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Weekly Update – 2 October 2006
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Headlines
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Energy Efficiency Funding -- Letters
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Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act
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Manufacturing Extension Partnership -- Letter
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Northeast Agriculture -- Policy Summit
Energy Efficiency Funding -- Letters
Members of the Northeast-Midwest Senate and
Congressional Coalition are seeking signatures on letters that request
appropriation conferees to support key energy-efficiency programs, including the
Weatherization Assistance Program, the State Energy Program, the Energy
Information Administration, Building Technologies programs, the Federal Energy
Management Program, the Industrial Technologies Program,
The letters are led by Senators
Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Jack Reed (D-RI), Arlen Specter (R-PA), Jeff Bingaman
(D-NM), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Reps. Michael Castle (R-DE), Mark Udall
(D-CO), Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), and Bart Stupak (D-MI).
Contacts:
Ari Strauss with the
Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition (202/224-0606) and Katie Waszkiewicz at the
Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition (202/226-5181)
Great
Congress last week approved
the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act (S. 2430). The bill reauthorizes the existing state
and tribal grant program, authorizes new authority for the Fish & Wildlife
Service to undertake regional restoration projects with guidance from states and
tribes, and authorizes the Service to maintain a website to report actions taken
under this Act. The legislation doubles the existing authorization from $8
million to $16 million. Reauthorization of this program is one of the Great
Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy Report recommendations. The bill's chief
sponsors were Sens. Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Carl Levin (D-MI) and Reps. Dale
Kildee (D-MI) and Mark Kirk (R-IL). Contact: Joy Mulinex with the
Manufacturing Extension Partnership
– Letter
House members
are circulating a letter supporting the Manufacturing Extension Partnership
(MEP), a program within the Department of Commerce that assists small and
medium-sized firms. The letter encourages congressional conferees to
support the Senate’s $106 million appropriation for fiscal 2007. Contact:
Katie Waszkiewicz with the Northeast-Midwest
Congressional Coalition and Manufacturing Task Force
(202/226-5181).
Northeast Agriculture – Policy
The Northeast-Midwest Institute
on November 9-10 will co-host a Northeast Regional Policy Summit for
policymakers, advocates, and educators in order to exchange ideas about a Farm
Bill policy agenda for the region. Sponsored by Northeast Ag Works!, the
event will be held at BWI Airport Marriott,