Issue Position: Local Issues

Issue Position

Protecting the local environment
The Indian River Lagoon and the St. Lucie River are prized Treasure Coast assets. The St. Lucie and Indian River Lagoon are vital to the Treasure Coast and their health and well-being has been one of Congressman Murphy's top priorities. As a native Floridian, he has long understood the important of protecting our environment and the role it plays in our future, our economy, and our entire way of life. Since his first days in office, he has had countless meetings in the district and D.C. with everyone from community activists to the head of the Army Corps of Engineers to discuss not only the problems, but the solutions, both short-term and long-term, that can only come from mutual understanding of the problem and cooperation of local, state, and federal entities. To learn more about Congressman Murphy's work on this issue, click here.

Some of the most beautiful beaches in the world are along and adjacent to the Treasure Coast, including Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge and John D. MacArthur State Park at Singer Island. He is looking for ways to develop standards and new sources of sand for beach re-nourishment projects.

Lastly, as a life-long Floridian and outdoorsman, Congressman Murphy understands the importance of our environment -- not just as a matter of air and water quality for future generations, but for our economy. Florida tourism, hospitality, real estate, fishing, and many other industries depend on it.

Fostering growth of research and technical centers
Scientific research is critically important for the economy accelerate and for our nation to remain the leader in technology. From Scripps to Max Planck to VGTI and others, a wide variety of research and development facilities have relocated to the region, and Congressman Murphy is committed to working with them to foster the growth of the Research Coast. These institutes provide high-paying, highly skilled jobs that will aid the region as it recovers from the economic downturn.

Getting more out of air and sea ports
The St. Lucie International Airport and the Fort Pierce seaport are underutilized resources, and Congressman Murphy is working to boost their capacity for the Treasure Coast in light of the planned 2014 Panama Canal extension. The first step is to use state funds to update the port's master plan. This planning can lead to new job opportunities for a variety of industries, and Congressman Murphy is working towards new clean activities for the port to protect the Indian River Lagoon and off-shore fisheries.

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