U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., got one of his top priorities across the finish line in the U.S. House on Thursday as his proposal sending $8 million to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to fight red tide was passed as part of an appropriations measure which now heads to the U.S Senate.
At the end of last month, before Congress convened for its September session, Buchanan made funding the NOAA to ensure it can “detect, respond to and develop new and innovative technologies to mitigate the impacts of red tide” one of his main goals for this month.
Noting that red tide can impact tourism, Buchanan said getting his bill passed was a win for his district. Buchanan’s office cited NOAA statistics showing red tide leads to more than $80 million in economic damage to the tourism, seafood and restaurant industries due to its impact on shellfish and going to the beach.
“Southwest Florida is a beautiful, vibrant place to live and we need to address any threat to our pristine environment and way of life,” Buchanan said after his proposal was passed. “We need to understand more about the toxins in red tide so we can stop their damaging effects.”
Dr. Michael Crosby, the president and CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, cheered the measure, insisting it “significantly bolster the scientific community’s research to detect, respond to and develop innovative technologies to lessen the impacts from some of the country’s most challenging harmful algal blooms - red tide - on our environment, marine life and human health."
“We appreciate Congressman Buchanan's relentless attention to this important issue for our region,” Crosby added.
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.
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