Blake Moore: “I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I am so very pleased to rise in support of this bipartisan legislation to…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I am so very pleased to rise in support of this bipartisan legislation to reauthorize and strengthen the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the GLRI. Twenty percent of the world's freshwater resides in the Great Lakes. It is a national treasure and a regional economic engine. I remember when I was first elected in 2004. On election night, I was so excited because I said now I get to represent Lake Michigan. It is one of my favorite constituents. In its mere one decade of existence, the GLRI has not only generated environmental benefits, but it is helping to generate economic development as waterways that were once polluted, unusable, and off- limits to the public have become attractive to not only recreational users but to businesses that are able to open their doors to the public. GLRI investments have been used in over 4,000 projects across almost 300,000 square miles of the Great Lakes Basin. It is truly a win-win. Mr. Speaker, this bill takes the next step to support the ongoing efforts and partnerships that are making this program so successful in Great Lakes communities. While I don't have much time, I want to highlight a couple of efforts that my constituents who are hard at work to make use of the funds that protect Lake Michigan. Here is one story of a small business owner. Beth Handle is the owner and operator of Milwaukee Kayak Company, located right on the Milwaukee River in downtown Milwaukee.…”