Jeremiah Smith: “I have the law in my hand, and I am going to read from it word for word. This is the Water Resources Development Act of…”

“I have the law in my hand, and I am going to read from it word for word. This is the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, which has been cited a number of times, that somehow we are breaking precedent, violating law, or not maintaining the law with what we are doing in the Everglades. Section 906(e). There are three criteria mentioned here in terms of construction, and then I will go to O&M: (e) In those cases when the Secretary, as part of any report to Congress, recommends activities to enhance fish and wildlife resources, the first costs of such enhancement-- In this case construction-- shall be a Federal cost when-- (1) such enhancement provides benefits that are determined to be national. . . . Everybody in this Chamber today has called the Everglades a national treasure, including those proponents of this amendment. (2) such enhancement is designed to benefit species that have been listed as threatened or endangered by the Secretary of Interior. . . . We have 68 endangered or threatened species in the Everglades. (3) such activities are located on lands managed as a national wildlife refuge. We have 16 national wildlife refuges in the Everglades ecosystem.”