Political Quotes

“I am offering this amendment because Great Lakes ports and harbors are facing a crisis. I want to thank the chairman of the committee for his willingness to work on this situation, not just in this bill but in previous bills as well. The Great Lakes navigation system is a critical international waterway that extends from the western end of Lake Superior to the Gulf of St. Lawrence Seaway on the Atlantic Ocean, a distance of over 2,400 miles. The U.S. portion of the system includes 140 harbors and over 600 miles of maintained navigation channels. This system can handle 200 million tons of cargo that generate and sustain around 130,000 good- paying jobs and an $18 billion support to our economy in the eight Great Lakes States and around the country. However, 16 million cubic yards of sediment clogged these ports and waterways in the Great Lakes. It is estimated that it would cost nearly $200 million to make them fully functional. In addition, the critical Soo Locks, joining Lake Superior and Lake Huron, require $115 million to complete maintenance rehabilitation while Great Lakes breakwaters and jetties need $250 million for repairs. We must act before the crisis in the Great Lakes grows even worse. Just 2 years ago, the House overwhelmingly passed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act 412-4, and it was later signed into law.…”