U.S. Representative Brian Mast attended a meeting of the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) Board of Commissioners in Port St. Lucie to address concerns about a federal grant proposal involving Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) and Brightline. The two companies are seeking $208.5 million in federal funds to replace the nearly century-old St. Lucie River drawbridge with a higher, double-track bridge.
The proposed project would be funded primarily by taxpayers, who would cover 90 percent of the cost, while Brightline—a private, foreign-owned company—would benefit from improved passenger transport between Miami and Orlando. Rep. Mast questioned the financial stability of FEC and Brightline, as well as their commitment to local communities.
“This infrastructure could benefit our community and ease maritime traffic,” Rep. Brian Mast said. “But if taxpayers are paying for the bridge, taxpayers deserve transparency, accountability, and clarity about who actually owns it and who’s responsible.”
Mast raised concerns about whether the new bridge would remain public property or become an asset of FEC, urging FIND to ensure that any agreement serves residents’ interests on the Treasure Coast.
“If you choose to enter into this partnership, it must benefit the taxpayers first—because it is their money being spent,” Rep. Brian Mast said. “The decisions made here today will ripple across our community for decades.”
This request follows previous applications by Brightline and FEC for public funding, including $90 million for a rail station in Stuart and ongoing track improvements. According to Mast, these requests differ from earlier assurances that such projects would be privately owned and maintained without taxpayer risk.
“If a Florida family applies for a mortgage or a car loan, they are required to disclose their financial standing,” Rep. Brian Mast said. “Any private company asking for hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars should have to meet this same standard.”
Mast also criticized Brightline and FEC for what he described as unfair treatment of local governments—including fines totaling over $1.8 billion related to easement laws—and disruptions caused by freight operations through local communities.
“We deserve a good-faith partner,” Rep. Brian Mast said. “If there is going to be a partnership, it must respect the taxpayers. Any partner must respect our waterways and respect the Treasure Coast.”
Brian Mast has represented Florida’s 21st Congressional District since 2017 after succeeding Patrick Murphy in Congress; he previously served in the Florida House of Representatives (https://mast.house.gov/about/full-biography). Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1980, Mast currently resides in Fort Pierce at age 42 (https://mast.house.gov/about/full-biography). He graduated from Harvard University Extension School with a BA in 2016.
