Last week, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a nearly all-day meeting on one of our top priority bills – the Water Resources and Development Act, also called WRDA. This bipartisan bill improves ports and harbors, inland waterway navigation, flood and storm protection, and other water resources infrastructure throughout the United States. H.R. 7776 focuses on projects developed at the local level which have regional and national impacts.
Water is critical for life and solid infrastructure is critical to Florida’s economy which is dependent on moving goods and people efficiently and effectively. I have consistently advocated for and worked on policies that support local projects and worked to find solutions that preserve and protect Florida’s precious natural resources, while balancing the needs of our growing economy. WRDA 2022 authorizes funding for critical ports, inland waterways, locks, dams, flood protection, ecosystem restoration, and other water resources infrastructure important to Florida and our nation.
This bill passed committee without language that would have harmed the countless Floridians and Native Americans across south and central Florida who depend on the proper management of water that flows out of Lake Okeechobee. Thanks to hard work with committee leadership and stakeholders across Florida, included in the bill is an agreement for a plan to study how to further tackle algae blooms, while also ensuring water access for everyone and the Everglades are protected. From famers, to fishermen, to boaters, to citizens and the Everglades this bill is a huge win for Florida.
Congressman Daniel Webster represents The Villages in the U.S. House of Representatives.