{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=341", "Rep. Becca Balint Joins Senators Welch, Sanders, Schumer, and Gillibrand Introduce Bicameral Bill to Support the Health of the Lake Champlain Basin", "2024-07-23", "2024", "2024-07", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL) joined U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Chair of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a senior and longtime member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y), and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in introducing the bicameral Lake Champlain Basin Program Reauthorization Act \u2013 legislation that would reauthorize the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) for ten years at $55 million to support interstate conservation and the health of the Lake Champlain Basin. The bill would establish the Patrick Leahy LCBP Foundation to formally administer the program to promote climate resilience and mitigation through ecosystem restoration.\n\n\u201cWith a rich history and diverse ecosystem, the Lake Champlain watershed is home to more than 600,000 across Vermont, New York, and Quebec Province, Canada. The Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCPB) is critical to protect this natural resource for the communities and ecosystems that enjoy it. As Vermonters know well, in an era of climate change it\u2019s more important than ever to make investments in the resiliency of our infrastructure and the health of our ecosystems. I\u2019m proud to partner with Vermont and New York\u2019s US Senators to bring critical funding to LCPB and support the program\u2019s conservation efforts,\u201d said Rep. Balint.\n\n\u201cLake Champlain is an important part of Vermont\u2019s culture. But an increase in climate-driven disasters like last July\u2019s brutal flooding are a real threat to the Lake\u2019s water quality and biodiversity. That\u2019s why investing in the Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program, which has supported conservation, the health of our ecosystems, and thriving rural communities, is vital,\u201d said Senator Welch. \u201cThe bill supports the important work of the LCBP by ensuring the program has resources to mitigate extreme weather events and boost climate resilience.\u201d\n\n\u201cFrom Plattsburgh to Port Henry, Lake Champlain is one of the crown jewels of Upstate New York, with people coming from across the country to visit this gorgeous economic anchor for the Adirondack region\u2019s outdoor economy. This critical legislation will strengthen the preservation of Lake Champlain\u2019s health & beauty, boosting the Adirondack region\u2019s thriving tourism industry and supporting the local economy,\u201d said Senator Schumer. \u201cI am proud to work with Senators Welch, Sanders, and Gillibrand to ensure that Lake Champlain has the resources it needs to preserve its expansive shores, cultural and physical landscape for the next generation.\u201d\n\n\u201cLake Champlain is one of Vermont\u2019s most treasured natural resources and an essential part of our natural heritage,\u201d said Senator Sanders. \u201cWe must do everything we can to protect it. For the past 30 years, the Lake Champlain Basin Program has worked to reduce pollution, restore habitats, mitigate harmful invasive species, and educate residents and visitors. I look forward to seeing the good work the program will continue to do over the next ten years for current and future generations.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Lake Champlain Basin is a vast, historic, and invaluable resource that is enjoyed by millions of visitors each year,\u201d said Senator Gillibrand. \u201cThe Lake Champlain Basin Program Reauthorization Act will ensure Lake Champlain receives the support and stewardship it deserves, protecting the lake and its watershed for decades to come. I\u2019m proud to fight alongside Senators Welch, Sanders, and Schumer to secure vital resources to restore and preserve Lake Champlain and look forward to getting this legislation passed.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis new bill will strengthen the role of the Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program in coordinating management of water quality and ecosystem health in the Lake Champlain Basin,\u201d said Dr. Eric Howe, NEIWPCC Program Director of the Lake Champlain Basin Program. \u201cThe timing of this bill coincides with a second consecutive year of devastating flooding that likely delivered significant amounts of pollutants to Lake Champlain. Increasing federal resources to improve the health of Lake Champlain is as critical as ever.\u201d\n\nVermont's Secretary of Natural Resources, Julie Moore, recognized the important and multi-faceted role the Lake Champlain Basin Program plays in helping steward our great lake: \u201cThe LCBP supports and empowers not only organizations that not only implement innovative clean water projects, but also those that cultivate clean water awareness for the next generation of basin residents, through arts, culture, and science.\u201d\n\nThe Lake Champlain Basin Program Reauthorization Act would establish the Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program Foundation\u2014modeled after the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation\u2014to serve as the administrative body of the LCBP to formally administer the activities of the LCBP. The bill would also update the program\u2019s current guidelines for its environmental management plan to explicitly add climate change, mitigation, and resilience to the program\u2019s focus, and strengthen collaboration between the program and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission on a variety of conservation and educational activities.\n\nRead the full text of the bill.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:24:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=341"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.395207131281495, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}