El ex-presidente ecuatoriano Rafael Correa difunde activamente retórica antiamericana y altera las instituciones democráticas de su país para su propio beneficio. Correa ha sido condenado por corrupción por parte de la Corte Nacional de Justicia de Ecuador. Los...
Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa actively spreads anti-American rhetoric and tampers with his homeland’s democratic institutions for his own benefit. Correa has been convicted of corruption by Ecuador’s National Court of Justice. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio...
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee recently determined that phenylephrine, an ingredient commonly used to treat sinus and nasal congestion, is ineffective in treating these symptoms. This was apparent from research for years, yet large...
El senador estadounidense Marco Rubio (R-FL) habló con César Grajales de La Poderosa 670 AM en El Panorama Político, sobre la crisis fronteriza, sobre cómo los hispanoamericanos se ven afectados con la realidad del país, sobre los cargos contra el senador Bob Menéndez...
Pregnant students are sometimes discriminated against by their schools, either intentionally or unintentionally and there is a concerning lack of awareness about the resources and rights available to them. Due to a lack of services and discrimination, these women may...
Currently, intelligence community civilians are subject to certain tax penalties for job-related relocation requirements, but active-duty military servicemembers are not subjected to the same penalties. These tax benefits, including the ability to deduct moving...
The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that passed the Senate today could have had a positive effect on Florida’s natural resources, industries and residents. Every Floridian is impacted by the work conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers in our state. Unfortunately, politics were chosen over sound public policy, and the state’s best interests were left out of the final bill.
When this legislation was first passed by the Environment and Public Works Committee, it contained a provision that would have worked to resolve a multi-decade water dispute between our state, the State of Alabama and the State of Georgia. Floridians in Apalachicola Bay have known all too well how this dispute has created economic havoc for our once vibrant oyster industry, as well as all the other industries that are so dependent on the harvesting and sale of that great resource.
To address this issue, I worked with several other senators to make restoring flows out of Atlanta and towards the Apalachicola Bay – my top priority as we began debate on the WRDA. Unfortunately, the language addressing this dispute was taken out of the bill after the Committee approved it, and my amendment to reinstate this important policy was not included in the final bill.
Despite this setback, I will not give up on restoring flows towards the Apalachicola Bay. I’ve requested a field hearing in the Apalachicola Bay area so that my colleagues in the Senate can better understand why this issue simply cannot continue to be held hostage to the broken politics of Washington.
Another top priority for me on this legislation was to make sure that funds paid into the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund are used for harbor maintenance, not ransacked by Washington appropriators for other pet projects around the country. But once again, the Democrat majority in the Senate chose politics over policy by removing a provision in the bill that would prohibit funds for harbor maintenance from being used elsewhere. This does not serve Florida’s interests, nor the American taxpayer’s interest. And, while this legislation authorized several projects important to the Everglades, it did not authorize the Central Everglades Planning Project, the next major step towards complete restoration.
This legislation could have done much more for the natural resources and industries of Florida, but it is clear that Washington has a long way to go when it comes to choosing good policy over politics. I share in the frustration of many Floridians, but will remain committed to achieving the best policy for my state of Florida.