U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) questioned Adam Telle, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), regarding the Army Corps’ drastically increased budget for the Everglades Agricultural Area Restoration plan.
According to Wasserman Schultz, the proposed FY 2027 budget for the Everglades plan saw an increase in salaries and expenses from $50 million (FY2026) to $150 million in one fiscal year. She told Telle she needed a justification for the tripling of salaries and expenses, as it is the kind of increase that “has never happened” before.
The Trump Administration wants to triple salaries and expenses, while cut funding for real work on Everglades restoration.
When I pressed the Army Corps on why they’re padding bank accounts, I didn’t get a straight answer. I’ll fight to restore full funding to our Everglades. pic.twitter.com/qHOqGcUYLS
— Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (@RepDWStweets) April 19, 2026
Telle told Wasserman Schultz that “this is step one,” and that he’s providing “transparency” and noted that the numbers were provided by the Jacksonville District, which he said are “reflected in the President’s budget.”
The Congresswoman said she understood that some of the decisions regarding the tripling of the budget “were handed” to Telle, but she also noted that no formal justification for the tripling of salaries and expenses was presented. She told Telle, “That looks like padding bank accounts rather than restoring sheet flow.”
[NOTE: On April 13, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis celebrated with Telle and announced, “Today, alongside the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, I was proud to announce that all federally funded contracts have been executed to expedite completion of the EAA Reservoir by 2029, five years ahead of the original timeline.”]
In July 2025, the State of Florida and the federal government entered an agreement to expedite Everglades restoration and complete the EAA Reservoir by 2029. As of today, all federally managed contracts have been executed, ensuring that the funding and resources for this project… pic.twitter.com/fhbAGhtAKt
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 13, 2026
DeSantis added, “This milestone brings us a step closer to delivering on our commitment to restore the Everglades. The July 2025 agreement between the State of Florida and the federal government has made all this possible by cutting red tape with an all-hands-on-deck approach. This is a major victory for America’s Everglades and a testament to the progress our joint federal and state teams have made in just nine months.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District states that “the overarching goal of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) is to improve the quantity, quality, timing, and distribution of water flows to the central Everglades, Water Conservation Area 3 (WCA-3) and Everglades National Park (ENP). The purpose of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir Phase is to construct a 240,000 acre-foot EAA reservoir and 6,500 acre-foot stormwater treatment area, and integrate with A-1 FEB operations.”