Senators to Subcommittee Regarding the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

To: The Honorable Lisa Murkowski
Chairperson
Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Senate Committee on Appropriations
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Tom Udall
Ranking Member
Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Senate Committee on Appropriations
Washington, D.C. 20510

From: The undersigned members of the U.S. Senate

Dear Chairperson Murkowski and Ranking Member Udall:

As the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies considers FY2019 appropriations requests, we are requesting full funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) at $300 million. As you are aware, the President’s FY2019 budget request cut funding for the GLRI by 90% after proposing to eliminate funding for the program in the FY2018 budget request. We are concerned that these proposed cuts will reverse the progress that has been made to protect and improve the Great Lakes, the world’s largest freshwater body, which supplies drinking water to millions of people and contributes billions of dollars to the economy each year.