Providing for Consideration of H.R. 5303, Water Resources Development Act of 2016; Providing for Considerfation of Motions to Suspend the Rules; and Waiving a Requirement of Clause 6(A) of Rule XIII

Floor Speech

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Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings)--who I concur is my very good friend--for his leadership on behalf of Florida and particularly in protecting our beloved Everglades.

While I support the underlying bill because of the critical investments the Army Corps of Engineers will make at Port Everglades and in restoring the Everglades, I, unfortunately, rise today in opposition to the partisan fashion in which the Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA, has been brought to this floor.

I am proud the Central Everglades project, which is authorized by this bill, will provide over a billion dollars in Federal and non- Federal funds to continue the essential work of restoring the Florida Everglades.

The Everglades, which we call affectionately the River of Grass, is home to thousands of rare species and its survival relies on the flow of water and a high standard of water quality throughout our State of Florida.

Restoring historic water flow is not only critical for the Everglades and for its ecosystem, but it also boosts critical freshwater supplies that are essential to the daily lives of millions of Floridians and the very future of a Florida we call home.

Additionally, I am proud that WRDA includes authorization for the Port Everglades--not the same--the Port Everglades harbor dredging project. This has been an almost astounding 20-year planning process.

It shouldn't have taken that long, and we are thrilled that we are finally here.

The deepening and widening of the channels at Port Everglades will allow south Florida to receive cargo from larger ships, the post- Panamax cargo ships coming from the widened Panama Canal. That will create nearly 1,500 new jobs in south Florida and over 29,000 related jobs statewide through new commerce coming through the port.

However, I also want to reflect on the majority's obstructionism. For months, Democrats, led by Representative Kildee, have urged the majority to help Flint and other communities that have been exposed to lead to fund the necessary repairs to water infrastructure, as well as replace that which has been corroded and allowed lead to leach into the water system.

I visited Flint in March and spoke to families exposed to lead in their water and whose children may have been exposed. As a mother of three children myself, I am outraged for those mothers in Flint who learned that the water their children have been drinking for months is dangerous and could have long-term effects on their children's development.

As Americans suffer, Republican leadership's continued recklessness-- and specifically their refusal to include funding for Flint in WRDA--is unconscionable.

Have you no heart or soul? Do you not feel for someone else's children besides your own?

The tone deafness is astounding. The majority has even withheld a vote on the matter. They won't even let us vote, Mr. Speaker.

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Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, the majority has even withheld a vote on the matter, refusing to rule in order Mr. Kildee's amendment, the Families of Flint Act. They have no conscience. If they did, they would allow a vote.

Vote ``no,'' as I have said many times on this floor. Vote ``no.'' Have the courage of your convictions, but let the democratic process work. Trust this body. As the gentleman has just said on the harbor maintenance trust fund, trust this body to make the decision together.

You can't have it both ways. You either trust this body to cast their votes accordingly or you don't. You can't pick and choose because you are playing politics with the lives of children if you do.

For this reason, I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule.

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