Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-FL) was joined by Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Congresswoman Corrine Brown (D-FL), and Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL) in hosting the inaugural meeting of the Florida Ports Caucus. The new bipartisan Congressional organization will conduct hearings and advocate for federal policy on behalf of Florida’s 15 public seaports. Congresswoman Wilson, who represents PortMiami in the US House of Representatives, proposed the idea of the Florida Ports Caucus during a meeting with Florida’s Congressional Delegation earlier this year.

At today’s meeting on Capitol Hill, Members of Congress representing North, Central, and South Florida discussed ongoing and needed port improvements as well as Florida’s core priorities related to Congress’s upcoming reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Also in attendance were Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D-FL), Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-FL), Congressman Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Congressman Steve Southerland (R-FL), and Congressman Joe Garcia (D-FL). Congresswoman Wilson issued the following statement:

“As residents of a peninsula, we Floridians place tremendous importance on our waterways. With powerful bipartisan interest in creating and sustaining jobs through Florida’s ports, the time has come for a Congressional working group focused on this issue. This Caucus will harness the energy and influence of the nation’s third largest Congressional delegation to advocate on behalf of our state’s ports.”

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U.S. Rep. Frederica S. Wilson is a second-term Congresswoman from Florida representing parts of Northern Miami-Dade and Southeast Broward counties. A former state legislator and school principal, she is the founder of the 5000 Role Models for Excellence Project, a mentoring program for young males at risk of dropping out of school.