REPS. FRANKEL, WASSERMAN SCHULTZ RESPOND TO CRITICS OF EVERGLADES FUNDING

Press Release

Today, Representatives Lois Frankel (FL-21) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) released the following statement in response to a Republican-led press conference criticizing the White House's historic $1.1 billion investment in Everglades restoration through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funding--the largest allocation the project has ever received--was announced earlier this month.

"My Florida Republican colleagues made a choice. Instead of participating in the negotiations of this historic infrastructure law, they turned their backs on bipartisanship to try to deny the President a win. This historic investment in our nation's infrastructure includes the largest single allocation for Everglades restoration in our history," said Rep. Frankel. "Restoring the Everglades is a deeply complex, comprehensive plan, and each project we're able to complete is a monumental win for the millions of Floridians, and hundreds of endangered plants and animal species that rely on this ecosystem. It's beyond hypocritical for the Republican Members who voted against this bill to turn around and complain about this historic investment. Their lack of graciousness is an embarrassment to our state."

"No Florida Republican in Congress voted to support steering infrastructure money to the Everglades, and now they're angry that Democrats made a historic $1.1 billion investment to restore our River of Grass? Just like DeSantis, who takes credit for federal funding he opposed and conveniently never says the funding came from President Biden and Congressional Democrats, this crowd of Republican do-nothings cannot be taken seriously," said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. "If they want to help restore this lifeblood of Florida, they need to do their job, take tough votes, and do real work just like the rest of America does to fix our problems. These are people who tried to prevent Everglades restoration funding from becoming a reality. This armchair quarterback commentary isn't helpful when you refuse to get in the game."

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $11.6 billion for Army Corps of Engineers construction projects, $1.1 billion of which will be going toward Everglades restoration. This funding is on top of the historic $350 million set aside for the project in the Fiscal Year 2022 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. The state of Florida also contributes regularly to these efforts.

As members of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water, Reps. Frankel and Wasserman Schultz have been leading advocates for Everglades restoration funding.

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