What is WRDA?

Cleaning up our toxic water is, without a doubt, the most important issue for our community. That's why one of my top priorities in Congress is advocating for Florida's interests when Congress passes the Water Resources Development Act.

As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I have a seat at the table when this legislation is drafted every two years, and I use that position to protect our public health, economy, and environment. When an algae outbreak hits, people get sick, pets die, the environment is wrecked, and our economy takes the blow—this bill is one of the best opportunities we have to fight back.

WRDA authorizes new water infrastructure projects and improves water programs across the country. I fight to write in as many priorities for Florida as possible—from preventing toxic discharges to accelerating construction of the EAA Southern Storage Reservoir.

My Priorities for WRDA 2026

With direction, standards, and accountability, we can protect our communities and strengthen our economies.

This cycle, the priorities I'm carrying into the markup come down to a few connected ideas: finish Everglades restoration and send the water south, hold the Army Corps accountable for how it moves and manages our water, ground restoration decisions in measurable results instead of models alone, and modernize how the Corps delivers projects so they get done faster and at lower cost. The specific provisions are still being drafted and haven't been formally introduced yet—but the direction is set.

Priority 01

Ensure Everglades Restoration

We must see the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir through completion. It's how we will send the water south—where it naturally belongs—instead of discharging it into the St. Lucie River and our coastal estuaries.

Priority 02

Hold the Army Corps Accountable

In any decision surrounding the management of our water, transparency is non-negotiable. Congress and the American people need clear reporting on where water was sent, what happened as a result, and whether there was a better option on the table.

Priority 03

Measure Results

We shouldn't rely on predictions and modeling alone. We can measure seagrass coverage, oyster health, nutrient loading, and harmful algal bloom risk. No more taxpayer dollars for projects that aren't delivering.

Priority 04

Modernize How the Corps Operates

WRDA should improve how projects get delivered—expanding responsible use of private-sector design, using digital tools to speed up reviews, increasing dredge-fleet transparency, and cutting needless costs placed on non-federal partners. If we want projects done right and done efficiently, we have to remove the outdated constraints.

What We've Already Delivered

Every two years I fight to write as many Florida priorities into WRDA as possible. Here's what that fight has already won for our waterways.