Democratic members at the House appropriations markup pressed for federal review and tribal consultation after the administration and state officials approved construction of a detention facility near the Everglades and county commissioners advanced plans for a large trash incinerator in the region.

Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D‑Fla.) asked the subcommittee to request a report and to block or at least require additional review before federal agencies fund or permit construction near the Everglades. “The Everglades is not just a national treasure. It’s the lifeblood of South Florida,” she told colleagues. She described the risk to tribal practices and said the site “sits directly adjacent to critical wetlands and tribal lands” and cited concerns about light pollution affecting tribal calendars and about proximity to tribal schools and camps.

Representative Lois Frankel (D‑Fla.) supported a report requirement and said the Everglades “is a jewel of my home state…a living cultural and spiritual landscape for native peoples.” She warned that building industrial facilities near fragile wetlands “could jeopardize decades of restoration progress and billions of dollars in federal, state, and local investments.”

Republicans opposed language that would preempt local decision‑making. Subcommittee Chair Mike Fleischmann (R‑Tenn.) argued that the Corps should continue normal permitting reviews and that the subcommittee should not adjudicate local siting decisions through appropriations riders.

The committee debated two related Democratic proposals: one that would direct the Corps, in consultation with EPA, Fish and Wildlife and tribal governments, to report on environmental, ecological and cultural impacts of the detention facility; and a second amendment to prohibit funding for construction of an incinerator within a defined buffer unless the Army Corps certified no significant harm. Both amendments were discussed; committee members asked for additional briefings from Corps and agency staff and underscored the need to protect tribal consultation and sensitive habitats.

Ending: Votes on those amendments failed in committee, but members from Florida said they would continue to press for agency reviews and better tribal engagement as the bill proceeds to the full House.