WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ahead of the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee’s consideration of this year’s Energy and Water Appropriations bill tomorrow, U.S. Representatives Brian Mast (FL-18), Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26), Francis Rooney (FL-19) and Alcee Hastings (FL-20) today led a bipartisan group of Florida Members in urging the committee to meet the President’s amended budget request of $200 million for South Florida Ecosystem Restoration.

Last week, the President’s budget was amended at the urging of Florida’s Congressional delegation, and it is now up to the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee to set the 2020 funding level for Everglades restoration. Prior to the President submitting his amended budget, Reps. Mast, Mucarsel-Powell, Rooney and Hastings had also urged the committee to fully fund Everglades restoration.

Today’s letter is also signed by Representatives Matt Gaetz (FL-1), Ted Yoho (FL-3), Al Lawson (FL-5), Michael Waltz (FL-6), Stephanie Murphy (FL-7), Bill Posey (FL-8), Darren Soto (FL-9), Daniel Webster (FL-11), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Greg Steube (FL-17), Ted Deutch (FL-22) and Donna Shalala (FL-27).

The letter to the committee is below and attached:

Dear Chairwoman Lowey, Ranking Member Granger, Chairwoman Kaptur, and Ranking Member Simpson:

South Florida Ecosystem Restoration is the annual line-item in the Energy and Water Appropriations Act that is critically important to funding the multi-decade and intricate series of overlapping project features necessary to achieve the national priority of Everglades restoration. As you know, on May 13, the President submitted a budget amendment to the Corps of Engineers Construction request for a total funding level of $200 million for South Florida Ecosystem Restoration. We urge the committee to allocate the $200 million requested by the President for South Florida Ecosystem Restoration during full committee markup of the Energy and Water Appropriations Act.

Sincerely,

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