U.S. Lawmakers Urge Canada to Provide More Financial Support for the Great Lakes

By GLSR Staff  |  Latest News, Maritime Initiatives
President Joe Biden will travel to Ottawa, Canada from March 23-24. The President will reaffirm the United States’ commitment to the U.S.-Canada partnership and promote the two countries’ shared security, shared prosperity and shared values. During the visit, President Biden will meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss defense cooperation and modernizing the North American Aerospace Defense Command, strengthening supply chain resilience, taking bold action to combat climate change and accelerate the clean energy transition, and working together on regional challenges, including instability in Haiti. 

A bipartisan group of Great Lakes lawmakers is urging President Biden to encourage Canadian leaders to boost their financial support for restoring and protecting the Great Lakes. 

The nine U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to President Biden, urging that partnerships between the United States and Canada are needed to clean up toxic Areas of Concern in the freshwater lakes, combat invasive species, restore habitats and reduce algae blooms.  

The letter was signed by Great Lakes Task Force co-chair Reps. Bill Huizenga, R-Holland, and Brian Higgins, D-New York, as well as Reps. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor; Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, and David Joyce, R-Ohio; as well as Reps. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet; John Moolenaar, R-Caledonia; Elissa Slotkin, D-Lansing; and Mike Gallagher, R-Wisconsin. 

The U.S. Congress has appropriated $300 million to $548 million a year over the last five years for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) for environmental restoration and cleanup work and efforts to combat invasive species. By comparison, Canada committed $32.97 million between 2017 and 2022, with plans for a $6.6 million annual commitment moving forward.
 

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