Brian Higgins: “I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise to strongly support this bill, which would increase funding to…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise to strongly support this bill, which would increase funding to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to $475 million by the year 2026. This funding is essential to the health of the Great Lakes. We have made incredible progress to restore plant and animal habitats, control invasive species, combat harmful algal blooms, improve water quality, and clean up the environment of this region. The revitalization of the Buffalo River in my district, which was once declared ecologically dead, environmentally destroyed, it is now a destination for nature and recreation and is one of the great success stories of this program. It has yielded impressive economic benefits. Every $1 in funding generates $3.35 in economic activity. In Buffalo, the number is greater than $4. Attacks on clean water now threaten the progress that we have already made, and there is still much work left to be done. I urge my colleagues to join me in enthusiastically supporting this bill.”