Wasserman Schultz Statement on Passage of Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016

Washington, DC –U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) issued the following statement today after the passage of H.R. 5303, the Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA, of 2016:

“Tonight I cast my vote for the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) tonight, which contains critical programs for my home state of Florida. WRDA contains the Central Everglades Project, which will provide over a billion dollars in federal and nonfederal funding to continue the essential work of restoring our beloved River of Grass. We must continue working in a bipartisan manner to restore water flow to the Everglades ecosystem, which provides critical fresh water essential to the daily lives of millions of Floridians and the future of our state. I’m also pleased that this bill includes authorization for the Port Everglades dredging project, which is nearly twenty years in the making. Port Everglades is in my Congressional district and I was proud to work for many years with my colleagues to finally achieve this critical economic milestone. The deepening and widening of Port Everglades’ channels will allow South Florida to receive cargo from larger ships and help boost our economy.

“But I did not vote in favor of WRDA without serious reservations over House Republicans’ obstructionism on helping the women, men and children of Flint, Michigan. For more than two years Flint’s residents have been exposed to lead in their water. As a mother of three children, I am truly outraged for the mothers in Flint who learned that the water their children have been drinking is dangerous and could have long-term effects on their development. I am glad that the House passed Rep. Dan Kildee’s amendment to give Flint some of the help it desperately deserves, but it has taken far too long for my Republican colleagues to drop their unconscionable treatment of that city.”

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