Great Lakes Fishery Research Reauthorization Act

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for considering this bill, the Great Lakes Fishery Research Reauthorization Act.

This bill would reauthorize critical Great Lakes research programs at $15 million per year for 5 years. I thank my colleague, Representative Huizenga, for his partnership on this bill in the House.

Protecting and restoring our Great Lakes has long been a bipartisan priority. I am proud of our work together on this topic. Lake Michigan is the pride and joy of Chicago, but the native ecosystems are at risk.

My colleagues might have noticed the poster behind me. This is a sea lamprey. They are not native to the Great Lakes, but they have found their way in. When left unchecked, they wreak havoc on our ecosystems. If this graphic doesn't convince my colleagues that we don't want these suckers in the Great Lakes, I am not sure what will.

Kind of like a giant leech, their suction-cup mouth clamps onto native fish species to feed on them. One sea lamprey can kill up to 40 pounds of Great Lakes fish over a 12- to 18-month feeding period, and that is just one of the threats we are currently up against.

Alongside the sea lamprey, there are over 60 invasive species in the Great Lakes. Those include zebra mussels, rusty crayfish, and round goby. They compete for the same resources and prey on native species. Many don't have natural predators in the Great Lakes. Without intervention, these invasive species will be ``eely'' bad for our native fish and plant populations.

Mr. Speaker, 61 native fish species are currently threatened or endangered. In the 1950s, the United States and Canada established the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to shore up our shared fisheries. Decades of overfishing, invasive species, and human impact on lakes threatened the native fish species and led to 20 species going extinct.

For all those in the region who depend on fisheries for food, livelihood, and sport, it is critical we continue to monitor the Great Lakes and our native fish species. The total value of commercial, recreational, and Tribal fishing in the Great Lakes is at least $5 billion. The industry supports an estimated 75,000 jobs across the region.

Research into the Great Lakes fishery provides us with the data and information necessary to manage fish populations, conduct habitat maintenance, roll out educational programs, and more.

For the last 5 years, this program has provided funds for the U.S. Geological Survey and, more specifically, the Great Lakes Science Center to conduct scientific research and invest in new technology.

With the help of this funding, the Great Lakes Science Center has field operations in five of the eight Great Lakes States, where it owns and operates a fleet of large research vessels to monitor the lakes and the fishery. This information is used to ensure that these crucial ecosystems stay healthy and productive.

Other researchers across the region rely on data collected over decades to analyze trends in the Great Lakes and help keep them healthy. Reauthorizing this program now will allow the Great Lakes Science Center to continue its research and provide datasets that are stable and reliable into the future.

The Senate has already passed this reauthorization. I encourage my colleagues to help get this bill over the finish line.

Lastly, I thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and in the Senate, including Senator Peters who introduced the version of the bill we will vote on today, and Senator Husted representing the great State of Ohio.

Mr. Speaker, I thank them for their consideration, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 2878.

The Great Lakes aren't just a part of Michigan and the heartland's landscape. They are part of our economy, our identity, and our heritage. They are more than 20 percent of the world's freshwater and must be protected.

They provide drinking water to millions. They are home to a thriving ecosystem for a wide breadth of species. They support countless jobs. Our Great Lakes' fishing economy alone is worth more than $5 billion.

Unfortunately, there are many threats jeopardizing the future of the Great Lakes and the region's way of life, including, as my colleagues just heard described, the highly invasive sea lamprey, one of the most disgusting things I have ever witnessed in my life.

The USGS Great Lakes Science Center is located in my district. It meets the Nation's need for scientific information used to restore, enhance, manage, and protect the freshwater fisheries and habitats of the Great Lakes. The GLSC helps to protect the freshwater fisheries and habitats that are invaluable economic and ecological assets for the entire Great Lakes region.

We know the devastating effects that invasive species, pollution, and extreme weather have had on the Great Lakes, and the research conducted at this lab is essential to mitigating these threats and addressing these issues.

The work of the GLSC and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission has reduced the invasive sea lamprey populations in the Great Lakes by more than 90 percent. Thanks to this program, populations of native fish, including lake trout, whitefish, and walleye, have started to recover and, with them, the economy of the region.

In November 2024, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission announced that lake trout, a popular fish nearly exterminated by sea lampreys and overfishing in the mid-1900s, has fully rebounded in Lake Superior. We must continue to support the GLSC's work with the Fishery Commission because the fight against invasive species is an ongoing battle.

The Great Lakes Fishery Research Reauthorization Act would reauthorize funding for the Great Lakes Science Center for another 5 years, helping to ensure that they are able to continue conducting the critical research that ensures future generations can enjoy the same beauty, biodiversity, and economic opportunities for our Great Lakes for many years.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, S. 2878 will reauthorize the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Fishery Research Program to continue essential research that informs fishery management decisions across the Great Lakes Basin.

Effective fishery management starts and ends with accurate data, which is why the information provided by this program is the foundation for the decisions taken by State and Tribal fishery managers.

The Great Lakes region supports nearly a $5 billion sport and commercial fishing industry that relies on sound scientific research to protect and manage its aquatic ecosystems.

This program supports research to identify and combat invasive species like the sea lamprey and the Asian carp, conduct surveys for sport fish management, and monitor impacts of harmful algal blooms on fisheries. The Great Lakes Science Center also brings in more than 300,000 visitors annually and supports thousands of jobs.

Healthy fish populations benefit both the environment and the businesses that depend on them. The bill would provide $15 million annually through fiscal year 2030 to continue research that protects native species, monitors invasive species, and assesses the impacts of habitat degradation and climate change on the Great Lakes.

I commend Representative Quigley, Senator Peters, and the bipartisan Great Lakes delegation for their work on this important legislation. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley), the sponsor of this bill in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell).

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2878) to reauthorize funding to monitor, assess, and research the Great Lakes Basin, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 2878, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2878, the Great Lakes Fishery Research Reauthorization Act.

The Great Lakes Fishery Research Program is administered by the U.S. Geological Survey, which works in concert with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to conduct research and collect data to support the binational fisheries within the Great Lakes Basin.

This bill would continue the many tools that help manage and protect these fisheries, which are integral to the region's economic and ecological health. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill supports effective fishery management, which starts with accurate data. I thank Representatives Quigley and Huizenga for their work on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 229, S. 2878.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.