Frankel Helps Pass Bipartisan Bill That Would Create Jobs, Allow Port Everglades Expansion, Everglades Restoration to Move Forward

Press Release

Congresswoman Lois Frankel joined today, with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, to pass the bi-partisan Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) out of the House of Representatives. As a member of the Transportation & Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment, the committee that generated the bill, Frankel worked with Democrats and Republicans to advance forward important local projects.

"Transportation moves our economy, and our waterways play a vital role," Frankel said, while speaking on the House floor. "This bill is about jobs. It promotes our ports and protects our most precious wetlands, the Everglades."

Port Everglades located in Fort Lauderdale is the 12th leading container port in the United States, moving 5.2 billion tons of containerized cargo annually.

It is the one of South Florida's top economic engines, impacting more than 201,000 jobs and creating approximately $26 billion in economic activity, according to Port Everglades.

The bill as passed, will allow the Port to progress towards the dredging that is needed to accommodate the larger post-Panamax vessels that will frequent the seas once the Panama Canal is widened in 2015.

Once completed, the dredging project will surge economic growth in South Florida, creating 7,000 new additional jobs and 135,000 indirect jobs. That's a half billion dollars in economic impacts, far outweighing its potential costs.

The WRRDA bill will allow four Everglades projects to break ground, one of which will be constructed in backyard of Frankel's district. The Broward County Water Preserve Area will help conserve water and boost water supply to South Florida.

As with Port Everglades, four more Everglades projects, will be allowed to proceed to planning, design and construction by a nonfederal interest, once a federal feasibility study is finalized. Most significantly, the non-federal interest as shall be eligible for a credit or reimbursement for any work carried out.

Through WRRDA, Congress authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out its missions to dredge our ports, renourish our beaches and restore important environmental ecosystems like the Everglades. Historically, Congress has passed this legislation every two years to provide clear direction to the Administration and the Corps, but no bill has been signed into law since 2007. In May, the Senate passed a bipartisan WRRDA bill.

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