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Politics

House Backs Buchanan's $6.25 Million Proposal to Fight Red Tide, Toxic Algae

June 14, 2019 - 7:30am
Vern Buchanan
Vern Buchanan

Late on Wednesday night, the U.S. House overwhelmingly backed a Florida congressman’s proposal to have the National Institutes of Health (NIH) spend $6.25 million to study the impact of red tide and toxic algae. 

The House backed U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan’s, R-Fla., amendment to the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill a 401-23 vote. Twenty-one Republicans and two Democrats voted against the proposal. Every member of the Florida delegation except U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., voted for the amendment. Hastings was one of 14 members of the House who did not vote. 

Buchanan weighed in on his amendment on Thursday. 

“Scientists and researchers still do not know the full extent of red tide’s harmful effects on our health,” Buchanan said. “That has to change and my measure seeks to advance this important research.”

Buchanan pointed to the major impact red tide and toxic algae had on Florida last year.      

“Red tide is an enormous burden on our community's economy, environment, and way of life,” he said. “Last year’s nearly unprecedented bloom wreaked havoc on the Suncoast. My amendment is designed to devote more than $6 million to study the harmful effects of this algal plague. We need to know the long-term effects on people exposed to red tide.”

Back in March 2018, Buchanan successfully got an amendment through Congress that sends $8 million to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Ocean Service “to detect, respond to and develop new and innovative technologies to mitigate the impacts of red tide.” That proposal was included in the federal omnibus. Buchanan was also instrumental in getting a proposal through Congress allocating more than $100 million to battle toxic algae and red tide. 

First elected to the U.S. House in 2006, Buchanan serves on both the Budget and the Ways and Means Committees. Buchanan’s name has garnered buzz as a possible U.S. Senate candidate in recent election cycles but he’s opted to continue in the House. 

Comments

So far Absolutely NOTHING has been done to stop the red tide, one can talk, talk, talk, but we need action, As long as that phosphate mine continues to operate nothing will Happen also there needs to be a moratorium on No Till farming which our Commissioner of Agriculture when questioned didn't know what it was is a huge factor. There also needs to be a moratorium on what fertilizer can be used and for only a few if any months of the year. STOP SPRAYING Cancer causing ROUNDUP or Herbicide which is the same thing just different name MUST BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY spraying of Lake O and all canal waterways, there rare other ways to stop the weeds CHEMICALS are just GREED & Laziness. Sorry but septic tanks are NOT your cause of red tide.

We ALREADY KNOW "what the impact of red tide and toxic algae" is! We need to know the easiest, cheapest, and safest way to significantly reduce or eliminate that impact!

Right on! Give Republicans an opening to kick the can down the road and they will take it. Enough surveys and reports have been taken! We don't need to spend any more money on new 'investigations.' Go to the environmentalists for the solution. Next election . . . vote the Republicans out of office!!!!!

You don't have to keep passing funding bills to study red tide and toxic algae, just reinstitute the regulations on state water testing in all areas of water in the state, and annual testing and regulation of septic tanks and drain fields. These are the same laws and regs that you deregulated under Scott and the legislature over the last 8 years. You idiots contributed to this mess, but now somehow think throwing more money at testing will help. If only people were just slightly more informed than wall art...

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