Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson want additional funding for CDC algae bloom research

Ali Schmitz | Treasure Coast Newspapers

Show Caption Hide Caption Scott vs Nelson: Which U.S. Senate Candidate is to blame for the algae U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Florida Gov. Rick Scott have blame each other for the toxic blue-green algae blooms plaguing Florida.

U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson want the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to dedicate additional funding for responding to harmful algal blooms.

The senators introduced an amendment to a spending bill Tuesday would provide $1 million of CDC funds for areas affected by harmful algal blooms.

A special priority would be given to any locations that are subject to a state of emergency designation within the previous 12 months because of blooms.

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That includes 13 Florida counties affected by algal blooms this summer.

A spokeswoman for Rubio, Olivia Perez-Cubas, said the funding could be used for:

Documenting and tracking illnesses and hospital stays related to algae exposure.

Public health education campaigns.

Any expenses that would help CDC officials and scientists on the ground to respond to particularly bad episodes of illnesses.

Building CDC programs for reporting blooms.

“Floridians deserve to know the health risks associated with these harmful algal blooms,” Rubio said in a statement released by his office. “Our bipartisan amendment would provide additional assistance to identify health impacts to Floridians that may have been underreported and understudied in the past due to lack of available resources. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to promote measures that bolster Florida’s battle against these blooms.”

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The senators have backed multiple efforts for more CDC research into the blooms.

“Toxic algae blooms are choking Florida’s waterways, crippling our economy and making people sick,” Nelson said in the same statement. “This amendment will provide the CDC additional money to more closely examine the health risks posed by algae.”

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