For millions of Americans, the Great Lakes serve as a vital source of economic activity, recreation, and drinking water. For those of us in Michigan, the Great Lakes are also a way of life.
Last month, my fellow co-chairs of the Great Lakes Task Force and I introduced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act of 2025. This bipartisan bill would reauthorize the GLRI, which is set to expire at the end of 2026, through 2031. Not only would this legislation reauthorize the program, but it would also expand funding from $475 million to $500 million annually.