Kaptur, Joyce Lead 53 Lawmakers in Letter Urging Robust
Funding for Harmful Algal Blooms
Letter to OMB pushes for sustained
federal investment in President’s FY2019 budget
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), co-chair of the House
Great Lakes Task Force and Congressman David Joyce (OH-14)
led a bipartisan group of 53 lawmakers in a letter to the
Office of Management and Budget Director, Mick Mulvaney
urging robust funding in the President’s fiscal year 2019
budget for programs that address harmful algal blooms.
“We write to respectfully request that you allocate robust
funding in the President’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget request
for programs that address a widespread and ever-increasing
problem affecting every state and territory in the nation:
toxic algae blooms, also called harmful algal blooms (HABs),”
the Members wrote to Director Mulvaney.
“Toxic blooms harm human health and cause several billion
dollars in economic losses each year. While we have made
significant advances in our understanding of where, when and
why blooms occur, we must improve our ability to mitigate
their impacts on our communities. We strongly support
investment in science, research, and management to increase
our capacity to forecast, detect, and prevent HABs, as well
as to lessen their impacts on human health and economies
across the country,” the Members continued.
“To make the necessary progress toward understanding and
addressing the significant and expanding threats that toxic
algae pose to human health and our national economy, we ask
that you prioritize a strong and coordinated federal
response in this year’s budget request with robust funding
allocated for HAB-related work,” the Members concluded.
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