Florida Legislators Rush to Counteract ‘Dangerous’ Army Corps of Engineers Directive

Florida’s political class has united in a bipartisan attempt to rescind the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) hurricane risk reduction projects policy.

USACE works to design, plan, construct, and maintain the US’ water resources, army installations, and other public projects.

In the past, USACE has cooperated with and overseen sponsors of Florida hurricane risk reduction projects.

A few years ago, however, USACE began imposing stringent regulations on such sponsors, making their involvement in risk reduction projects nearly impossible.

The ensuing USACE risk reduction projects regulations controversy climaxed earlier this year, when the Assistant Secretary of the

Army for Civil Works (ASACW) submitted its congressional report.

Legislators in Florida have responded to the report’s finding by drafting a bill to prevent USACE from continuing to impose the respective regulations.

Led by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), over a dozen Florida lawmakers are now pressuring their congressional colleagues to approve the bill.

To this end, the lawmakers wrote a letter to the Ranking Members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

The letter requests the respective ranking members include the proposed legislation in the upcoming Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024.

“Our provision will protect public infrastructure and the lives and livelihoods of Americans residing in and visiting Florida,” said Rubio via press release.

Rubio continued by criticizing USACE’s policy, stating it is “arbitrarily and callously placed under unacceptable risk in contravention of their mission.”

Joining the letter are Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), and Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Bill Posey (R-FL), Scott Franklin (R-FL), Mike Waltz (R-FL), Sheila McCormick (D-FL), and many others.