U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (FL) yesterday raised urgent concerns with the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, R. D. James, over an Army Corps of Engineers proposal that would disregard clear congressional intent and delay the review of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) Post Authorization Change Report (PACR) by more than a year. [Read more…] about Mast, Rubio Request Immediate Intervention By Trump Administration To Prevent Delay of EAA Southern Storage Reservoir Project
Trump Administration
Senate Democratic Leader Oscar Braynon Calls On Governor Scott for Action
As the Trump administration doubles down on enforcing its executive policy of separating children from parents detained at the border, state Senate Democratic Leader Oscar Braynon (D-Miami Gardens) on Tuesday called on Florida Governor Rick Scott for action.
“As a staunch campaign and financial supporter of Donald Trump who maintains a close bond with the president, Governor Scott maintains a measure of influence he could easily deploy to end this catastrophic and inhumane situation,” said Leader Braynon. “At the same time, Governor Scott holds a great deal of power over the state’s complicity in this tragedy. Unless he agrees with the president, he has a duty to act quickly.”
Leader Braynon said Governor Scott should ask President Trump to reverse his executive order and is strongly urging the governor to:
- Call on the President to allow elected officials into federal detention facilities where children who were separated from their parents and immigration detainees in general are being housed so they can inspect the conditions under which they are being housed.
- Join the growing number of Republican and Democratic governors refusing to allow their National Guard units to be used if the federal government calls on them to go the U.S.-Mexican border for further illegal immigration enforcement.
- Join Colorado in forbidding state agencies from using state resources to separate children from their parents or legal guardians on the sole ground of immigration status.
“There is nothing in federal law compelling the separation of these children and parents,” said Leader Braynon. “It took the stroke of a pen to initiate this atrocity. It takes the stroke of a pen to undo it.”
Nelson pushes to halt Trump administration policy of separating families at the border
Nelson calls policy “inhumane,” files new legislation to
prohibit DHS from separating children from parents
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and several other federal lawmakers are taking action to try to stop the Trump administration’s practice of separating children from their parents when they enter the U.S.
Nelson was one of approximately three dozen senators who cosigned a letter to President Trump Thursday calling for his administration to stop the “inhumane” practice of ripping families apart.
“Your decision to separate children from their parents at the border is cruel, unnecessary, ineffective, and goes against our values as Americans,” the lawmakers wrote. “There is no legitimate reason why these children need to be separated from their parents. … We ask that your Administration rescind this unethical, ineffective, and inhumane policy and instead prioritize approaches that align with our humanitarian American values.”
In addition to urging the president to take immediate action to end the administration’s policy, Nelson and a separate group of lawmakers also filed a bill late Thursday that would, by law, prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from separating a child from his or her parents at the border, except in extraordinary circumstances or when it’s in the child’s best interest.
Specifically, under the legislation, officials would be prohibited from separating a child from his or her parents unless a state court or welfare agency orders them to do so because they believe it would in the child’s best interest, or officials determine that the child is vulnerable to abuse or trafficking.
In addition to prohibiting most future separations, the legislation would require all Customs and Border Protections officers and agents to complete annual child welfare training, and, if a child is separated from his or her parents, it would require the agency to provide the parents with regular updates on the well-being of their children and information on how to find them.
It’s not the first time Nelson has taken action to try to stop the administration’s policy. Earlier this year, Nelson called for a federal investigation into the Department of Homeland Security’s policy of separating children from their parents at the border.
“We must return to our true American values by treating those seeking asylum with dignity and respect and keeping families together,” Nelson said last week, condemning the administration’s actions.
A .pdf of Nelson’s letter to Trump is available here.
Text of the legislation Nelson and others filed is available here.
Nelson vows to fight Trump administration's offshore oil drilling plan
Following is statement from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) on the Trump administration’s plan to open up nearly all federal waters to offshore oil drilling – including the eastern Gulf of Mexico and areas off Florida’s Atlantic coast:
“This plan is an assault on Florida’s economy, our national security, the will of the public and the environment. This proposal defies all common sense and I will do everything I can to defeat it.”
Nelson, a long-time opponent of allowing oil rigs too close to Florida’s coast, often cites the state’s unique environment, its multi-billion dollar, tourism-driven economy and the vital national military training areas in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico as reasons why drilling should not be allowed near Florida’s shores.
- In 2006, Nelson and then-Sen. Mel Martinez successfully brokered a deal to ban drilling off Florida’s Gulf coast through the year 2022.
- In Jan. 2017, Nelson filed legislation to extend that moratorium for an additional five years, to 2027. [Text of the legislation is available here.]
