Great Lakes Advocates in D.C. to Protect Lakes, Drinking Water, Public Health
Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition
Great Lakes Advocates in D.C. to Protect Lakes, Drinking Water, Public Health
Annual event comes as fate of Great Lakes, clean water programs remain uncertain, as Administration and Congress contemplates steep cuts.
Contact: Lindsey Bacigal, BacigalL@nwf.org, (734) 887-7113
Jordan Lubetkin, Lubetkin@nwf.org, (734) 904-1589
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 4, 2025)—Amid the Trump Administration’s purge of federal employees and withholding of federal funds and as Congressional leadership works to finalize a federal budget before the stop-gap budget expires on March 14, Great Lakes supporters are in Washington, D.C., with the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, to urge members of Congress to continue their support for federal investments to protect the drinking water, public health, jobs, and quality of life for the millions of people in the eight-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
“We are in Washington to show elected officials why they must hold firm in their support for federal investments to restore and protect the Great Lakes and other core clean water programs that are essential to our drinking water, public health, and economy,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “Federal investments have been producing results, but serious threats remain. We cannot let up now. Cutting funding to core clean water programs will only make the problems worse and more expensive to solve.”
The visit to Washington, D.C., for nearly 80 Great Lakes advocates comes as the fate of core clean water and public health programs remain up in the air:
Republican House and Senate leadership are proposing steep budget cuts that could decimate environmental programs.
The Administration is indiscriminately firing thousands of federal employees integral to the implementation of Great Lakes programs that protect clean, safe, and affordable water.
The Administration is freezing funds for programs that restore and protect local waters, prepare communities for the impacts of climate change, and prioritize helping communities impacted by health-threatening pollution.
“These actions threaten the Great Lakes, our drinking water, and the health of our communities,” said Rubin. “And it costs more money in the long term by allowing problems to grow unchecked.”
Further, the U.S. Congress is trying to hammer out a budget to get through the current fiscal year 2025 budget. The current temporary budget expires on March 14. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is pushing to maintain federal investments in clean water and Great Lakes restoration within the fiscal year 2025 budget (which runs through September 30), and to support robust funding in the fiscal year 2026 budget (which begins on October 1).
Great Lakes advocates are promoting a policy agenda that asks Congress to:
Support the reauthorization of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to extend the program through 2031 and authorize the federal government to invest $500 million annually in restoration and protection action.
Fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to clean up toxic pollution, restore fish and wildlife habitat, reduce farm and city runoff pollution, and prevent and manage invasive species.
Invest in key water infrastructure programs to support community efforts to upgrade wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, targeting the biggest problems and the communities hardest hit by pollution and environmental harm.
Strengthen clean water protections by protecting core EPA and USACE staffing critical to implementing and enforcing clean water protections, strengthening the Clean Water Act, and addressing legacy and emerging contaminants such as toxic PFAS, lead, runoff pollution, and plastics.
Pass a Farm Bill that supports Farm Bill Conservation Funding and staffing at NRCS and ties payments and incentives for farmers to clean water outcomes and the implementation of sustainable practices that protect soil and water quality.
“These policies benefit millions of people in the region,” said Rubin. “Robust investments in clean water coupled with strong clean water protections are essential to protect the health of our communities. The bottom line is: We have solutions, and we must continue to use them so that we can put an end to drinking water restrictions, beach closures, and fish consumption advisories.”
Since 2004, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been harnessing the collective power of more than 185 groups representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at HealthyLakes.org or follow us on social media @HealthyLakes.
