Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar
Klobuchar serves as co-chair of the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group and met with Canadian Members of Parliament in Ottawa this week to discuss shared priorities, including support for Great Lakes
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the statement below following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement that Canada will commit to nearly $306 million USD in funding over the next ten years to improve water quality in the Great Lakes. This is compared to the $33 million USD Canada committed to clean-up efforts from 2017 to 2022.
“The Great Lakes are among the United States and Canada’s greatest natural treasures, supporting our supply chains, attracting tourists, and providing clean water for millions. After meeting with Canadian Members of Parliament in Ottawa this week to discuss our shared priorities, this increase in funding to help improve water quality in the Great Lakes is a welcome announcement from the Canadian government. As co-chair of the bipartisan U.S.-Canada group and a vice chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, I’m committed to working with Canada to protect these vital resources for generations to come.”
A co-chair of the U.S.-Canada Interparliamentary working group, Klobuchar has long been committed to maintaining the United States and Canada’s strong economic and cultural ties. This week Klobuchar met with Canadian Members Of Parliament John McKay, Anthony Housefather, Michael Chong, and Tom Kmiec in Ottawa, Canada. Klobuchar also attended a state dinner hosted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in honor of President Joe Biden’s visit to Canada. In 2021, Klobuchar led a comprehensive discussion between ten United States Senators and fourteen Canadian Parliamentarians on topics of mutual concern including trade, security, and the environment and will host another discussion this year.
As a vice-chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, Klobuchar is a leading advocate for the protection of the Great Lakes. Last year, Klobuchar joined Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman and Canadian legislators to highlight how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will benefit the Great Lakes and help boost the regional economy on Minnesota’s northern border with Canada.
In 2022, her bipartisan legislation to provide critical resources to conserve and restore fish and wildlife populations in the Great Lakes was signed into law. In February 2022, she secured significant federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to clean-up and work to delist the St. Louis River Area of Concern in Lake Superior.
Klobuchar has worked to bolster pollution clean-up efforts in the Great Lakes, prevent diversions of Great Lakes water out of the region, and establish new water conservation and environmental protection standards in the Great Lakes area. She has also fought to keep aquatic invasive species out of Minnesota’s rivers and lakes, including authoring legislation to help fight the spread of invasive carp that was signed into law in 2014.
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