News

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released the following statement after Senate passage of the budget bill:
 
“Florida and Puerto Rico have been in dire need of disaster relief funding, and I am proud that our work on the Senate Appropriations Committee has resulted in virtually all of our funding needs being met. Among them is relief for Florida’s citrus growers, school repairs and funding to accommodate an increase in enrolled students, the expedited completion of the Herbert Hoover Dike rehabilitation, vital beach renourishment, and repair of damaged Everglades infrastructure. For Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, this deal includes up to two years of funding for Medicaid and additional money for infrastructure, hospitals, schools, community health centers and grid work repair.
 
“However, it is upsetting that these important and necessary measures were not considered separately. Throughout my time in the Senate, my support for increasing the debt limit has been consistently conditioned on meaningful spending reforms that address our long-term debt. This budget deal does not do that.
 
“We must begin to seriously address the long-term drivers of our debt and get our fiscal house back in order. We cannot do that if we continue to govern through short term continuing resolutions that inefficiently spend taxpayer dollars and fail to provide the certainty required for effective planning.
 
“While fiscal responsibility remains a top priority for me, I voted for this bill because we must make good on our promise to deliver long-overdue disaster relief to the people of Florida and Puerto Rico, and it is imperative that we fully fund and rebuild our military.”
 
For a breakdown of the disaster relief Florida can expect to see, click here.