Florida Republicans Senator Marco Rubio, and Rep. Carlos Gimenez introduced Thursday legislation to increase federal grant funding in South Florida.
The pairs South Florida Ecosystem Enhancement Act would allocate $50,000,000 annually for the Environmental Protection Agencys South Florida Geographic Program. This funding would be available starting in the current fiscal year through 2026. The grant program provides funding for South Florida to improve water quality, and restore wetlands.
The program received $6 million in fiscal 2021, which was an increase over previous years. The program received $19 million cumulatively between 2016 and 2021, which is a fraction of the amount Rubio and Gimenez propose as the annual funding level.
Rubio, the state’s senior senator, introduced the legislation to the U.S. Senate. Gimenez, a first-term Representative and former mayor of Miami-Dade County, introduced a similar bill in the House.
Gimenez stated that the legislation will allow for much-needed money to be used in South Florida’s ecological restoration efforts. These projects will preserve South Florida’s ecosystems for future generations.
In addition to the funding boost, the legislation aims to expand both geographic scope and approved uses of the grant program. The bill would extend the program’s boundaries, which start at the southernmost end of Florida’s coral reefs and continue to the Indian River Lagoon, on the east coast, and Charlotte Harbor, on the west coast.
It is vital that South Florida’s ecosystems are restored. Rubio stated in a statement that these aquatic habitats are vital to Florida’s economy and culture. Reauthorizing South Florida Geographic Program is a crucial step towards restoring these habitats.
In addition to restoration projects, the bill would allow grant money for educational grants to organizations seeking to educate the public about Biscayne Bay and other ecosystems in South Florida.
After Rubio, Gimenez, and all other Florida Republicans voted against President Joe Biden’s infrastructure law last year, the proposal would require the Biden administration increase funding for South Florida projects.
The Biden administration announced last Month that it was complying with the law.$1.1 Billion for EvergladesRestoration for the fiscal year 2022. Rubio voted against the law but he criticised the funding level for being less than $1.5 billion requested Florida’s delegation. It also did not include funding to the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir.
Thursday was a day that Rubio wrote to Biden, asking that he include $725 million more for Everglades Restoration iHis budget proposal for the 2023 fiscal year, which will be revealed in the coming weeks, is available here.
This story was first published in February 17, 2022 at 4:04 pm
Bryan Lowry is a reporter for The Miami Herald who covers the White House, Congress and other topics. He was previously a Washington correspondent and the lead political reporter for The Kansas City Star. Lowry contributed to The Stars 2017 Project on Kansas Government Secrecy, which was a finalist at the Pulitzer Prize.