LANSING – State Representative John Espinoza (D-Croswell) today urged the U.S. Senate to override President Bush's veto of legislation authorizing critical projects that will protect the Great Lakes from threats that could devastate Michigan's economy and jeopardize the region's safety.
"Thousands of jobs and billions of dollars that flow through Michigan's economy are riding on the health of our Great Lakes, and protecting them must be a priority," Espinoza said. "It is imperative that the nation has a framework for defending the Great Lakes against a number of very serious threats, and the Water Resources Development Act meets that need. I urge the Senate to override the president's veto and enact this bipartisan plan."
Espinoza supported a resolution urging Congress to override the presidential veto of the Water Resources Development Act. The state House overwhelmingly approved the resolution today. The federal act does not expend any taxpayer money – rather, it authorizes projects that improve and protect the Great Lakes as well as bodies of water across the country. Funding would have to be allocated separately. The U.S. House voted Tuesday to override the president's veto.
"Major Michigan projects are at stake with this plan, including the dredging of local harbors, finding ways to fight Asian carp and diseases depleting our fish stocks, stopping the flow of pollution and reducing the risk of flooding," Espinoza said. "Failure to act on a national plan to protect the Great Lakes would deal a serious blow to any progress made in any of these areas. I applaud Michigan's representatives in the U.S. House for standing up for the Great Lakes by voting to override the president's veto, and I urge the U.S. Senate to do the same."