With so many new anti-environmental policy shifts happening at the federal level, it is more vital than ever that Wisconsinites have an environmental advocate in Washington, DC. In response, Clean Wisconsin has ramped up our efforts to take Wisconsin messages, voices and policy recommendations to the halls of the Congress and federal agencies this year.
Clean Wisconsin staff traveled to Washington five times throughout 2025, spending a total of fourteen days meeting with Wisconsin’s congressional delegation and national partner organizations. We advocated for increased funding for improving water quality and ecosystems in the Great Lakes, protecting funding for water infrastructure projects to provide clean drinking water and mitigate flooding events for Wisconsin communities and highlighted the local fallout of repealing important energy and climate initiatives from the Biden-era Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Some of our trips included Wisconsinites from Marinette in the northeast, Milwaukee and Racine in the southeast, Lodi and Green Lake in central Wisconsin and the Town of Campbell in the west. Each told compelling stories that illustrated how decisions made in Washington affect their communities back home and provided unique Wisconsin perspectives to national policymaking.
Our efforts are producing results, and we are garnering new relationships with congressional staff and new champions for our policy goals. Congressman Tony Wied (R-8), for instance, is a leading advocate for the reauthorization of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative in direct response to our advocacy with his office. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D), Congressman Mark Pocan (D-2) and Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-4) are carrying forward the personal stories from our supporters about how the repeal of the IIJA and IRA are hurting their communities. Staff in the office of Congressman Bryan Steil (R-1) engage Clean Wisconsin’s water policy experts seeking information and guidance on water-related proposals in Congress. Our nonpartisan, science-based strategy to engage both sides of the aisle is working.
In addition to increasing engagement with our congressional delegation, Clean Wisconsin is elevating its role in national and regional environmental advocacy coalitions. This year, we joined the governance board for the Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition; the leading regional coalition advocating for protecting the Great Lakes at the federal level. While we have been the coalition’s state lead organization with our partners at Milwaukee Water Commons for several years, our new role on the board provides expanded opportunities to help steer the coalition’s work and federal engagement.
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition also approved our application for membership. Comprising over 150 environmental and agricultural organizations across nearly every state, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is the leading coalition that advocates for the sustainability of agriculture, natural resources and rural communities. Headquartered in Washington, the coalition is a prominent voice for the conservation title programs in the federal Farm Bill. By participating in the coalition, Clean Wisconsin gains access to policy experts and information, day-to-day updates on relevant action in Congress and federal agencies, and new opportunities to engage members and staff on the Senate and House agriculture committees. We are excited to take full advantage of all the coalition has to offer.
Finally, while we are proud and encouraged by our 2025 efforts, we see room for improvement and growth in 2026. Clean Wisconsin leadership, legal department and government relations program jointly developed a detailed, ambitious workplan for next year that brings the government relations program, legal department, communications department and policy program staff together in a unified effort, which will mirror our state advocacy strategy that we have used successfully for decades.
We will also engage on a wider range of issues and processes in 2026, including the federal budget and appropriations process, PFAS policy, the Farm Bill, and guarding against attacks on the Clean Water Act.
We look forward to continuing and expanding this work next year in coordination with all our departments and programs. Wisconsin’s environmental concerns cannot be lost and unheard in Washington. Clean Wisconsin recognizes and embraces its responsibility to inform our elected representatives and hold them accountable to make the right decisions for Wisconsin’s air, water and land.
