WASHINGTON — Florida Gov. Charlie Crist worked Capitol Hill on Tuesday trying to speed up funding for restoration of the Everglades.
Congress authorized about $2 billion for Everglades restoration efforts in a major water projects package, but money has yet to begin flowing to Florida, Crist said. He was to meet with House Appropriations chair Dave Obey, D-Wisc., and said he was asking to get the money ``down to Florida as soon as we can.
''Protecting the Everglades is a priority for us in Florida,'' Crist said. ``It's a national treasure, there's no question about it.''
Crist also promised to lobby Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain of Arizona on behalf of proposals to establish a national catastrophe insurance fund that would help defray the cost of home owner's insurance in states prone to natural disasters. McCain has said he opposes such a fund. Crist's endorsement of McCain was critical to McCain's victory in Florida's Republican primary last month.
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