Before the House failed to pass the farm bill ("Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013") last Thursday, its members debated 103 amendments to the bill over two days. Many of the amendments touched upon issues of interest to NEMW farm, nutrition, and conservation stakeholders. One such amendment, offered by Rep. Bill Enyart (D-12-IL) and adopted on a voice vote, would have established a revenue-neutral National Drought Council and a National Drought Policy Action Plan--supported by the mayors of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative--to streamline federal responses in times of drought. That amendment would have required the preparation of a comprehensive drought preparedness or response plan within a year. The Midwest-Great Plains drought was the world's second most costly natural disaster in 2012: $35 billion according to the reinsurance industry. Several amendments--including one led by NEMW Co-Chair Rep. Jim McGovern (D-2-MA)--that would have prevented the $20.5 billion cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in total or in part, were defeated. A closely-watched amendment that would have required farmers to comply with basic conservation measures in order to receive federal crop insurance subsidies was withdrawn by its sponsors, Reps. Mike Thompson (D-5-CA) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-1-NE), prior to a vote. A listing of all 103 amendments and their final adoption status can be found on this web page, maintained by the Speaker of the House. In the end, 62 Republicans joined with 172 Democrats voting against the farm bill.

 

For more information, contact Kate Ostrander, Legislative Director of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition. 

Mayors from along the Mississippi will meet June 26-28 in St. Cloud, MN for the second annual meeting. Twenty-five mayors from nine river states will gather to take critical steps toward improving America's Great Waterway. Mayors will discuss container shipping on the River, the building of a community foundation network, the design of a Mississippi River nutrient trading system, and the drafting of a model uniform zoning code for city waterfront areas. Mayors will also host a jobs forum on June 27 and will sign the first ever Memorandum of Common Purpose between a collection of Mississippi River mayors and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

 

For more information, contact Colin Wellenkamp, Director of the MS River Cities & Towns Initiative at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.

On Thursday, June 20, the National Association for State and Community Services Programs sponsored a Hill briefing on the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). NEMW Member Rep. Paul Tonko (NY-20) and Rep. McKinley (WV-01) encouraged members and staff to attend the briefing, and Rep. Tonko made some brief remarks to the group. The briefing focused on WAP's economic impact and contribution to energy efficiency technology, and included speakers from MD and MN. WAP enables low-income families to reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient. Although funds are provided to all 50 states, the program has strong interest in the NEMW region, contributing to job creation, energy bill reduction, and enhanced energy security.  Congress recently granted reprogramming approval to increase available FY13 WAP funding, but the program faces an uncertain future; in legislation last week, the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee proposed substantial FY14 cuts (and FY13 rescissions) to the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) office that funds WAP. The House Appropriations Committee will consider the legislation on Wednesday, June 26.

For more information, contact Kate Ostrander, Legislative Director of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition.  

On June 18, NBC Nightly News featured a story about low water levels' impact on the Great Lakes economy. The story highlighted the central role the Great Lakes shipping industry plays in delivering raw products, like iron ore, to other areas of the county, and the economic impacts low waters have had on the $34 billion shipping industry. Vessels must "light load," that is, carry less product so the ship stays higher in the water, in order to prevent running aground when water levels drop. The story noted the additional impacts on recreational and charter fishing on the Great Lakes, as low water levels in the marinas and boat launches make it more difficult for boaters to get out on the water. The story also featured the role of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, whose water gauges measure the water levels and are used to evaluate the changes in the water budget over time. The NEMWI has coordinated briefings on low water levels and potential management options, most recently in December 2012 and May 2013.  

 

For more information, contact Danielle Chesky, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a forecast, indicating the dead zone, a zone of low- or no-oxygen waters, in the Gulf of Mexico could be among the ten largest in history, while the Chesapeake Bay is expected to have a lower than average dead zone. Scientists with the University of Michigan, along with colleagues at other institutions, predicted the higher rains and flooding in the Midwest this spring have contributed to higher levels of nutrient runoff from the agricultural-dominant region. (The 2012 drought in the Midwest contributed to one of the smallest Gulf of Mexico dead zones on record.) The forecast of the reduced dead zone area in the Chesapeake Bay is based on nutrient loading in the spring that was 30% lower than the long-term average, contributing to the smaller predicted dead zone. Both predictions are based on nutrient run-off and river stream data from the U.S. Geological Survey and local state monitoring. Dead zones typically occur when nutrients promote algal blooms that subsequently die and decompose, removing oxygen from the water and threatening the fish, mollusk, and other species.

For more information, contact Danielle Chesky, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. 

NEMWI seeks an experienced, detail-oriented administrative assistant and outreach manager to assist with management of external relations (especially with states and the Coalitions), project and Hill event planning and implementation, press and public relations, preparation of major publications, board scheduling, and office management. Those interested in the position can find out more on the NEMWI website here.