2017

Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI, 6th from left) receives her award as Great Lakes Legislator of the Year. Sen. Baldwin’s first term in the Senate has been remarkable for her understanding of and commitment to shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. Her grasp of the issues, and more importantly, her response to the challenges facing shipping on the Fourth Sea Coast has been instrumental in moving several projects forward. In 2016, she added $2 million to begin the design of the icebreaker to the Department of Homeland Security’s appropriations bill. In 2017 she added $5 million to the Coast Guard Authorization Act to further design of the new icebreaker. Shipbuilding is another focus of Baldwin.  Baldwin’s commitment to strong shipyards was recently underscored by her introduction of S. 1100, the Small Shipyards and Maritime Communities Act, which provides assistance for projects that would be effective in fostering efficiency, competitive operations, and quality ship construction, repair, and reconfiguration, as well as projects that promote employee skills and enhance productivity.