- In April 2017, the day before President Trump signed an executive order directing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to open up new areas to offshore oil drilling, Nelson and others filed legislation to block the Trump administration from opening up any additional areas to offshore oil drilling until at least 2022. [Text of that legislation is available here.]
- Last month, amid rumors that the Interior Department was preparing to unveil the proposal released today, Nelson took to the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to take up and pass the legislation he and others filed in April to block the agency from implementing this new plan.[Video of Nelson’s speech is available here.]
Following is a recent Tampa Bay Times editorial on the issue:
Editorial: Congress should block efforts to expand offshore drilling
Published: Dec.13, 2017
Timing is everything, and Sen. Bill Nelson seized the right moment this week to call on his colleagues to pass legislation he filed earlier this year that would block the Trump administration from opening additional areas to offshore drilling. With the White House reportedly poised to move ahead to advance drilling, Congress should send a strong message that it intends to protect the environment, public health and the nation’s military readiness while encouraging the energy industry’s continuing pivot toward cleaner, more sustainable power sources.
Nelson issued the call Tuesday amid concern the administration plans to announce a new, five-year oil and gas leasing plan that would open up the entirety of the Atlantic coast to drilling. Nelson said the plan would go into effect in 2019, replacing the current five-year plan that’s not scheduled to expire until 2022.
Nelson’s speech on the Senate floor is his latest response to the directive Trump issued in April, ordering the Interior Department to review an Obama-era plan that limited drilling in areas of the Arctic and southeast Atlantic between 2017 and 2022. Trump ordered the department to consider revising the current schedule of oil and gas lease sales in the outer continental shelf with an eye toward maximizing production activity in the Alaska regions, the southern and mid Atlantic and the western and central Gulf of Mexico.
While the eastern gulf is still protected by a congressional agreement in 2006 that bars drilling within 125 miles of the Panhandle and 230 miles of Tampa Bay, drilling in the central gulf could still endanger Florida. That’s why Florida’s Democratic senator sought to pre-empt the president earlier this year with legislation that would block any new areas for offshore drilling until at least 2022. Nelson also filed legislation to extend the existing ban in the eastern gulf for an additional five years, to 2027. The Pentagon, in a letter to Congress this year, said a lid on offshore operations in the gulf was essential to preserving U.S. military training operations in the area. The Pentagon “cannot overstate the vital importance of maintaining this moratorium,” the Defense Department said.
Opening new areas in the Atlantic and gulf to drilling only seven years after the BP oil disaster ignores the lessons the nation learned from one of the worst environmental crises in U.S. history. Oil spilled off the coast of Louisiana poured onto the beaches of Florida, tainting eight Panhandle counties and dealing a serious blow to the state’s tourism industry. And all of this devastation rained across the gulf despite assurances by the biggest oil companies that they could contain a spill and the environmental and economic fallout. That wasn’t the case, and states and counties are still years if not decades away from accounting for the full impact of the spill.
Gov. Rick Scott and other Republicans need to add their voices to Nelson’s call to maintain the moratorium and extend the protections in the gulf for America’s military mission. The industry’s move to cleaner, renewable and more affordable energy sources is a shift that needs to continue. Allowing new drilling would give the industry a nose under the tent to push for new offshore leases that will only threaten the coasts. This effort is a threat to Florida’s economy and the natural beauty that attracts tourists from around the world.
Floridians have consistently made clear that protecting natural resources is a priority. Nelson’s legislation would give that public sentiment the force of law, and it deserves bipartisan support.
Nelson vows to fight Trump administration’s offshore oil drilling plan
Following is statement from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) on the Trump administration’s plan to open up nearly all federal waters to offshore oil drilling – including the eastern Gulf of Mexico and areas off Florida’s Atlantic coast:
“This plan is an assault on Florida’s economy, our national security, the will of the public and the environment. This proposal defies all common sense and I will do everything I can to defeat it.”
Nelson, a long-time opponent of allowing oil rigs too close to Florida’s coast, often cites the state’s unique environment, its multi-billion dollar, tourism-driven economy and the vital national military training areas in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico as reasons why drilling should not be allowed near Florida’s shores.
- In 2006, Nelson and then-Sen. Mel Martinez successfully brokered a deal to ban drilling off Florida’s Gulf coast through the year 2022.
- In Jan. 2017, Nelson filed legislation to extend that moratorium for an additional five years, to 2027. [Text of the legislation is available here.]
- In April 2017, the day before President Trump signed an executive order directing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to open up new areas to offshore oil drilling, Nelson and others filed legislation to block the Trump administration from opening up any additional areas to offshore oil drilling until at least 2022. [Text of that legislation is available here.]
