[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 4297]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                WAR IS BEING DECLARED ON THE GREAT LAKES

  (Mrs. DINGELL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because war is being declared 
on the Great Lakes. Those of us who live in the Great Lakes region 
recognize that the current times are anything but useful.
  The Great Lakes account for 21 percent of the world's freshwater 
supply and are a major thoroughfare for transportation, commerce, 
trade, as well as recreation and tourism. Critical investments over the 
last decade have helped clean up and protect these waters, and that 
work is now in danger. Much is preventable and it must be stopped.
  President Trump's budget released today virtually eliminates funding 
for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which will cause 
significant harm to our communities, to jobs, and to our way of life. 
This jeopardizes our ability to fight back against invasive species 
that threaten the region's biodiversity, including the Asian carp. It 
also impacts vital cleanup projects that ensure our water is safe to 
drink. And there are those who want to store nuclear waste in the Great 
Lakes as well. It is not a partisan issue; it is an American issue.

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