Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019

Floor Speech

I rise in support of H.R. 4031. H.R. 4031 is a critical bill to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, an initiative near and dear to my heart and the Great Lakes Caucus.

The Great Lakes, as was noted, is the largest system of fresh surface water in the world. The GLRI, as it is known, has been a catalyst for unprecedented partnership between Federal, State, and local agencies for years to improve the ecosystem, to improve water quality, and to support the economy of the entire Great Lakes region and the Nation.

H.R. 4031 has broad and bipartisan support with nearly 50 cosponsors, and I am proud to be one of those cosponsors. I thank our Members for continued support for the restoration of our Great Lakes. This issue is very important to my district and many other Members' districts in our Congress here.

The Great Lakes have an incredible impact on our region's way of life that cannot be overstated. At one point in time when I was younger, we actually had a license plate that called Michigan the Water Wonderland because of the importance of the Great Lakes on our State.

States all along the Great Lakes rely on them as a freshwater resource, a driver of our local and national economy, and a world- renowned recreation destination. It impacts from Minnesota all the way to New York.

In my home State of Michigan, we have the most Great Lakes shoreline of any State, with more than 3,000 miles of our State shaped by four of the five Great Lakes. My district is nearly surrounded by the Great Lakes system.

The projects that the GLRI makes possible have a proven track record of success and impact in our communities.

Take the Marysville shoreline in Michigan's 10th District, my home district, as an example. The GLRI provided the funds to remove a failing seawall and replace it with a natural, sloping shore.

Additionally, further south of my district, the restoration of wetlands in the Harsens Island area provided habitat for waterfowl and fish that had been destroyed over the years.

These projects resulted in the creation of jobs in the region, habitat restoration for wildlife, and a pathway for people to walk along the river or the lake, to view and enjoy it. This is one of the countless examples that highlights the importance of the GLRI for Great Lakes communities like mine and throughout the region.

GLRI investments have delivered great outcomes, but there is more work to be done to protect our Great Lakes, including stopping the spread of invasive species, like Asian carp; protecting our drinking water, a critical and urgent need; and restoring habitat loss.

I have advocated for GLRI since I arrived here and recently spoke with the President about the importance of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. It is crucial that Congress continues to authorize this program that protects and restores the Great Lakes. It, like many other estuaries we have talked about today, is a national treasure that our country relies on for drinking water, commerce, and more.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4031 offers a chance to continue this support. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire of the balance of time on both sides, please.

Let me close with this: This bill passed committee with strong bipartisan support. As my colleagues have noted, including Mrs. Walorski, recreational use of the Great Lakes is an important component of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

As I close, I would like to quote the immortal words of country superstar, Craig Morgan. It is a little unusual, but I think it is appropriate today.

He said in a song: I'm meetin' my buddies out on the lake We're headed out to a special place we love That just a few folks know There's no signin' up, no monthly dues Take your Johnson, your Mercury or your Evinrude and fire it up Meet us out at party cove Come on in; the water's fine Just idle on over, and toss us a line

Support reauthorization of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

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Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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