Peter Deutsch: “Mr. Chairman, there is an amendment at the desk that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) originally offered.…”

“Mr. Chairman, there is an amendment at the desk that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) originally offered. Unfortunately, the mother of the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) is in the hospital, and I know she is in the thoughts and prayers of all of us at this moment in time. It is an amendment which I support, and I rise today to offer it. It will dedicate $500,000 for outreach and assistance in minority and disadvantaged communities affected by Everglades restoration. When Congress first passed the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, it affirmed its commitment to clean up Florida's Everglades. That plan included an outreach and assistance component, which is critical to the success of this restoration plan. As the Department of Interior and Army Corps of Engineer began their outreach, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) and I and others believed their approach left many in minority and underserved communities in the dark and out of the process. Many constituents did not understand how the plan benefited their lives and few minority owned small businesses had any knowledge on how to access the contract dollars that are to be spent by the State and Federal Government in their backyard.”