President Trump released a series of tweets concerning financial commitments that his administration’s budget would be providing, and one of those commitments is support for the $200 million of funding that has been requested by Florida rep. Francis Rooney (R).
The request was also supported by the entire Florida Congressional Delegation, and rep. Rooney responded to the President’s support in a conversation when he visited Lake Okeechobee last month.
In a statement, rep. Rooney detailed that “President Trump clearly understands the importance of Everglades restoration to Florida’s economy and ecology, and the importance of Florida in 2020. I am thankful for his continued efforts to help us fix our water quality challenges and keep Florida’s economy strong.”
Earlier this year, rep. Rooney and the Florida delegation directed a letter to the White House requesting funding for the Everglades. The letter was signed by all 27 House members from the sunshine state.
In response, aside from also committing to providing funding that would strengthen NASA, President Trump announced in a tweet that “my administration will be fighting for $200 million for the Army Corps Everglades restoration work this year.”
My Administration will be fighting for $200 million for the Army Corps Everglades restoration work this year. Congress needs to help us complete the world’s largest intergovernmental watershed restoration project ASAP! Good for Florida and good for the environment.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2019
The President argued that “Congress needs to help us complete the world’s largest intergovernmental watershed restoration project ASAP!”
He stressed that this is vital because it is “good for Florida and good for the environment.”
In addition, President Trump also lent his support to protecting the Great Lakes, saying that we must keep "them clean and beautiful for future generations." He informed that he is "fighting for $300 million in my updated budget for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative."
We must protect our Great Lakes, keeping them clean and beautiful for future generations. That’s why I am fighting for $300 million in my updated budget for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 13, 2019
In total, about $1.1 billion has been appropriated to repair the Herbert Hoover Dike and CERP projects in both the 2018 and 2019 fiscal years.
The economic impact that the Everglades has on the sunshine state is around $2 trillion.
