Marco Rubio has represented Florida in the United States Senate since 2010, where he has one guiding objective: bring the American Dream back into the reach of those who feel it slipping away.
Senator Rubio’s efforts have been successful and long-lasting. Non-partisan analyses by GovTrack and the Center for Effective Lawmaking ranked Rubio the Senate’s number two leader and most effective Republican in 2020.
Yesterday, Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Sand Acquisition, Nourishment and Development (SAND) Act (S. 279), bipartisan legislation aimed at making it easier to replenish Florida’s eroded beaches. This bill will modernize federal law to give the Army Corps of Engineers greater flexibility in acquiring the sand Florida beaches so desperately need. County leaders in South Florida are applauding Rubio for his effort to protect Florida’s infrastructure and environment:
“This legislation is a step in the right direction to ensure that Miami-Dade’s beaches remain viable for tourism and beauty while protecting our infrastructure from erosion in a more cost-effective manner,” said Carlos Gimenez, Mayor of Miami-Dade County.
“Indian River County applauds Senator Rubio and his effort to provide local communities the option to use non-domestic sand sources for beach nourishment projects that receive federal funding. This Legislation will benefit Indian River County as well as the entire State of Florida,” said Joseph Flescher, Chairman of the Indian River County Board of County Commissioners.
“On behalf of St. Lucie County we appreciate the interest of Senator Rubio in trying to address our sand resource concerns through the introduction of this legislation. To be provided the option to explore other offshore sand resources is greatly appreciated. These issues are critical to our future beach renourishment efforts,” said Frannie Hutchinson, St. Lucie County Commissioner and Chair of the Erosion Control Board.
“I applaud our south Florida legislators for their bi-partisan effort to introduce bills in the House and Senate on issues related to sand sources for beach projects off our shores. We strongly support this effort and are hopeful that we can continue to work with our industry partners on common ground as we move towards a mutually beneficial solution on beach renourishment projects,” said Doug Smith, Chairman of the Martin County Board of County Commissioners.
“Thank you for your continued efforts to allow the US Army Corps of Engineers to explore the possibility of using non-domestic sand during federal beach renourishment projects. Further support for this issue will likely offer cost savings to the federal government and Broward County,” said Chip LaMarca, Broward County Commissioner.