Issue Position: Environment

Issue Position

Residents of West Michigan have long understood the importance of the Great Lakes as well as the impact fresh water and clean air have on the economic and physical health of their communities.

As a member of the bipartisan Great Lakes Task Force, I continue to work closely with my Great Lakes colleagues to fight the introduction of non-native species. I remain committed to building a better defense for the Great Lakes against new invasive species by vigorously employing the most effective tools available, while also pursuing a complete ecological separation from the Mississippi River basin as soon as technically feasible.

Lastly, while protecting our natural resources for future generations is vital, in a time of stagnant economic growth, I will continue to oppose a seemingly endless amount of new overly-burdensome regulations coming out of President Obama's Environmental Protection Agency. I believe there is a role for the federal government in protecting the environment; however I will strongly oppose efforts by this administration that I believe go too far and would create an uneven playing field, penalizing Michigan's job-creators by increasing the cost of energy for all businesses and consumers.

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