U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) helped lead members of the bipartisan, bicameral Great Lakes Task Force in requesting that tribal, commercial, charter and recreational fisheries in the Great Lakes regions become eligible for future pandemic emergency relief funding provided by Congress.
The federally enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided $300 million to the U.S. Commerce Department to aid myriad fishery participants affected by the pandemic, according to a Sept. 2 letter Rep. Joyce and his task force colleagues sent to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
“As in the rest of the country, the economic calamity stemming from the pandemic is significantly harming our commercial, charter, recreational, and tribal fisheries,” the members wrote. “It is estimated that these fisheries and charter businesses have suffered up to $50 million in losses over the last few months.”
Unfortunately, they added, the Commerce Department has interpreted the law in a manner that disqualified their regions from qualifying for CARES Act fishery assistance.
“We are disappointed that both the HEROES Act and the HEALS Act would continue this interpretation of excluding the Great Lakes, despite Great Lakes’ fisheries existing partnerships with federal agencies, including the Department of Commerce,” wrote Rep. Joyce and Great Lakes Task Force members who included U.S. Reps. Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Fred Upton (R-MI), John Moolenaar (R-MI), Jackie Walorski (R-IN), and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH).
U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) led the U.S. Senate version of the letter, which was sent to U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-VT), as well as U.S. House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) and U.S. House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Kay Granger (R-TX).
The Senate version also noted that the lawmakers support federal efforts to help the nation’s fisheries, tribes, and commercial and recreational fishing industries, and asked that congressional leaders “work with us to ensure any future coronavirus assistance is also available to our tribes and businesses in the Great Lakes basin.”