Congressman Francis Rooney attended a White House dinner and meeting with President Donald Trump earlier this week, where he stressed the need for including Everglades Restoration as a key component of any infrastructure package brought forward.
This message is consistent with a letter that Congressman Rooney sent to the President in February 2017, and with the President’s comments at a campaign rally in Collier County on October 23, 2016.
Congressman Rooney said: “I am encouraged by the President’s commitment to funding much needed infrastructure improvements. Everglades restoration is important to not only the State of Florida but also the entire country. Our economy has been decimated, and local businesses have closed. We all have a vested interest.”
“Our mission at the federal level must be to earn the support necessary to secure federal funding already approved through the Water Resource Development Acts (WRDA) of 2007, 2014, 2016.”
The congressman has testified four times on water quality issues. In addition to this testimony, the Florida Congressional delegation has signed a letter, led by Congressman Rooney, that was sent to President Trump. This letter called on the President to support Everglades Restoration projects in his fiscal year 2018 Budget.