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Congressman Renews Call For President Obama To Visit Florida's Damaged Waterways

Florida Congressman Trey Radel's office

Two Florida congressmen urged their colleagues to save the state’s waterways during a Thursday panel on Capitol Hill.  Republican Trey Radel and Democrat Patrick Murphy discussed how to address the damaging discharges from Lake Okeechobee to Florida waterways. Radel says he, like Governor Rick Scott, would like to see President Barack Obama visit the state to survey the problem.

“We talked about how we’d love to the President come to down sometime. We should spearhead a bipartisan letter to the White House to ask for the President to come down," Radel said to applause.

"And, let him tangibly, visibly see—it’s more than just pictures or talking with people. It’s actually physically seeing it.”

Other suggestions included making sure there’s support for federal projects to help the state’s ecosystems and bettering water storage programs. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for releasing water from Lake Okeechobee to reduce pressure on the Herbert Hoover Dike—parts of which date back to the 1930s.

Stay tuned to Friday's Capital Report to hear more on this story. CLICK HEREfor the story.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on twitter @SaschaCordner.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.