House Passes Posey-Murphy Bipartisan Plan to Help the Indian River Lagoon

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Patrick E. Murphy applauded the House passage of legislation (H.R. 5266) to reauthorize funding for the National Estuary Program (NEP). Included in the legislation was the bipartisan bill authored by Congressmen Bill Posey (FL-08) and Patrick Murphy (FL-18) to help the Indian River Lagoon. The bipartisan Estuary Urgent Needs Priority Program Act prioritizes funds within the NEP to meet urgent needs across the nation's estuaries, including the ongoing crisis on the Treasure Coast. (Please find attached a copy of the legislation).

Murphy took to the House floor to speak in support of this critical legislation and its importance to the health of local waterways. (Click here to watch the Congressman's remarks).

"It is great to see the House act swiftly on the National Estuary Program to help support the health of our waterways. The Treasure Coast will directly benefit because this bill includes our bipartisan proposal to prioritize the Indian River Lagoon," said Rep. Murphy. "With the health of our economy directly tied to our waterways, this common-sense measure is well-deserving of the overwhelming bipartisan support it received today, and I hope that the Senate quickly follows suit."

"This common sense plan will help provide critical funding for our nation's estuaries, and make available additional funding to estuaries that are experiencing urgent and challenging ecological problems, including our own Indian River Lagoon," said Rep. Posey. "I'm pleased to see this important legislation move forward in a strongly bipartisan manner."

In July, Murphy joined Posey in introducing the Estuary Urgent Needs Priority Program Act to prioritize funding for estuary systems such as the Indian River Lagoon that are experiencing urgent ecological challenges with significant algal blooms and sea grass die offs. Within amounts authorized for the NEPs, this bipartisan bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide awards in addition to estuary base grants for estuaries that are experiencing urgent and challenging ecological problems including sea grass loss, reoccurring harmful algal blooms, invasive exotic species or jellyfish proliferation. These awards would be provided on a competitive basis.

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