Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings)--who I concur is my very good friend--for his leadership on behalf of Florida and particularly in protecting our beloved Everglades. While I support the underlying bill because of the critical investments the Army Corps of Engineers will make at Port Everglades and in restoring the Everglades, I, unfortunately, rise today in opposition to the partisan fashion in which the Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA, has been brought to this floor. I am proud the Central Everglades project, which is authorized by this bill, will provide over a billion dollars in Federal and non- Federal funds to continue the essential work of restoring the Florida Everglades. The Everglades, which we call affectionately the River of Grass, is home to thousands of rare species and its survival relies on the flow of water and a high standard of water quality throughout our State of Florida. Restoring historic water flow is not only critical for the Everglades and for its ecosystem, but it also boosts critical freshwater supplies that are essential to the daily lives of millions of Floridians and the very future of a Florida we call home. Additionally, I am proud that WRDA includes authorization for the Port Everglades--not the same--the Port Everglades harbor dredging project. This has been an almost astounding 20-year planning process. It shouldn't have taken that long, and we are thrilled that we are finally here.…”