Way Downstream …(July 4-10, 2019)
We soon may see how much clout GOP Gov. Larry Hogan has in Washington Republican circles.
Last week, the Democratic-run U.S. House upped to $85 million next year’s allocation for the Chesapeake Bay Program.
As we know, the Trump administration wants to gut the Bay program and other watershed restorations around the country. The White House said okay to about $7 million, but no more.
You may recall from civics class that Congress writes the checks, but we’ll have to see now what the Senate has in mind. As is often the case, Congress took a break before deciding on funding for the Bay and a whole lot more.
Here’s where Hogan comes in. As chairman of the Chesapeake Executive Council — the governors of Bay states and D.C. — Hogan told us recently of having fought the Trump administration on the EPA cuts since March.
The big battle lies ahead, which is why people will be watching to see if Hogan has the clout after considering earlier this year challenging Trump in the GOP primary.
“The Chesapeake Bay is our state’s greatest natural asset,” Hogan said last week — noting what this fight is all about.