WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today released the following statement after the Senate passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 appropriations bill. "This bill makes critical investments in Illinois' public health, housing, transportation infrastructure, defense installations, environment, education, and security. America desperately needed a budget heading i  more

NEW YORK, Dec. 22 -- The Environmental Defense Fund issued the following news release on Dec. 21: Tonight, Congress will consider a bipartisan year-end omnibus spending package that will make major investments in numerous Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) climate, energy, and conservation priority areas and will provide $900 billion in critical economic stimulus relief to Americans reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. The measure also includes major energy innovation legislation that will advance  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Rep. Daniel Lipinski, D-Illinois, issued the following news release: The House of Representatives passed as part of the COVID-19 and FY21 appropriations omnibus legislation (HR 133), the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020. WRDA authorizes specific Army Corps of Engineers projects and oversees other water infrastructure projects at our ports and inland waterway navigation system. WRDA 2020 authorizes a record 46 new Army Corps of Engineer Projects and 27 new fe  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- The National Audubon Society issued the following news: "After months of negotiations, it is good to see Congress come together to make investments in economic stimulus, conservation, climate resilience, and greenhouse gas emissions reductions," said Sarah Greenberger, interim chief conservation officer and senior vice president, Conservation Policy. "This bill advances many critical programs that will help protect and restore the places and resources birds need the most,  more

ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana, Dec. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service Louisiana office issued the following news release: The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Louisiana continued its conservation work across the state despite a tough 2020 marked with a pandemic and several natural disasters. The agency helped farmers, ranchers and forest landowners implement conservation practices on their working lands, which help conserve natural   more

LINCOLN, Nebraska, Dec. 24 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service Nebraska office issued the following news release: The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Nebraska continued its conservation work across the state despite a tough 2020 marked with a pandemic and several natural disasters. The agency helped farmers and ranchers implement conservation practices on their working lands, which help conserve natural resource such as soil, wa  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Dec. 24 (TNSPer) -- Pheasants Forever issued the following news release: Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever has announced the retirement of Rick Young, longtime Vice President of Field Operations, at the end of the calendar year. A mainstay of the organization since 1987, Young's 34-year career highlights include building the foundation of Pheasants Forever chapters east of the Mississippi River, creation of the organization's Farm Bill Biologist Partnership, and the birth  more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Dec. 24 (TNSPer) -- Quail Forever, a division of Pheasants Forever, issued the following news release on Dec. 23: Quail Forever and Pheasants Forever has announced the retirement of Rick Young, longtime Vice President of Field Operations, at the end of the calendar year. A mainstay of the organization since 1987, Young's 34-year career highlights include building the foundation of Pheasants Forever chapters east of the Mississippi River, creation of the organization's Farm   more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wisconsin, issued the following news release on Dec. 22: Last night, Rep. Ron Kind voted to support the year-end package that included a number of priorities he has worked on for Wisconsin families. "I'm glad to see Congress come together in a bipartisan manner to get this year-end package done," said Rep. Ron Kind. "This legislation included a number of wins for Wisconsin that I pushed for such as increased funding for Upper Mississippi River conservati  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), a member of the Appropriations Committee, announced that several Missouri priorities were included in the following FY2021 funding bills: Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Ag  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) praised the passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA) which was included in the year-end funding bill. WRDA addresses the civil works program of the Army Corps of Engineers. Grassley worked with the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works to include provisions that will specifically benefits Iowans. "Iowa saw catastrophic flooding on both the  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, issued the following news release: Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, helped secure key provisions of the funding bill that Congress is expected to vote on soon. "Louisianians send big chunks of their paychecks to Washington, and I work as hard as I can to ensure our state doesn't stand alone when we face challenges like historic hurricanes. This year, I'm pleased to say that, should this funding bi  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 -- Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) announced that the FY 2021 bipartisan funding agreement includes the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA) - bipartisan legislation that includes a number of Portman's priorities. These Portman-led measures will protect and improve the Great Lakes by preventing Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes, promoting navigation, providing additional funding to maintain our har  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Richard C. Shelby, R-Alabama, issued the following news release on Dec. 22: U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and its subcommittee on defense, today voted to pass a comprehensive appropriations package containing all 12 Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) spending bills and roughly $900 billion in additional COVID-19 relief for struggling Americans and businesses. The legislation, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, wa  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Richard Burr, R-North Carolina, issued the following news release: North Carolina Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis spoke on the Senate floor and urged their colleagues to pass the Lumbee Recognition Act, legislation they introduced that would officially give the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina federal recognition. The bill was blocked from passing by Senate Democrats. Watch a video of the speech here: https://youtu.be/dBP9SfUQoOg Senator Burr: "Either before or  more

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 -- Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, issued the following news release on Dec. 22: U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) as well as Ranking Member on EPW's Fisheries, Wildlife and Water Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) applauded the inclusion of several key priorities that will help Illinois in the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) 2020 Reauthorization, which passed the Senat  more

MADISON, Wisconsin, Dec. 25 -- Gov. Tony Evers, D-Wisconsin, issued the following news release on Dec. 24: Gov. Tony Evers today announced grants for nine harbor maintenance and improvement projects in Wisconsin. The improvements will boost statewide economic development by promoting waterborne freight, harbor infrastructure, and passenger cruise facilities. "Wisconsin is fortunate to have a robust system of ports and harbors with our Great Lakes and the Mississippi River that border our state  more