[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14971]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 THE GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE

  (Mr. MOOLENAAR asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MOOLENAAR. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to thank all of 
the Members who voted to support the Great Lakes Restoration 
Initiative.
  In the appropriations legislation the House passed 2 weeks ago, we 
included $300 million in the fiscal year 2018 budget for protecting our 
Great Lakes.
  The Great Lakes are a critical resource and an essential part of 
Michigan's outdoor heritage. They are enjoyed by millions of Americans 
from across the country, and they are a unique ecosystem with one-fifth 
of the world's freshwater. They are also a major trade route and they 
form an international border.
  There is a Federal role for protecting the Great Lakes, and by 
working with public and private organizations like Michigan's 
universities and Ducks Unlimited, the GLRI does vital work to protect 
the Great Lakes and the streams, rivers, and wetlands that flow into 
them.
  Again, I want to thank all of my colleagues for their support of this 
critical program.

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