U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Secures Funding for Wisconsin’s Great Lakes
Senate Appropriations Committee includes $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Appropriations Committee today released the Fiscal Year 2018 Interior and Environment funding bill, which includes $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) that Senator Baldwin secured as a member of the committee.
“The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is critical for the health of our region, our communities, and our clean water resources. It helps us clean up polluted sites, restore water quality and combat invasive species,” said Senator Baldwin. “Preserving the Great Lakes is not just an environmental goal – it is an economic necessity, and I’m glad to see the Senate Appropriations Committee has taken this positive step to fully fund this important initiative.”
Last month, Senator Baldwin joined a bipartisan group of her Senate colleagues calling on the Office of Management and Budget to include this critical funding in the legislation. A copy of the October letter is available here.
In May, Senator Baldwin championed a bipartisan agreement to fully fund the GLRI in omnibus funding legislation. The GLRI is a critical program for the Great Lakes region that helps protect our clean water resources. President Trump proposed eliminating federal funding for this program, suggesting that instead we could rely on the State of Wisconsin and local governments to provide this critical funding. Senator Baldwin has championed the GLRI and protecting our Great Lakes throughout her time in the Senate. Last year, Senator Baldwin successfully fought to reauthorize the GLRI for five more years in bipartisan legislation signed into law by President Obama.
The text of the Draft FY2018 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill is available here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin
Baldwin, Evers Secure Nearly $220 Million for Passenger Rail Between Chicago and Waukesha, Jefferson, and Dane Counties
Oct 16th, 2026 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinHiawatha West Project will build out train route from Chicago to Madison, while also improving freight rail safety, speeds, and reliability
Senator Baldwin Brings Home $34 Million to Repair and Upgrade Green Bay Rail Bridge, Improve Safety and Reliability
Oct 15th, 2026 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinA new Luxemburg Swing Bridge will strengthen freight rail infrastructure, reduce service disruptions, and support Wisconsin businesses
Baldwin, Murray Call on Education Department to Abandon Latest Tactic to Cut Grant Funding to Communities
Oct 15th, 2026 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinFunding for program at Madison College to provide childcare for student parents was cut as the admin is preventing over $600 million from reaching schools and students this year
Good job! This is very important. This is an international prerogative. You can’t leave it on the states. They have too many other priorities.
This is good news. Trump’s initially dismissive reaction to this initiative suggests that he may not be aware of the significant percentage of our world’s fresh water contained in our Great Lakes. These lakes matter a great deal to those of us who live near them. They could eventually matter even more to many of those who live elsewhere on this planet.