[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 211 (Monday, December 15, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H5878-H5879]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GREAT LAKES FISHERY RESEARCH REAUTHORIZATION ACT
Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (S. 2878) to reauthorize funding to monitor, assess, and research
the Great Lakes Basin, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 2878
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Great Lakes Fishery Research
Reauthorization Act''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF FUNDING TO MONITOR, ASSESS, AND
RESEARCH GREAT LAKES BASIN.
Section 201(d) of title II of division P of the Further
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (16 U.S.C. 941h(d)), is
amended by striking ``2025'' and inserting ``2030''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Minnesota (Mr. Stauber) and the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr.
Hernandez) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota.
General Leave
Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on S. 2878, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Minnesota?
There was no objection.
Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2878, the Great Lakes Fishery
Research Reauthorization Act.
The Great Lakes Fishery Research Program is administered by the U.S.
Geological Survey, which works in concert with the Great Lakes Fishery
Commission to conduct research and collect data to support the
binational fisheries within the Great Lakes Basin.
This bill would continue the many tools that help manage and protect
these fisheries, which are integral to the region's economic and
ecological health. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, S. 2878 will reauthorize the U.S. Geological Survey
Great Lakes Fishery Research Program to continue essential research
that informs fishery management decisions across the Great Lakes Basin.
Effective fishery management starts and ends with accurate data,
which is why the information provided by this program is the foundation
for the decisions taken by State and Tribal fishery managers.
The Great Lakes region supports nearly a $5 billion sport and
commercial fishing industry that relies on sound scientific research to
protect and manage its aquatic ecosystems.
This program supports research to identify and combat invasive
species like the sea lamprey and the Asian carp, conduct surveys for
sport fish management, and monitor impacts of harmful algal blooms on
fisheries. The Great Lakes Science Center also brings in more than
300,000 visitors annually and supports thousands of jobs.
Healthy fish populations benefit both the environment and the
businesses that depend on them. The bill would provide $15 million
annually through fiscal year 2030 to continue research that protects
native species, monitors invasive species, and assesses the impacts of
habitat degradation and climate change on the Great Lakes.
I commend Representative Quigley, Senator Peters, and the bipartisan
Great Lakes delegation for their work on this important legislation. I
urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Quigley), the sponsor of this bill in the House.
Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for considering this
bill, the Great Lakes Fishery Research Reauthorization Act.
This bill would reauthorize critical Great Lakes research programs at
$15 million per year for 5 years. I thank my colleague, Representative
Huizenga, for his partnership on this bill in the House.
Protecting and restoring our Great Lakes has long been a bipartisan
priority. I am proud of our work together on this topic. Lake Michigan
is the pride and joy of Chicago, but the native ecosystems are at risk.
My colleagues might have noticed the poster behind me. This is a sea
lamprey. They are not native to the Great Lakes, but they have found
their way in. When left unchecked, they wreak havoc on our ecosystems.
If this graphic doesn't convince my colleagues that we don't want these
suckers in the Great Lakes, I am not sure what will.
Kind of like a giant leech, their suction-cup mouth clamps onto
native fish species to feed on them. One sea lamprey can kill up to 40
pounds of Great Lakes fish over a 12- to 18-month feeding period, and
that is just one of the threats we are currently up against.
Alongside the sea lamprey, there are over 60 invasive species in the
Great Lakes. Those include zebra mussels, rusty crayfish, and round
goby. They compete for the same resources and prey on native species.
Many don't have natural predators in the Great Lakes. Without
intervention, these invasive species will be ``eely'' bad for our
native fish and plant populations.
Mr. Speaker, 61 native fish species are currently threatened or
endangered. In the 1950s, the United States and Canada established the
Great Lakes Fishery Commission to shore up our shared fisheries.
Decades of overfishing, invasive species, and human impact on lakes
threatened the native fish species and led to 20 species going extinct.
For all those in the region who depend on fisheries for food,
livelihood, and sport, it is critical we continue to monitor the Great
Lakes and our native fish species. The total value of commercial,
recreational, and Tribal fishing in the Great Lakes is at least $5
billion. The industry supports an estimated 75,000 jobs across the
region.
[[Page H5879]]
Research into the Great Lakes fishery provides us with the data and
information necessary to manage fish populations, conduct habitat
maintenance, roll out educational programs, and more.
For the last 5 years, this program has provided funds for the U.S.
Geological Survey and, more specifically, the Great Lakes Science
Center to conduct scientific research and invest in new technology.
With the help of this funding, the Great Lakes Science Center has
field operations in five of the eight Great Lakes States, where it owns
and operates a fleet of large research vessels to monitor the lakes and
the fishery. This information is used to ensure that these crucial
ecosystems stay healthy and productive.
Other researchers across the region rely on data collected over
decades to analyze trends in the Great Lakes and help keep them
healthy. Reauthorizing this program now will allow the Great Lakes
Science Center to continue its research and provide datasets that are
stable and reliable into the future.
The Senate has already passed this reauthorization. I encourage my
colleagues to help get this bill over the finish line.
Lastly, I thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and in
the Senate, including Senator Peters who introduced the version of the
bill we will vote on today, and Senator Husted representing the great
State of Ohio.
Mr. Speaker, I thank them for their consideration, and I urge my
colleagues to vote ``yes.''
Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Mrs. Dingell).
Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 2878.
The Great Lakes aren't just a part of Michigan and the heartland's
landscape. They are part of our economy, our identity, and our
heritage. They are more than 20 percent of the world's freshwater and
must be protected.
They provide drinking water to millions. They are home to a thriving
ecosystem for a wide breadth of species. They support countless jobs.
Our Great Lakes' fishing economy alone is worth more than $5 billion.
Unfortunately, there are many threats jeopardizing the future of the
Great Lakes and the region's way of life, including, as my colleagues
just heard described, the highly invasive sea lamprey, one of the most
disgusting things I have ever witnessed in my life.
{time} 1630
The USGS Great Lakes Science Center is located in my district. It
meets the Nation's need for scientific information used to restore,
enhance, manage, and protect the freshwater fisheries and habitats of
the Great Lakes. The GLSC helps to protect the freshwater fisheries and
habitats that are invaluable economic and ecological assets for the
entire Great Lakes region.
We know the devastating effects that invasive species, pollution, and
extreme weather have had on the Great Lakes, and the research conducted
at this lab is essential to mitigating these threats and addressing
these issues.
The work of the GLSC and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission has
reduced the invasive sea lamprey populations in the Great Lakes by more
than 90 percent. Thanks to this program, populations of native fish,
including lake trout, whitefish, and walleye, have started to recover
and, with them, the economy of the region.
In November 2024, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission announced that
lake trout, a popular fish nearly exterminated by sea lampreys and
overfishing in the mid-1900s, has fully rebounded in Lake Superior. We
must continue to support the GLSC's work with the Fishery Commission
because the fight against invasive species is an ongoing battle.
The Great Lakes Fishery Research Reauthorization Act would
reauthorize funding for the Great Lakes Science Center for another 5
years, helping to ensure that they are able to continue conducting the
critical research that ensures future generations can enjoy the same
beauty, biodiversity, and economic opportunities for our Great Lakes
for many years.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this
legislation.
Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. STAUBER. Mr. Speaker, this bill supports effective fishery
management, which starts with accurate data. I thank Representatives
Quigley and Huizenga for their work on this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, S. 2878.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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