- Last month, amid rumors that the Interior Department was preparing to unveil the proposal released today, Nelson took to the Senate floor to urge his colleagues to take up and pass the legislation he and others filed in April to block the agency from implementing this new plan.[Video of Nelson’s speech is available here.]
Following is a recent Tampa Bay Times editorial on the issue:
Editorial: Congress should block efforts to expand offshore drilling
Published: Dec.13, 2017
Timing is everything, and Sen. Bill Nelson seized the right moment this week to call on his colleagues to pass legislation he filed earlier this year that would block the Trump administration from opening additional areas to offshore drilling. With the White House reportedly poised to move ahead to advance drilling, Congress should send a strong message that it intends to protect the environment, public health and the nation’s military readiness while encouraging the energy industry’s continuing pivot toward cleaner, more sustainable power sources.
Nelson issued the call Tuesday amid concern the administration plans to announce a new, five-year oil and gas leasing plan that would open up the entirety of the Atlantic coast to drilling. Nelson said the plan would go into effect in 2019, replacing the current five-year plan that’s not scheduled to expire until 2022.
Nelson’s speech on the Senate floor is his latest response to the directive Trump issued in April, ordering the Interior Department to review an Obama-era plan that limited drilling in areas of the Arctic and southeast Atlantic between 2017 and 2022. Trump ordered the department to consider revising the current schedule of oil and gas lease sales in the outer continental shelf with an eye toward maximizing production activity in the Alaska regions, the southern and mid Atlantic and the western and central Gulf of Mexico.
While the eastern gulf is still protected by a congressional agreement in 2006 that bars drilling within 125 miles of the Panhandle and 230 miles of Tampa Bay, drilling in the central gulf could still endanger Florida. That’s why Florida’s Democratic senator sought to pre-empt the president earlier this year with legislation that would block any new areas for offshore drilling until at least 2022. Nelson also filed legislation to extend the existing ban in the eastern gulf for an additional five years, to 2027. The Pentagon, in a letter to Congress this year, said a lid on offshore operations in the gulf was essential to preserving U.S. military training operations in the area. The Pentagon “cannot overstate the vital importance of maintaining this moratorium,” the Defense Department said.
Opening new areas in the Atlantic and gulf to drilling only seven years after the BP oil disaster ignores the lessons the nation learned from one of the worst environmental crises in U.S. history. Oil spilled off the coast of Louisiana poured onto the beaches of Florida, tainting eight Panhandle counties and dealing a serious blow to the state’s tourism industry. And all of this devastation rained across the gulf despite assurances by the biggest oil companies that they could contain a spill and the environmental and economic fallout. That wasn’t the case, and states and counties are still years if not decades away from accounting for the full impact of the spill.
Gov. Rick Scott and other Republicans need to add their voices to Nelson’s call to maintain the moratorium and extend the protections in the gulf for America’s military mission. The industry’s move to cleaner, renewable and more affordable energy sources is a shift that needs to continue. Allowing new drilling would give the industry a nose under the tent to push for new offshore leases that will only threaten the coasts. This effort is a threat to Florida’s economy and the natural beauty that attracts tourists from around the world.
Floridians have consistently made clear that protecting natural resources is a priority. Nelson’s legislation would give that public sentiment the force of law, and it deserves bipartisan support.
Governor Rick Scott’s Statement on Trump Administration’s Plan on Offshore Oil Drilling
Following media reports today that the Trump Administration is expected to announce a plan for offshore oil drilling, Governor Scott released the following statement:
“Based on media reports, it is likely that the Department of the Interior will consider Florida as a potential state for offshore oil drilling – which is something I oppose in Florida. I have already asked to immediately meet with Secretary Zinke to discuss the concerns I have with this plan and the crucial need to remove Florida from consideration. My top priority is to ensure that Florida’s natural resources are protected, which is why I proposed $1.7 billion for the environment in this year’s budget.”
Gov. Scott Applauds Trump Administration for Federal Investment in Florida Seaports
Governor Rick Scott today released the below statement following the release of the Army Corps of Engineers spending plan, which includes $29,300,000 in investments in Port Tampa Bay, JAXPORT and Port Everglades. The funds made available were included in the Fiscal Year 2017 Omnibus Appropriations Bill signed into law earlier this month by President Trump.
Governor Scott said, “It is great news that the Trump Administration is making major investments in Florida ports, including Port Tampa Bay, JAXPORT and Port Everglades. Since 2011, we have invested over $1 billion in state funding in our 15 world-class seaports and we appreciate the Trump Administration understanding the important role our ports have in supporting our economy and creating jobs. We will continue to work closely with our state and federal partners to make Florida a global hub for trade.”
