I am always looking for new ways to help pass meaningful legislation to clean up our waterways and protect our coastlines. This week I had an opportunity to do just that when the House of Representatives passed the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act.

This legislation included a number of different provisions that will provide grants and other resources that can be used to benefit our coastal communities on a number of different fronts, including:

• Reauthorizing the Integrated Ocean Observing System to help identify the factors that lead to algal blooms and develop new ways to prevent them from happening.
• Authorizing a new program called the Living Shoreline Grant to help reduce erosion, improve water clarity, filter pollutants, preserve our coastline and protect important fish and wildlife habitats.
• Creating the Working Waterfront Grant Program to help preserve our waterfronts and support local businesses that rely on our waterways to thrive.
• Building strategic partnerships that will result in better fish habitat conditions and increased fishing opportunities for our communities.

The bottom line is that this an important piece of legislation that will help our fight to combat harmful algal blooms, improve our water quality, strengthen our waterfront economy and protect our shorelines for generations to come.

Check out this week’s video to learn more.

In case you missed it, here are a few other things that happened this week:

• The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act, which included 4 of my priorities, to fund the military and give troops a pay raise!
• I shared my thoughts on the recent corruption charges at the West Palm Beach VA medical facility.
• The FWC wants to hear your ideas on how to better manage invasive species in our waterways without spraying chemicals. Submit your comment before January 7, 2020!