Washington, D.C.- Senator Rick Scott is publicly calling for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to release emergency funds towards restoring south Florida’s coral reefs.
Scott claims NOAA has the authority to use such funds under his and Senator Marco Rubio’s Restoring Resilient Reefs Act emergency funding stipulation.
According to Scott, federal support is needed in order to aid ongoing Floridian coral restoration efforts.
“...it’s time for @NOAA to invoke the emergency provisions this bill allows & help protect this irreplaceable coral barrier reef ASAP,” said Scott.
Last year, my & @MarcoRubio’s Restoring Resilient Reefs Act was passed & signed into law, creating stronger protections for Florida’s coral reef systems.
Now, it’s time for @NOAA to invoke the emergency provisions this bill allows & help protect this irreplaceable coral barrier…
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) August 17, 2023
Scott pointed to an Associated Press article highlighting the expansive restoration efforts underway and foreshadows their increased need due to rising temperatures. Similarly, recent NOAA reports claim sea surface temperatures are reaching bleaching-inducing levels.
Annual Funding for NOAA’s Coral Reef program enlarged from $16 million to $45 million under the Restoring Resilient Reefs Act.
The act authorizes Richard W. Spinrad, NOAA’s administrator, to implement a fund transferral plan from NOAA to emergency coral restoration efforts. NOAA recently warned of record-high sea temperatures.
Neither NOAA nor Spinrad have yet signaled their intention to heed Scott’s calls. Conservatives are increasingly criticizing the federal government’s lack of adequate natural disaster prevention measures and response tardiness.
Both Rubio and Scott have accused Biden of manipulating natural disasters to bolster his political agenda.
According to Rubio, President Biden is harnessing fund scarcity as a means to coerce republicans in natural disaster-prone states to concede on separate political issues.
