Since I arrived in Congress, I've been working hard to position myself in the best possible way to help our community, especially when it comes to restoring our water's cleanliness and natural beauty.

But this week was the biggest moment yet: I was named Vice Chairman of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee. Serving as vice chairman of this important subcommittee will help elevate the voices of the thousands of residents of the Treasure Coast whose lives and businesses are being hurt by Lake Okeechobee water discharges. Improving the water quality in our community will be my top priority as vice chairman of this committee.

Here are just a few of the other steps I've taken:

1. I secured a spot on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which oversees the Army Corps of Engineers and a number of infrastructure projects in our community that are vital to water quality.
2. I brought Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster to the 18th District so he could see firsthand the issues we are facing and better understand why it's so important that we fix the problem.
3. I joined the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, which works with members on both sides of the aisle to protect our environment.