CONGRESSMAN BOYLE LEADS EFFORT TO FUND PROTECTION OF DELAWARE RIVER BASIN

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) led a bipartisan letter urging the House Appropriations Committee to include $15 million, an increase of $5 million from Fiscal Year 2021, toward the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program, which aims to preserve the region's environment, ecology, and economic viability.

Congressman Boyle released the following statement upon the submission of the letter to the House Appropriations Committee:

"As the Delaware River Basin recovers from decades of degradation and industrialization, we must make a concerted effort to protect and enhance it so it can be utilized today and for generations to come. The Delaware River is an ecological gem and economic engine for Philadelphia and the Mid-Atlantic region. Funding the Delaware River Restoration Program is a significant and necessary step. I was proud to lead the effort to create the program and I am proud to lead the fight to ensure its potential is fully realized through sound investment."

The letter was co-led by Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) and signed by 13 Members of Congress. It was submitted to the Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies for consideration as it crafts its FY2022 spending bill.

The Delaware River Basin is the five-state region that drains into the Delaware River and Delaware Bay. Along with its historic importance for our nation, the river basin is a powerhouse for the economy and home to more than 8 million people. Significantly, the watershed serves as the source of clean drinking water for 13.3 million people, or roughly five percent of the U.S. population, in the densely populated Mid-Atlantic region. Boyle is also a member of Congressional Delaware River Watershed Caucus.
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