US Senator Debbie Stabenow Visited Traverse City Wednesday to talk about environmental restoration being done through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
An early budget proposal from the Trump Administration would have cut the 300 million annual allotment to Great Lakes environmental work completely.
Senator Stabenow said bipartisan support kept the initiative alive.
“We have to have access to resources that will allow us to respond as new threats emerge and it seems like all the time there is something new that we need to be concerned about. It’s critical that we protect that funding.”
Senator Stabenow said protecting that funding is essential.
“This is about hunting and fishing, boating, swimming. Agriculture and our drinking water, 40 million people get their drinking water from the Great Lakes, it’s really about who we are. Our Michigan way of life.”
Stabenow said it’s important to keep reminding states outside the Great Lakes of the region's importance - or the funding may come up for cuts again.
Stabenow also took time to denounce attacks by white supremacists against protestors at a rally in Charlottesville last week.
She said the boldness of people’s racism was horrifying.
“We fought a war. The idea that somehow now these folks feel comfortable marching in our streets and assume people wouldn’t react after what our people have been through is just stunning to me.”
Senator Stabenow said white supremacist marches should not be tolerated.
She said people need to come together to stand against these kinds of marches.