WRDA

Floor Speech

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Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, before I begin my remarks on the vote on Zika, I do want to join the chorus of those voices thanking the majority leader for bringing the water bill, which also has important priorities for the State of Florida, in particular the Central Everglades planning process, which will allow us to begin the process of moving forward on a series of programs that are important not just for restoring the natural flow of the Everglades but for helping coastal areas of Florida that were impacted over the last few months with algae blooms as a result of water runoff from Lake Okeechobee.

There is a lot more to be done. This project alone will not solve this problem, but it is the single biggest project out there that we are closest to achieving and that can move us toward that goal. If the Senate can move forward, I, too, will ask my colleagues over the next few days to allow this issue to move forward. Let's get this passed. There are many good priorities here for many States in this country, but for Florida in particular. The Central Everglades Planning Project has taken so long to get to this point, and I thank Senator Inhofe for working with me on it to ensure that it is part of this package.

I am hopeful we can continue to move forward and get this done. It is important for Florida, particularly for our coastal areas, and for those who care deeply about the great natural treasures of this country--the Florida Everglades.

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