Salazar Introduces NCARS Act

Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R) has introduced the National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security (NCARS) Act. The legislation would create a national resilience strategy that would protect Americans from natural disasters.

Salazar and California Rep. Scott Peters (D) introduced the bill alongside Utah Rep. John Curtis (R), Delaware Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D), Delaware Senator Chris Coons (D), and Arkansas Senator Lisa Murkowski (R) in pushing for the bill.

In a statement, Salazar warned that “Miami communities are at risk and are ground-zero for rising waters.” Because of this, she’s calling on lawmakers to “come together to protect Florida families and improve disaster planning.”

Miami is threatened with the increased risk of flooding and storms, which calls for the need to develop and execute a strategic plan that would protect Floridians from extreme weather. According to a press release from Salazar’s office, “South Florida faces unique climate and environmental challenges that must be addressed, like sea level rise and saltwater intrusion into the Everglades.”

Senator Coons, the co-chair for the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, issued a statement in support for the effort, commenting that “a coordinated government strategy for resilience is critical to help vulnerable communities that face increasing risk from hurricanes, floods, winter storms, and other weather events.”

“Having a Chief Resilience Officer in the White House, advised by a non-federal Partners Council, will improve accountability and fiscal responsibility in disaster preparedness, following the model of nearly a dozen states, including Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina,” he added, affirming that “resilience is critical not only for Delaware, but for Americans in frontline communities across the nation.”

Numerous organizations have shared their support for the NCARS Act, including the Center for Climate and Security, The Nature Conservancy, the US Chamber of Commerce, and the BuildStrong Coalition.