Finding ways to strengthen commerce in the Great Lakes Breaking the Ice: Supporting Great Lakes Commerce In Northeast Wisconsin, we make things. And our economy relies on the Great Lakes to ship these goods from point A to point B. In fact, it's not just Northeast Wisconsin that relies on the Great Lakes. Businesses across this region use them as a means of trade. And this water-based commerce across the Great Lakes ultimately supports nearly 150,000 jobs and over $20 billion in economic activity each year. But last winter we lost over $1 billion because ports froze over and we lacked sufficient icebreaking in places like Green Bay. And we've seen similar losses in other years as well. This is unacceptable. We're no strangers to cold weather in the Frozen Tundra, and we shouldn't allow ice to prevent Wisconsin businesses from shipping their goods during winter months. That's why Rep. Gallagher introduced the Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act last week. A bill that would clearly define the United States Coast Guard's icebreaking mission on the Great Lakes to better ensure these trade routes remain open for commerce year-round. He talked about this bill and the impact it will have on Northeast Wisconsin companies last week at Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay. Check out more in this article from WBAY below. Rep. Gallagher introducing Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act "By introducing this bill we can not only emphasize ice breaking but also put some things in law that should've been in law and define some things that should've been defined a long time ago,” Rep. Mike Gallagher (R) Wisconsin said ... Read more www.wbay.com Even amidst all the partisanship in Washington, this bill already has bipartisan support. This should come as no surprise given the Great Lakes produces nearly 28% of our country's GDP. As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Gallagher will continue to work to get this bill passed before we have a repeat of what happened in Northeast Wisconsin last winter. Do you want more information on Rep. Gallagher's efforts to improve Great Lakes commerce? Yes Select No Select ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Contact Me De Pere 1702 Scheuring Rd., Ste. B De Pere, WI 54115 www.gallagher.house.gov Washington, DC 1230 Longworth HOB Washington, DC 20515 www.gallagher.house.gov ‌ rep. gallagher | 1230 Longworth House Office Building , Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | About Constant Contact Sent by [email protected]