The U.S. House and Senate recently passed a significant budget package that rejects steep cuts proposed by the White House that would have slashed many federal programs essential to the health of our lakes and the people who depend on them. Ultimately, members of Congress from both parties came together to support hard-won investments, following a tradition of bipartisan support for the world’s largest freshwater resource that sits at the center of our region’s economy.
This does not happen by chance; it is the result of decades of work to increase the Great Lakes region’s influence in the Congress. The Alliance for the Great Lakes, our supporters, and numerous regional partners raised our collective voices to make this win possible.
Impact of cuts
After a comprehensive analysis of the cuts proposed by the President and in subsequent appropriations bills in the House and Senate, we sounded the alarm about the potential impacts of slashing funding that protects communities from flooding, sewage backups in homes, and lead pipes. We highlighted the value of science and research to monitor water quality, support fishery management, and prevent harmful algal blooms. And we called out the necessity of protecting the federal agencies that administer these critical Great Lakes programs. Our supporters sent over 7,000 messages calling on their senators and representatives to protect the lakes.
Funding to protect the lakes
To their credit, our elected representatives in Congress listened. When it came time to vote on the FY26 budget, many fought back drastic cuts, redoubled their commitment to the Great Lakes, and passed bipartisan bills that notably include:
- A $1 million increase for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative ($369 million for the year).
- Steady water infrastructure funding, including for State Revolving Funds (Clean Water: $1.639 billion; Drinking Water: $1.126 billion), and nearly $100 million for disadvantaged communities, lead service line replacement, sewer overflow mitigation, and workforce training.
- Modest increases for Clean Water Act programs that control water pollution and support public water systems supervision.
- Funding for specific U.S. Army Corps projects, including for Brandon Road Lock and Dam to prevent invasive carp from entering Lake Michigan.
- Flat funding to the Department of the Interior for fish and wildlife restoration, Great Lakes science, and invasive species work.
- Increase for the Integrated Ocean Observing System, which includes the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS).
You can find a detailed analysis of Great Lakes provisions in the FY26 appropriations bills from the Northeast Midwest Institute here.
These investments will provide real, direct benefits for 30 million people who rely on a clean and thriving Great Lakes region – for their health, local economies, and continued enjoyment of these precious natural resources.
Looking ahead
Now Congress will need to ensure that appropriations are spent by the agencies as directed, with no more “pocket recissions” or slow walking the release of funds. We must also recognize that funding alone is not enough; it takes federal workers to ensure that programs are implemented successfully. The federal government lost over 220,000 workers last year (a ten percent cut), with the potential for more Reductions in Force on the horizon. Congress will also need to stand up against regulatory pullbacks and reduced enforcement on clean water protections and permitting, holding agencies like the U.S. EPA accountable to their core mission.
So while we celebrate our region’s success in holding the line on Great Lakes funding so far, this is also a moment to reflect on the bigger picture: where we want to go as a region, and how that vision informs our funding needs to the future. We are facing big questions like:
- Whether the shifting federal landscape – marked by the most significant rollback of federal Great Lakes institutions and policies since the early 1970s – changes the roles that federal agencies and States should play in Great Lakes protection and, if so, how?
- Clean water should be available for all. Is our region adequately prepared to make the $290 billion in water infrastructure investments the EPA estimates is needed for critical stormwater, wastewater and drinking water projects over the next 20 years – particularly as we exhaust the one-time infusion of federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and as escalating extreme weather pummels the region?
- Under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), we have seen major progress on restoration work to clean up legacy contamination over the past two decades. Having nearly achieved this initial purpose, what should the vision be for collaboration to address today’s most significant ecological challenges and community needs, especially in places most burdened by pollution?
In the months ahead, the Alliance for the Great Lakes will be watching for the President’s FY 2027 budget blueprint and how Congress responds, as well as monitoring the ways federal agencies implement funded programs and use their regulatory and enforcement powers. We will continue to collaborate with elected officials and partners from across the region to develop a future-forward vision for the Great Lakes in preparation for mid-term elections in 2026.