[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5986]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      FLORIDA BEACH RENOURISHMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Jolly) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. JOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss an issue of critical 
importance to my community, to Florida's 13th Congressional District of 
Pinellas County, Florida, but also to coastal communities around the 
country--the issue of beach renourishment.
  There is an urgency that I want to express today on behalf of 
communities like Treasure Island, Florida. The Federal Government has 
invested in beach renourishment for the past 50 years, and it has done 
so alongside State and local municipalities and State and local 
governments, who have also made a priority in investing in beach 
renourishment.
  This year alone, State and local governments will likely invest 
nearly $100 million in beach renourishment projects, and it is for good 
reason. Beach renourishment addresses a very critical issue of pre-
storm mitigation, it protects communities from flooding, it protects 
communities from losses to property, from losses to critical 
infrastructure, and it ultimately reduces disaster assistance when such 
assistance is needed.
  Beach renourishment also protects our environment, it protects 
against damage to habitats critical to environments, it encourages 
stronger environments, cleaner environments; and, perhaps most 
importantly, beach renourishment programs invested in by State and 
local governments and our Federal Government contribute to jobs and 
economic growth in communities across the country.
  We have industries that exist in communities in my district, like 
Clearwater Beach and St. Pete Beach, and in communities across the 
country whose jobs and economic growth and local economy rely on 
international visitors and visitors from around the country.
  In Florida alone, we will more than double visits to our beaches as 
compared to visits to all U.S. national parks combined. It takes jobs 
and employees to support those visitors, and it is critical to our 
local economy that we continue the investment in beach renourishment 
projects.
  So I rise today with a sense of urgency. When this House, this body, 
considered the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, it passed a 
responsible bill, but one that did not include continued authorization 
for important beach renourishment projects. That legislation is now in 
conference, and I am here today to ask my colleagues that we not let 
this provision slip by. We must reauthorize these programs.
  So I would urge the conferees on the Water Resources Reform and 
Development Act to strongly consider bringing back language that 
reauthorizes programs, or at least allows for the reauthorization of 
programs, that are soon to expire. I ask my colleagues to be receptive 
to that language should it come back.
  I would like to thank today my chairman on the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee for allowing me to work with him in the very 
few weeks that I have been here on this issue that is of critical 
importance to my district, but also to districts around the country.

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