{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-morgan-mcgarvey-introduces-historic-bipartisan-ohio-river-restoration-legislation", "Congressman Morgan McGarvey Introduces Historic, Bipartisan Ohio River Restoration Legislation", "2024-12-17", "2024", "2024-12", "Democrat", "House", "KY", "Morgan McGarvey", "M001220", "mcgarvey.house.gov", "mcgarvey", "https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC (December 17, 2024) \u2013 Today, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) and Congresswoman Erin Houchin (IN-09), co-chairs of the Ohio River Basin Caucus, introduced the Ohio River Restoration Program Act, the first comprehensive piece of legislation to address the pressing environmental and conservation needs within the 204,000 square miles of the Ohio River Basin.\n\n\u201cFrom waste and erosion to pollution and climate change, the Ohio River is facing serious threats that aren\u2019t going to just work themselves out and can\u2019t be fixed by one person or organization alone,\u201d said Congressman Morgan McGarvey. \u201cIt\u2019s unconscionable that our most vital and important resource is also the largest body of water in the entire country that receives zero dollars in dedicated federal funding\u2014we\u2019re working to change that. I\u2019m proud to partner with my Ohio River Basin Caucus co-chair Rep. Houchin in leading this historic, bipartisan effort to holistically address our river\u2019s needs.\u201d\n\n\"The Ohio River is essential to millions of Americans, providing drinking water and supporting jobs across our region,\u201d said Congresswoman Erin Houchin. \u201cWe\u2019re committed to ensuring the river gets the attention and resources it needs by securing federal funding and bringing together stakeholders to develop a plan that protects and restores it for future generations.\"\n\nThe geographic footprint of the Ohio River covers 55 congressional districts across 14 states\u2014more than 25 million people in the region depend on the waters of the Ohio River Basin for their drinking water, health, jobs, and more. In 2023, the Ohio River was named the 2nd most endangered river in the country, and it is the largest body of water in the United States that does not receive any dedicated federal funding for clean-up.\n\nThe Ohio River Restoration Program Act, modeled after successful initiatives like those in the Great Lakes, the Chesapeake and other major bodies of water, would create an Ohio River National Program Office within the Environmental Protection Agency to convene states, local governments, interstate compact agencies, tribal nations, and non-governmental organizations to work in conjunction to secure federal funding opportunities and create an action plan designed to carry out initiatives related to:\n\nCore restoration actions that can provide a solid foundation for an Ohio River restoration and protection plan, such as habitat restoration, farm conservation, and invasive species control and management.\n\nPollution prevention and clean water protection that can complement and support restoration actions.\n\nRobust monitoring, data collection, and evaluation that can be used to effectively and efficiently manage a restoration and protection program across 14 states.\n\nHomeowner support that can help ensure that no person is denied clean, safe, and affordable water based on their economic status or where they live.\n\nWorkforce development and job training that can help create strong, local economies based on water protection and restoration.\n\nStrong local public engagement structures to ensure that residents have a seat at the table to weigh in on restoration decisions and hold elected officials accountable.\n\nInvestments and policies that help communities prepare for the impacts of extreme storms and flooding.\n\nInvestments and policies that help the communities most impacted by pollution.\n\n\u201cMillions of people depend on the waters of the Ohio River Basin for their drinking water, health, jobs, and quality of life,\u201d said Jordan Lubetkin, Senior Director for Ohio River restoration at the National Wildlife Federation. \u201cWe are grateful to Representatives Morgan McGarvey and Erin Houchin for their bipartisan leadership as co-chairs of the Ohio River Basin Caucus and their efforts to protect these critical habitats and waterways. The Ohio River Basin faces serious environmental threats, including toxic pollution and sewage contamination which threaten drinking water and the public health. This region deserves focused federal investments to restore its waters, and to support the public health, economic, and ecological benefits cleaner water can provide. We must act now to fund this important work, because inaction will only make the problem worse and more expensive to solve.\u201d\n\n\u201cAmerican Rivers is proud to endorse the Ohio River Restoration Program Act which will have a profound impact on the drinking water source of more than 25 million people across 14 states. For years, we have worked with partners to improve water quality, fish passage, and resilient infrastructure --- ensuring a healthy future for all,\u201d said Heather Taylor-Miesle, Senior Vice President, Conservation, American Rivers. \u201cThis timely legislation responds to the core needs of our communities and reflects our nation's commitment to protect the Ohio River and the Ohio River Basin. We thank Representatives McGarvey and Houchin for introducing a bill to implement basin-wide restoration approaches to strengthen collaboration and investment in the region.\"\n\n\"The Ohio River Basin faces numerous water resource challenges,\u201d said COL L. Reyn Mann, Commander, Louisville District of the Army Corps of Engineers. \u201cProtecting and nurturing this invaluable resource is paramount for the well-being of millions as its diverse ecosystems sustain communities, drive commerce, and offer boundless recreational opportunities. We are encouraged by the continued efforts to raise awareness of these critical issues and lay the groundwork for long-term solutions.\"\n\nOhio River Basin Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. McGarvey and Rep. Houchin Announce Ohio River Restoration Program Act\n\nThe Ohio River Restoration Program Act is endorsed by the National Wildlife Federation, Ohio River Basin Alliance, Ohio River Way, American Rivers, Kentucky Waterways Alliance, Appalachian Voices, Appalachian Citizens' Law Center, West Virginia Rivers Coalition Inc., Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Kentucky Resources Council, Inc, River Fields, River City Paddle Sports, Indiana Wildlife Federation, Upstream Pittsburgh, Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund, Virginia Conservation Network, Three Rivers Waterkeeper, PennFuture, Groundwork Ohio River Valley, Ohio Conservation Federation, Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN), Kentucky Riverkeeper, Friends of Bell Smith Springs, Prairie Rivers Network, Ohio River Foundation, and Kentucky Conservation Committee.\n\nView full text of the bill, here. View a one pager for the bill, here.\n\nA gallery of photos from the press conference is available here. A recording of the press conference is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"]], "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://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-morgan-mcgarvey-introduces-historic-bipartisan-ohio-river-restoration-legislation"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.121101900935173, "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"}