NEMWI Announces Summer 2024 Interns

The Northeast-Midwest Institute welcomes a group of six interns from universities nationwide who are beginning summer internships at NEMWI extending from June to August 2024. The new intern team hales from universities nationwide, including Brown University, Dartmouth College, George Mason University, Lynn University, Mount Saint Mary's University, and North Central College.

The new interns include Environmental Policy Interns, Federal Policy Monitoring Interns, and a Communications Intern. They will be engaged in special research projects and in NEMWI's ongoing policy monitoring.

The following are this summer's new interns:

Ava-Celeste Matos is working as an Environmental Policy Intern. She is a rising senior at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where she majors in international relations and public affairs. She is from Providence, Rhode Island.

Evan Kaye, a rising senior at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, also is an Environmental Policy Intern. His major is environmental studies and public policy. He is from Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Aidan Fernandes is a Federal Policy Monitoring Intern. He is a rising senior at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and is originally from Burke, Virginia. He is majoring in government and international relations.

Riley Crume is an Environmental Policy Intern. He is a recent graduate of Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, where he graduated with a political science degree. He is from Miami, Florida.

Julia Mozingo is NEMWI’s Social Media and Communications Intern. She attends Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where she is a rising junior with history and political science majors and a minor in music. She is from Chesapeake Beach, Maryland.

Zachary Erickson is a Federal Policy Monitoring Intern. He is a rising senior at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, where he is majoring in political science and Spanish. He is from Frankfort, Illinois.

House Appropriations Committee Approves FY25 State and Foreign Operations Bill

The House Appropriations Committee on June 12 advanced the FY25 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill. The bill had previously advanced out of Subcommittee on June 4. The bill provides $51.713 billion, which is $7.6 billion (11%) below the Fiscal Year 2024 enacted level and $12.26 billion (19%) below the President’s Budget Request.

Though the bill would cut spending overall, those cuts are not reflected in key Great Lakes programs. The Bill would fund the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) at $50 million, equal to FY24 enacted levels, and $10.5 million more than the President’s FY25 Budget Request, and the International Joint Commission (IJC) at $11.9 million, an increase of $1.1 million over FY24 enacted levels, and equal to the President’s FY25 Budget Request. While the committee report accompanying the Bill does not give a reason for the increased funding, the President’s budget noted that “the additional funding will be dedicated to addressing critical cybersecurity needs, water resource issues, and an inflation increase.” See historical funding levels for these programs below.

The committee report also provides additional direction to the GLFC. As in FY24, $1 million must be used for grass carp. The report also expresses support for the GLFC’s infrastructure plan. “It is critical to the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem that the United States and Canada continue to maintain and improve their respective infrastructure, which provides significant benefits to each country’s economy,” it reads.

The Committee also advanced the FY25 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill. The Bill provides $64.81 billion, which is $2.97 billion (4.80%) above the Fiscal Year 2024 enacted level. The Bill does not provide funding for a heavy Great Lakes Icebreaker. $20 million was appropriated for the project in FY24, though the FY24 House and Senate bills, along with the President’s Budget, all requested $55 million. The existing $20 million, the committee report says, “will allow the Coast Guard to continue the analyze and select phase of the acquisition for a Great Lakes Icebreaker.”

These bills must still pass the full House of Representatives and be reconciled with the eventual Senate version before they reach the President's desk. See the schedule of House Appropriations markups below. NEMWI will continue to monitor the appropriations process.

Connect With the Northeast-Midwest Institute

on Social Media

The Northeast-Midwest Institute is on social media with new updates and information on its regional research and policy education program and with announcements for upcoming briefings and events. NEMWI is posting our research reports on current regional issues and ongoing policy education on the page to make keeping up with our policy work easier than ever. The Institute also is updating the page with announcements of upcoming policy briefings and webinars. NEMWI is excited for the opportunity to connect with as many people as possible 

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