[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 6, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5290-S5291]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                  WRDA

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I just want to say to the majority leader 
that I am pleased he put forward the WRDA bill. I think it is so 
important to Democrats and Republicans.
  I thank the Senator from Florida for yielding for just a few seconds 
because I am going to read the title of the bill. It will take me less 
than a minute, and you can see how important it is. We are talking 
about making navigation better. We are talking about flood control. We 
are talking about coastal storm damage reduction; environmental 
restoration; relief for Flint, MI; improved notification when high 
levels of lead are found in drinking water anywhere in the country; 
restoring critical ecosystems; investing in innovative water 
technologies such as desalination and water recycling. We are talking 
about drought assistance. We are talking about improving ports, 
repairing dams, and allowing States to issue permits for coal ash. This 
is a critical bill. It is super-bipartisan.
  I wish to say that working with Senator Inhofe continues to be a joy 
for me when it comes to infrastructure. On the environment, we are sort 
of from different planets, but when it comes to infrastructure, we are 
as one.
  I thank the majority leader for putting this bill out there. I ask 
Members on both sides to help us get to this bill.
  I again thank the Senator from Florida.
  I yield the floor.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, might I take just 1 minute as well?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Ms. STABENOW. I thank the leader as well and thank colleagues, 
Senator Inhofe and Senator Boxer, for working in good faith, as they 
usually do, in coming up with a bill that addresses multiple issues 
that are very important to Members--certainly us in Michigan but others 
as well. I thank the leader for bringing it forward.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.
  Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, before I begin my remarks on the vote on 
Zika, I do want to join the chorus of those voices thanking the 
majority leader for bringing the water bill, which also has important 
priorities for the State of Florida, in particular the Central 
Everglades planning process, which will allow us to begin the process 
of moving forward on a series of programs that are important not just 
for restoring the natural flow of the Everglades but for helping 
coastal areas of Florida that were impacted over the last few months 
with algae blooms as a result of water runoff from Lake Okeechobee.
  There is a lot more to be done. This project alone will not solve 
this problem, but it is the single biggest project out there that we 
are closest to achieving and that can move us toward that goal. If the 
Senate can move forward, I, too, will ask my colleagues over the next 
few days to allow this issue to move forward. Let's get this passed. 
There are many good priorities here for many States in this country, 
but for Florida in particular. The Central Everglades Planning Project 
has taken so long to get to this point, and I thank Senator Inhofe for 
working with me on it to ensure that it is part of this package.
  I am hopeful we can continue to move forward and get this done. It is 
important for Florida, particularly for our coastal areas, and for 
those who care deeply about the great natural treasures of this 
country--the Florida Everglades.

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