Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart | Official U.S. House headshot
Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart | Official U.S. House headshot
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Everglades Caucus Co-Chairs, Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, along with 20 members of the Florida Congressional Delegation, have sent a bipartisan letter to President Joe Biden urging him to allocate $725 million for Everglades restoration in the budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2025.
In the letter addressed to President Biden, the Everglades Caucus emphasized the importance of funding for the restoration of the Everglades ecosystem. They stated, "As you prepare your Fiscal Year 2025 budget request, and within all applicable rules and regulations, the members of the Everglades Caucus write to respectfully request that you consider an allocation of $725 million under the Army Corps of Engineers construction account for South Florida Ecosystem Restoration."
Highlighting the significance of the Everglades, the letter described it as a "national treasure" and emphasized the need for continued efforts to preserve this unique ecosystem. The members of the Everglades Caucus underscored the critical role of the Everglades in providing drinking water for nine million Floridians and enhancing the state's resilience to extreme weather events.
The letter also recognized the ongoing restoration projects in the Everglades, stating, "Since 2019, fifty-five Everglades restoration projects have broken ground, reached a significant milestone, or been completed." The completion of projects like the Stormwater Treatment Cell 1 in the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir was highlighted as a demonstration of tangible progress in the restoration efforts.
The Everglades Caucus further emphasized the economic and ecological benefits of Everglades restoration, stating, "A restored Everglades supports economic resilience, ecological resilience, and resilience to severe weather events and drought." They called for President Biden's support in building on decades of progress towards a restored Everglades for the people of Florida.
The letter was signed by a total of 22 members of the Florida Congressional Delegation, including Representatives Carlos A. Giménez, Scott Franklin, Brian Mast, Gus Bilirakis, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Frederica Wilson, María Elvira Salazar, Michael Waltz, Darren Soto, Vern Buchanan, Laurel Lee, Daniel Webster, Byron Donalds, John Rutherford, Maxwell Frost, Bill Posey, Jared Moskowitz, Neal P. Dunn, M.D., Lois Frankel, and Cory Mills.
The Everglades Caucus and their allies in the Florida Congressional Delegation are hopeful that President Biden will consider their funding request and allocate $725 million for Everglades restoration in the upcoming budget for Fiscal Year 2025.
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