The Marco Rubio for Senate campaign congratulates Val Demings today on receiving the endorsement of a hyperpartisan, pro-Green New Deal political action committee.
“Val Demings never tires of catering to radical liberal interest groups, so it’s no surprise that this pro-Green New Deal PAC has endorsed her far-left campaign. Ironically, this endorsement proves just how ill-equipped Demings is to address issues that matter to Floridians. Marco Rubio is the only candidate in this race with a proven record of working to address rising sea levels, improve coastal resiliency, and champion Everglades restoration efforts,” said Elizabeth Gregory, communications director for Marco Rubio for Senate.
In 2019, Senator Rubio wrote: “Communities and local businesses in my home state of Florida are already dealing with the very real impacts of rising sea levels, and yet, the Green New Deal will do nothing to address that reality. Thankfully, there are realistic proposals that will make longer-term climate challenges much easier to deal with.”
In addition to being a member of the Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, Senator Rubio has been named a Champion of the Everglades for his commitment to restoration efforts, working to eliminate invasive animals and species.
He secured $250 million for these efforts in the 2021 budget.
On Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by Senator Marco Rubio, Congressman Brian Mast, Congressman Byron Donalds, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Shawn Hamilton, Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) Wes Brooks, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), and other stakeholders to call on the Biden Administration to allocate the funding necessary to timely advance the federal portion of the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir project.
“The Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir is the crown jewel of Everglades restoration and is the single most important project for reducing harmful discharges and sending more water south,” Rubio said. “I am grateful that Governor DeSantis, Congressman Mast, and Congressman Donalds continue to prioritize this critically important project for our state. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration did not allocate a single dollar for the project. I will continue to fight to fund the EAA Reservoir and do everything in my power to prevent the Biden bureaucracy from undermining this vital project.”
Everglades restoration is a 50/50 partnership between the state and federal government, but the federal government has long lagged behind the state’s investments in projects.
The EAA Reservoir Project is one of the most important Everglades restoration projects for reducing harmful discharges to the estuaries and sending more clean water south to the Everglades. Governor DeSantis expedited this critical Everglades project on his second day in office with the signing of Executive Order 19-12.
Recently, the Biden Administration announced a $1.1 billion one-time investment for Everglades restoration, but the funding was dedicated to other projects that, while part of the important work to restore the Everglades, will not help to meaningfully reduce harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee.
Sen. Rubio “has become the national park’s most vigorous champion in the Senate,” the New York Times editorial board wrote in March 2021.
“Senator Rubio has spearheaded a number of actions that have helped to limit the impacts of the state’s algal bloom epidemic,” the American Conservation Coalition wrote in 2018.
“Throughout his entire tenure in the U.S. Senate, Rubio has been a fierce advocate for Everglades restoration and investment in water infrastructure projects … [He] is leading the fight to reduce the impacts of algal blooms on Florida’s citizens, wildlife, and economy.”
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