede Drain in the Clinton Township of Macomb County, reducing flooding and soil erosion in an area that many Michiganders call home.
In Detroit, 30 steel mills, oil refineries, chemical manufacturers, and other plants discharged pollutants into the Detroit River for decades. However, with the implementation of $89 million worth of GLRI waterway cleanup projects, the water quality has improved, and Detroit now has a thriving and vibrant downtown RiverWalk that has become an economic engine for small businesses.
There is no question the GLRI is a proven success and has been vital to Michigan's environment and to Michigan's economy. Yet, despite this success, President Trump, once again, is willing to risk the health, safety, and vitality of one of the world's largest freshwater systems by proposing a 90-percent cut--yes, a 90-percent cut--to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Unfortunately, this is not the first time. Since taking office, President Trump has tried to eliminate the funding to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative each and every year he has been in office, and each and every year, Congress has united in a bipartisan way to ensure that this critical program remains funded.
Let me be clear. Slashing GLRI funding would have an immediate and catastrophic impact on the future of the Great Lakes and on both the nearly 10 million Michiganders whom I represent as well as our entire country.
I again ask my Senate colleagues for their support. The Great Lakes are not just a Michigan priority; they are not just a regional priority--they are truly a national priority. Fully funding the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative should never be a partisan issue--it is simply the right thing to do--and, together, we can protect the Great Lakes for this generation and future generations to come.
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