The $29,300,000 federal investments includes $9,000,000 for Port Tampa Bay, $17,500,000 for JAXPORT and $2,800,000 for Port Everglades.
First 100 days of Trump administration is disaster for Florida’s environment
First 100 days of Trump administration is disaster
for Florida’s environment and our families’ health
In his first 100 days, President Trump has taken dozens of actions that threaten clean air, clean water, and treasured places from the Suwannee River to Tampa Bay to the Everglades.
“There is no question, President Trump is a disaster for our environment and public health. His actions will make our air and water dirtier; ensure we experience the worst effects of climate change even more swiftly; and will put Florida’s coastal communities at risk. Bottomline these rollbacks put the health of Florida families at risk,” said Jennifer Rubiello, state director at Environment Florida.
We are quickly approaching the point where scientists say we won’t be able to stave off the most disastrous impacts of global warming. President Trump’s plans and policies move us in the wrong direction. He stacked his cabinet with big oil allies and climate deniers, plans to dismantle the Clean Power Plan which put the first ever federal limits on global warming pollution from power plants, and ordered the EPA to reconsider clean car standards.
All of this is happening as global warming pollution and other pollution resulting from burning fossil fuels is extending the smog season and harming our families’ health. Across Florida, 21 cities and metro areas had unhealthy levels of air pollution with an average of 17 dirty air days during 2015. Increases in particulate matter can cause coughing and throat irritation, asthma and permanent damage to lung tissue, as well as heart attacks and heart failure.
“We used to say climate change was a problem happening somewhere else in the world to somebody else. Unfortunately that’s no longer true. It is here and now and only going to get worse for us here in Florida, around the country and the world if President Trump has his way,” said David Hastings, Professor of Marine Science and Chemistry at Eckerd College.
Clean water is vital to our ecology, our health, and our quality of life. Many Americans depend on rivers and streams for safe drinking water. But the Trump administration is working to rewrite the Clean Water Rule, putting drinking water for 1 in 3 Americans, including nearly 2 million Floridians, at risk. President Trump’s proposed budget also severely cuts funding for restoring the Everglades and protecting the health of waters like Tampa Bay.
Likewise, our parks, forest, oceans and special places are part of what makes America great. Offshore drilling and fracking risks Florida’ public lands including places like Big Cypress National Preserve. Plans to expand drilling both offshore and on land threaten the water we drink, and risks Florida’s outdoor recreation industry, which generates over $2.5 billion in state and local revenue and 329,000 jobs.
“Some of the biggest benefits of living here in Florida for many of my family and friends include getting out to the beach or paddling down Florida’s many rivers, like the Hillsborough and the Suwannee,” said Tim Martin, conservation chair with the Suncoast Sierra Club. “Trump’s policies put these treasured places and many others across the state and the nation at risk.”
A swift transition to renewable energy is important for reducing global warming pollution, and will make our air cleaner while keeping many of the nation’s landscapes more pristine. We have the technology and sources of energy needed to make a rapid transition away from dirty energy to renewable power. Unfortunately, President Trump is doubling down on the dirty energy of the past by approving projects like the Dakota Access and Keystone East pipelines, and dramatically reducing funding for needed research. Without a commitment to transitioning to clean and renewable energy, facilities like our national laboratories that focus on research in solar, wind and renewable sources of power are at risk. President Trump’s policies move us in the wrong direction at a time when we need to be setting ambitious clean energy goals, bolstering learning and research, and driving innovation.
“Cities in Florida like St. Petersburg have been a leader in making a commitment to moving towards clean energy,” said Susan Glickman, Florida Director for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. “It would be a travesty if President Trump’s policies put all of that progress in jeopardy.”
President Trump is also taking action that will expose our children and families to even more toxic chemicals. His budget proposal eliminates two different programs within the EPA that protect kids from lead paint, as well as eliminating $330 million in Superfund money to cleanup the worst toxic waste sites, including 92 here in Florida. His EPA has also approved use of a pesticide, chlorpyrifos, that their own scientific research has shown is unsafe for public health, water quality, and wildlife.
“No matter who we voted for last November, none of us wants to expose our kids to more toxic chemicals, make our air and water dirtier. The vast majority of Americans oppose moving backwards on climate, or selling off our public lands to the highest bidder. Anyway you look at it, these last 100 days have been a disaster for our environment and our families’ health,” said Rubiello.
ICYMI: WFTX: Gov. Scott: Trump Administration is helping fix the Herbert Hoover Dike
“Gov. Scott: Trump Administration is helping fix the Herbert Hoover Dike”
WFTX-FTM (FOX) – Fort Myers, FL
April 20, 2017
To view the clip, click HERE.
