(VIDEO) Rubio Credits Trump for Environmental Funding, Not Biden

In a press conference with other members of the Florida Republican Congressional delegation, US Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) flipped the script on Democrats giving Trump credit for environmental support over the current Biden Administration.

"The federal government's commitment really fell off for the better part of over a decade.  So beginning in 2016, 2017, [Trump Administration] we began to see consistency, right?  Money is able to start going into it." - Senator Rubio on federal funding for Florida's environment.

Rubio elaborated, "If there was an opportunity to increase the amounts, and that's what happened under President Trump, we saw a one time opportunity to increase the amount assigned in that one particular year.  It helped make up for some of the lost time and pushing forward earlier this year, every member of the Florida delegation, Republican and Democrat, signed on a letter making a request for a substantial one-time increase."  The Senator then added, "The bill that pass actually fell short of that number, but the most meaningful thing about it, it was the first time ever the Army Corps acknowledged they could spend that amount of money."

At the same press conference, US Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) also spoke on Florida's conservation efforts, but with a different perspective.  Mast directed blame to the Biden administration, telling Floridians that they’re “not seeing one dollar go to it from this federal appropriations because Gov. DeSantis made this a crown jewel for his environment.” “That’s the Biden administration sending a middle finger over to Florida unfortunately,” added Mast.

The Demings for Senate campaign reiterated their earlier response to an "attack" Sen. Rubio levied on Rep. Demings after she announced an endorsement from the Green New Deal PAC.

“Marco Rubio didn’t even have the courage to join Chief Demings and his own Republican colleagues in passing the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which will make critical improvements in infrastructure that protect our communities against flooding from rising seas, stronger hurricanes, and other extreme weather," said Communications Director Christian Slater.

Slater added that Senator Rubio was "too partisan and weak to deliver the commonsense investments Florida needs to tackle coastal flooding and fight the red tide crisis, lower energy costs and create good-paying jobs.”

This November, Rubio seeks to retain his seat against challenger US Rep. Val Demings (D-FL).  For Rubio, his electability may come down to environmental policy issues that Republicans have revved up efforts on in the past few years.