Rep. Grothman Sees Support For Great Lakes Funding

U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman is downplaying proposed budget cuts from the White House for Great Lakes cleanup.

Grothman, a Republican, represents east-central Wisconsin, including a long stretch of the Lake Michigan shoreline. He’s also on the budget committee that will look at President Donald Trump’s proposed spending plan for the 2018 fiscal year.

Trump wants to shut down the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which currently receives federal funding worth $300 million a year. But Grothman predicted the program probably won’t be zeroed out.

“I think a lot of it is going to be restored. I’d be shocked if most of it wasn’t restored,” Grothman told reporters Saturday in Milwaukee.

Grothman said other members of Congress from the Great Lakes region regard the cleanup spending as important. Environmentalists say even a partial cut in restoration dollars could cause problems in protecting the lakes.