The annual Great Lakes Congressional Breakfast, held Thursday March 7 in the Capitol Visitor Center, had wide participation from the region as well as Members despite the weather challenges during the week. Over 100 regional leaders and stakeholders heard from eight Great Lakes Congressional members. Kenneth Johnson, chair of the Great Lakes Commission, and Allegra Cangelosi, President of the Northeast-Midwest Institute, opened the breakfast, reflecting on the history of bipartisanship and the cooperative partnerships that have built the Great Lakes delegation and region. Senator Carl Levin (MI) kicked off congressional remarks, detailing the progress that has been made in the Great Lakes, especially under such programs as the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Sen. Levin was followed by seven Congressmen, including Reps. Dan Benishek (MI-01), Dan Kildee (MI-05), Rick Nolan (MN-08), Kerry Bentivolio (MI-11), Bill Huizenga (MI-02), Brad Schneider (IL-10), and Glenn Thompson (PA-05). Each stated support for continued improvement in the Great Lakes region, through economic and environmental restoration.

The annual breakfast is co-sponsored by the Great Lakes Commission and the Northeast-Midwest Institute and offers the opportunity for Congressional members, their staff and Great Lakes decision-makers and stakeholders to interact and discuss policy issues of importance to the region. It also provides an opportunity for Members, staff, and stakeholders to form partnerships and unite behind common issues within the region and which require regional solutions.

For more information, contact Danielle Chesky, Director, Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

The Asian Carp Awareness Symposium took place last week and featured speakers from the five river basin systems impacted or potentially impacted by Asian carp invasions: Lower Mississippi River; Upper Mississippi River; Missouri River; Ohio and Tennessee River; and the Great Lakes. Speakers discussed the impacts of Asian carp, the potential impacts to the ecosystem and economies, as well as the need to continue and boost efforts to prevent the spread and eviscerate Asian carp from U.S. waters. One of these methods, used in Kentucky this upcoming spring, will be a commercial fishing tournament called "Carp Madness." The symposium was organized by the Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resource Association and co-chairs of the NEMW Congressional and Senate Coalitions, the Mississippi River Caucus, the House Great Lakes Task Force, and the Upper Mississippi River Task Force. Northeast-Midwest Coalition Co-Chair Rep. Mike Kelly (PA-03) and Delegation Member Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-04) gave remarks.

For more information, contact Kate Ostrander, Legislative Director for the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition, or Danielle Chesky, Director, Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

NEMWI's Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative (MRCTI) is bringing a dozen mayors from nine of the Mississippi River states to Washington, DC next week. The mayors are gathering to laud the formation of a bicameral Mississippi River Caucus and unveil their platform to help the waterway for 2013. Senator Roy Blunt (MO), who chairs the bicameral Caucus, along with Congressman Tim Walz (MN), Ron Kind (WI), Stephen Fincher (TN), and Rick Crawford (AR), will be on hand to meet with the mayors. The mayors will also open a Mississippi River-focused art exhibit on the Hill; MRCTI partnered with arts organizations along the Mississippi to create a photography exhibit highlighting beauty, life, and challenges of the River. The exhibit is open to the public and will be the backdrop for an MRCTI mayors' press conference on March 21, 10:00am, Caucus Room of the Cannon House Office Building. The exhibit will be open from 9:00am to 3:00pm on March 21. 

For more information, contact Colin Wellenkamp, Director of the MS River Cities & Towns Initiative at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.