A Republican congressman from South Florida siding with President Barack Obama on climate change is a sign that residents want action to protect the region from rising coastal waters, a Miami business executive told "Newsmax Now" co-host John Bachman on
Newsmax TV Thursday.
"The issue of climate change is one that is being talked about more often, particularly in the South Florida area," Raúl Mas, a healthcare executive and political and economic news analyst, said of a joint Earth Day appearance at Everglades National Park by Obama and freshman Rep. Carlos Curbelo.
Story continues below video.
Watch Newsmax TV on
DirecTV Ch. 349, DISH Ch. 223 and
Verizon FiOS Ch. 115
Get Newsmax TV on your cable system —
Click Here Now
"I know Carlos: He's a very thoughtful young man and he's a little bit unconventional at times," said Mas.
Curbelo, who got to fly on Air Force One to Florida from Washington, D.C., sharply disagrees with the White House's diplomatic
overtures to Cuba but says Obama is right on climate change.
"I share the president's concerns about sea-level rise, and its effects on our drinking supplies, our economy and our way of life," Curbelo said in an Earth Day statement
cited by NBC News. "I am committed to finding common ground to mitigate the effects of climate change."
With some scientists identifying Miami as one of the U.S. cities
most threatened by global warming, officials are proposing a massive flood control system to keep coastal areas from being inundated by rising sea levels linked to climate change.
"The biggest issue with the whole climate change — who is going to pay for it?" said Mas.
"As you can well imagine, the issue of the environment in Florida is something that is absolutely crucial to our economy," said Mas. "It's been that way for years and years."
"If you look at the Miami skyline recently, we have tons and tons of humongous condominium buildings being built right next to the ocean," he said. "Obviously, those real estate developers have a lot of money invested in that and it's a topic of conversation.
"I personally am not a scientist, but I have a great deal of respect for the scientific community," said Mas. "When I see the National Academy of Sciences, the American Meteorological Association, the American Geophysical Union — all very respected scientific communities saying, 'Folks, we need to pay attention to this,' I'm paying attention."
Mas also said that
Pope Francis, who is urging the world to tackle climate change, adopted the right tone on the issue by stressing that he is not a scientist but is looking to science for guidance and solutions.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.