Rubio Welcomes Climate Solutions Caucus Endorsement of His Commonsense Legislation

Press Release

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) welcomed the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus's endorsement of his Restoring Resilient Reefs Act and Built to Last Act.

"I joined the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus to advance commonsense solutions to the most pressing climate issues facing Florida and our country," Rubio said. "These bills would make communities in Florida more resilient to climate impacts and improve quality of life for Floridians. It's time for Congress to act on these bills and I am hopeful they will soon become law."

First introduced in August 2019, the Restoring Resilient Reefs Act would reauthorize and modernize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 and strengthen NOAA's Coral Reef program. It would give innovative new tools and resources to the non-federal partners who are closest to the crisis in American coral reefs: states, territories, and local communities. The bill unanimously passed the Senate in December 2020, but stalled in the House at the end of the 116th Congress. The bill was reintroduced in January 2021 and unanimously passed the Senate Committee on Commerce in December 2021. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) are original cosponsors.

First introduced with Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in February 2020, the Built to Last Act would help ensure federal, state, local and private buildings, roads, and other infrastructure are more resilient to extreme weather events by equipping the organizations that issue building codes and other standards with the best available information on weather-related risks, including floods, hurricanes and wildfires. The bill was reintroduced in April 2021

The caucus also endorsed the Growing Climate Solutions Act, which Rubio introduced with Senators Mike Braun (R-IN) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), which passed the Senate in June 2021.

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