News from Northeast-Midwest Institute

W E E K L Y U P D A T E May 2, 2016

In This Issue

GLRI Clears House Floor and Is Included in Major Senate Legislative Package

Appropriations Stall in Senate as Both Chambers Head into Recess

Great Lakes Governors and Premiers to Hold Congressional Briefing, May 4

Save the Date: NEMWI Briefing on Fighting Blight in the Northeast-Midwest Region, May 24

NEMWI and Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee Co-Host Briefing on the 2016 Asian Carp Action Plan

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GLRI Clears House Floor and Is Included in Major Senate Legislative Package

The House of Representatives passed the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act ( HR 223 ), a bill that authorizes the GLRI at $300 million a year for five years. The bill, which was introduced in the House by Rep. David Joyce (OH), was passed by a voice vote last Tuesday.

Additionally, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee marked up its 2016 Water Resources Development Act ( WRDA ) package, with bipartisan support. WRDA, which authorizes most the Army Corps of Engineers' navigation, construction, and restoration work, is supposed to be passed every Congress. The package includes language aimed at addressing problems with wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, as well as an aid package for Flint, Michigan. Also i ncluded in the WRDA text is similar language that was authored by Sen. Mark Kirk (IL) ( S 1024 ) and approved by the EPW Committee at the beginning of the year, authorizing GLRI at the same levels as the House bill.

Floor time for WRDA before the summer recess could get cramped, especially if the appropriations process bogs down. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is expected to release their version of a WRDA bill soon, but it is not expected to be nearly as extensive as the Senate's bill.

For more information, contact Matthew McKenna , Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program, or Jared Mott, Senior Policy Analyst, at the Northeast-Midwest Institute

Appropriations Stall in Senate as Bo th Chambers Head into Recess

The Senate and the House of Representatives are in recess this week, following a busy week. While the Senate worked on appropriations, the House passed the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act ( HR 223 ) and the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act ( HR 4923 ).

Senate leaders' pledge for a normal appropriations process, with twelve separate bills, hit its first significant snag, as the Energy and Water appropriations package stalled on the Senate floor.

As of May 2, 2016, the Senate has passed three appropriations bills out of full Committee and the House has passed one. See NEMWI's website here for weekly updates on the appropriations process and fact sheets on program funding and other provisions. Currently available are fact sheets on the Energy and Water Appropriations Bills in the Senate and House and the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill in the Senate.

For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Sr. Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

Conference of Great Lakes Governors and Premiers to Hold Congressional Briefing, May 4

The Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers' Executive Director, David Naftzger, and the Director of the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes, Jon Allan, will hold a Congressional briefing on the development of a first-ever regional maritime transportation system strategy for the region on Wednesday, May 4, 1PM - 2PM in 1310 Longworth House Office Building.

The strategy's primary objectives are to double maritime trade, shrink the environmental impact of the region's transportation network, and support the region's industrial core. Major focus areas of the strategy include:

* Increasing Efficiency and Reducing Costs

* Building New Markets

* Growing Economic Activity around the Maritime System

* Delivering Results While Managing for the Future

For more information, contact Matthew McKenna , Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

Save the Date: NEMWI Briefing on Fighting Blight in the Northeast-Midwest Region, May 24

NEMWI will host "Fighting Blight in the Northeast-Midwest: A Capitol Hill Briefing on Vacant and Abandoned Property and the Federal Response" on Tuesday, May 24 from 3-4:30 PM in Rayburn House Office Building. Briefing attendees will learn about: the widespread and persistent effects of abandoned property, including the most recent wave of abandonment resulting from the foreclosure crisis; NEMWI's work to identify and assess federal resources and legislation that can help communities address blight; and innovative approaches that communities are taking, with the assistance of federal programs, to rehabilitate or demolish property, or reuse land productively post-demolition.

For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Sr. Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

NEMWI and Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee Co-Host Briefing on the 2016 Asian Carp Action Plan

The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC), in conjunction with NEMWI, held a Congressional briefing on the 2016 Asian Carp Action Plan, formerly known as the "Framework," on April 26. Topics and speakers included:

Kick Off and Introductions - Matthew McKenna, Director, Great Lakes Washington Program, Northeast-Midwest Institute
ACRCC 2016 Action Plan - Mike Weimer, Co-Chair of the ACRCC, USFWS
Monitoring Update and 2016 USFWS Actions - Charles Wooley, Deputy Regional Director for the Midwest Region, USFWS
USACE 2016 Actions - Col. Christopher Drew, Commander of the USACE, Chicago District
USGS 2016 Actions - Mark Gaikowski, Director, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, USGS
2016 Funding Summary and Closing - Cameron Davis, Co-Chair of the ACRCC and Senior Advisor to the Administrator, USEPA

For more information, contact Matthew McKenna , Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation