[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 22, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H4071]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TAKE ACTION TO RESTORE FLORIDA'S WATER QUALITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Waltz) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WALTZ. Mr. Speaker, when Members think of my home State of 
Florida, they think of water. From our beaches to our springs to our 
lakes and our rivers, Florida's waterways stretch far and wide, 
covering nearly 26,000 miles.
  Florida's Sixth District, my district, is no exception, with miles of 
Atlantic Coast to the east and bordered by the St. Johns River to the 
west.
  From the Matanzas River marsh to the Everglades, water is at the 
heart of Florida's ecosystem and its natural beauty. People are drawn 
to Florida's water, and the numbers prove it. One thousand people per 
day move to the Sunshine State, with a record 126 million people 
visiting Florida last year.
  Tourism drives our economy, and Florida's tourism is dependent on 
clean water and its natural resources.
  Unfortunately, our water quality is threatened right now. We saw a 
new blue-green algae bloom erupt in the St. Johns River just last 
month. While it is too early to know exactly the specific cause of this 
incident, we do know what causes algae blooms, and there are steps the 
government can and should take to prevent them.
  This is why I am focusing my efforts to remove septic tanks from my 
district and connecting those communities to new sewer utilities.
  I am grateful for our State lawmakers and Governor Ron DeSantis, who 
prioritized water quality this year, putting $49 million toward water 
quality and wastewater grants and $25 million specifically for septic-
to-sewer conversions. These conversions will have a positive impact by 
lessening discharges since septic leakage contributes to these growing 
algae blooms and these growing algae problems.
  We must leverage these State resources with Federal funds to address 
the full needs of Florida. We have the Water Infrastructure Finance and 
Innovation Act program and State Clean Water Revolving Fund program, 
but they need to be better focused and better utilized to address this 
issue.
  We have to do more. That is why I requested much-needed funding for 
our National Estuary Program, which funds the Indian River Lagoon, in 
the fiscal year 2020 appropriations bill. The Indian River Lagoon in my 
district has, unfortunately, fallen victim to septic leakage and 
requires a plan for restoring water quality.
  The National Estuary Program supports and will help maintain healthy 
water and estuary ecosystems like the Indian River Lagoon.
  Alongside many of my Florida delegation colleagues, I supported the 
$200 million funding request for the Everglades restoration project in 
April, and I am glad President Trump has amended his budget to include 
the Everglades. Everglades restoration is dependent on cleaning Lake 
Okeechobee and its discharges, which impact water along our coast.
  I also commend my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for 
passing the Energy and Water bill yesterday, which includes that $200 
million figure. These requests will go directly toward improving 
Florida's waterways across the State and areas like the Indian River 
Lagoon, if signed into law.
  I am hopeful that, here in Congress, we can get this legislation 
passed through the House, passed through the Senate, and onto the 
President's desk for signature. It is the right thing to do for 
communities along the St. Johns River and necessary for maintaining the 
travel and tourism that drives Florida's economy.
  We must restore Florida's water quality and take this issue very 
seriously.

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