Quigley Fights to Protect Great Lakes Restoration Funding
WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) fought to protect the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) from a $190 million cut contained in the FY2014 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. Rep. Quigley, along with Reps. Betty McCollum (MN-04) and Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), offered an amendment to the bill that would restore funding to the post-sequestration FY2013 levels.
"Cutting $190 million from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative would have devastating effects on more than 30 million people who depend on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, jobs, health and way of life," said Rep. Quigley. "In addition to protecting our natural resources and the public health, restoring the Great Lakes is an economic investment in a successful program that generates 1.5 million jobs and $62 billion in wages each year."
The GLRI has helped Illinois implement 75 local and on‐the‐ground restoration projects in the first three years, including efforts to fight invasive species like Asian carp, which have aggressively displaced indigenous fish species in the waterways of Lake Michigan.
The program also provides a substantial economic impact. For every dollar invested in Great Lakes restoration, two dollars will be generated in new jobs, development and increased property values.
Rep. Quigley is a cosponsor of the bipartisan Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act of 2013 (H.R. 2773 ), which authorizes the GLRI and several programs dedicated to the clean-up and revitalization efforts of the entire region.
Rep. Quigley is a stalwart supporter of the environment and a member of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition. He has urged his colleagues in the House to put partisanship aside and craft America's first national energy plan to address climate change. He has opposed the environmentally harmful Keystone XL pipeline and fought for increased protections against oil and gas drilling. During his Chicago Climate Tour earlier this year, he visited regional environmental sites to hear from experts on the local impact of climate change and efforts to address the issue.
