Aug 24, 2021

August 10, 2021, U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) announced that the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) is one step closer to receiving $1 billion in new funding as a result of the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act passing the Senate today. The Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) includes $5.5 billion in funding to support ecosystems across the country.

“With Senate passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Senate has taken another historic step in supporting Lake Erie and our Great Lakes by providing an additional $1 billion for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. For our communities along Lake Erie, healthy water and ecosystems are the bedrock of a more resilient economy and more durable infrastructure,” said Senator Portman. “Lake Erie is an Ohio treasure that provides drinking water for millions of Ohioans, supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, and draws millions of visitors each year. As co-chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, I will continue to fight preserve this treasure for our future generations.”

“This is the single largest investment we’ve made in the Great Lakes and it’s great news! Republicans and Democrats worked together to fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative because we know our precious Great Lakes aren’t just a key part of our economy, they are an important part of our way of life in Michigan. This transformative investment will protect our lakes for our children and grandchildren,” said Senator Stabenow.

As Co-Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, Portman continues to lead the efforts to protect Lake Erie from harmful algal blooms, invasive species, contamination, and microbeads. In January of this year, Portman and Stabenow applauded the signing of their bipartisan bill, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act into law, which reauthorized the GLRI program for five years, through FY 2026, and increased the authorization level to $375 million for FY 2022 and by $25 million annually until it reaches $475 million in FY 2026. IIJA provides supplemental funding to the GLRI over five years, which is in addition to the funding the program receives through the annual appropriations process. Portman and Stabenow will continue to advocate for the full authorized funding level of $375 million for the GLRI in the FY 2022 appropriations process.