Curbelo Secures South Florida Priorities in FY17 Funding Bill

Statement

Today, the House of Representatives adopted the Consolidated Appropriations bill for 2017, which will fund the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year. Representative Curbelo championed many South Florida initiatives in the legislation, and offered the following statement:

"This important legislation will fund the federal government through September 30, 2017. Included in this package are some big wins for our South Florida community, including funding for Everglades restoration, our National Marine Sanctuaries, the Florida Keys Water Quality Improvement Program, and pre-disaster mitigation. The bill also increases pay for our military service members tasked with keeping our nation safe, and adds over a billion dollars in funding for the Defense Health Program that funds cancer research, traumatic brain injury and physiological health care assistance, and sexual assault prevention programs.

"I was also glad to see this bill works to mitigate the fiscal and health care crisis in Puerto Rico by providing $296 million in Medicaid Funding for the commonwealth that should help avert a shortfall that could have been catastrophic for the population. I have been and will remain an advocate for programs that assist our fellow Americans citizens in Puerto Rico with Members on both sides of the aisle."

Curbelo helped secure the following South Florida priorities in the spending bill:

Over $10 million for Everglades restoration project funding through the National Park Services and Department of Interior, which Curbelo advocated for earlier this year;
Support for National Marine Sanctuaries in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Budget, which Curbelo advocated for earlier this year;
$100,000,000 for National Pre-Disaster Mitigation funds under FEMA, which will be used to promote cost-effective solutions on the front end that will strengthen and communities and protect lives during national disaster and that Curbelo advocated for earlier this year and introduced legislation on in the last Congress; and
Secured money for the Army Corps of Engineers to continue working on Florida Keys Water Quality Improvement Program, which Curbelo advocated for earlier this year and has continually led on.
This legislation passed the House on May 3, 2017 by a vote of 309-118. It is expected to be considered by the Senate and signed into law in the next two days.

Source