After successfully advocating for the needed $38 million to move the C-44 Indian River Lagoon South project into its second phase in the President's budget as well as making sure this full funding request was included in the water project funding bill passed by the House last week, U.S. Representative Patrick E. Murphy (FL-18) is now calling on Senate leadership to take up this measure and pass this critical bill before adjourning for their August recess. Today, Murphy sent the following letter to Senate leaders demanding their swift passage of this bill and preservation of this vital funding for projects to provide relief to the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.
July 14, 2014
The Honorable Harry Reid The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader Minority Leader
United States Senate United States Senate
221 U.S. Capitol 231 U.S. Capitol
Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Barbara Mikulski The Honorable Richard Shelby
Chairwoman Vice Chairman
Senate Appropriations Committee Senate Appropriations Committee
S-128 U.S. Capitol S-146A U.S. Capitol
Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510
Dear Majority Leader Reid, Minority Leader McConnell, Chairwoman Mikulski and Vice Chairman Shelby:
I respectfully write to urge you to follow the House of Representatives’ lead and pass the Energy and Water Appropriations Act prior to adjourning for the August recess.
The passage of the Energy and Water Appropriations Act by the U.S. House of Representatives marks a monumental step forward in the ongoing efforts to provide relief to the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.
Included in this final bill is $65.5 million for Everglades restoration efforts, with $38 million of that funding going towards the C-44 Indian River Lagoon South Project, which was prioritized in the President's budget.
Once completed, the C-44 project will reduce the harm to the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon by providing large water storage and treatment areas. Currently, the first phase of C-44, a vital component of the Indian River Lagoon South project, is under construction. The $38 million funding included in the Energy and Water Appropriations Act will allow the Corps to begin the second and most important phase of the project.
Even though securing this funding request is most welcomed, overall Everglades restoration funding has continued to be dramatically slashed in recent years. That is why I put forward an amendment to better support the Corps’ construction account without raising the cost of the underlying bill by one cent. The amendment passed the House, adding $1 million for ongoing Corps construction projects in addition to the $38 million for the C-44 project in the bill.
This additional support can allow the Corps to more effectively finish its work on vital projects such as the Kissimmee River Restoration Project, which is already almost 90 percent completed. This project will restore more than 40 square miles of river-floodplain ecosystem, including almost 20,000 acres of wetlands. Once completed, more water will be stored north of Lake Okeechobee, naturally filtering more water so it is cleaner before it reaches the lake or the estuary system and helping to reduce the amount of harmful discharges released into the St. Lucie Estuary.
Taken together, Everglades projects will improve the water quality throughout the Everglades system, including our local waterways. Moreover, additional funding to keep these vital projects moving forward makes sense fiscally, as these projects provide a three-to-one return on investment.
I urge you to swiftly follow suit in passing this critical funding measure. We must ensure the health of our waterways, which are vital not only to the environment and economy but to the public health of our region.
Sincerely,
Patrick E. Murphy
Member of Congress
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