[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 157 (Monday, November 3, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S13796]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       FOREIGN OPERATIONS EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2004


      Water Missions' Honduras Water Supply Demonstration Project

  Mr. GRAHAM of South Carolina. Mr. President I rise to ask the bill's 
manager, Senator McConnell, about a provision in the Fiscal Year 2004 
foreign operations bill of particular importance to me. This 
appropriations bill provides $100 million for water conservation, $1.5 
million of which the committee report sets aside for Water Missions 
International for its safe water supply and wastewater treatment 
projects for several regional hospitals in Honduras. Water Missions is 
a faith-based South Carolina organization that delivers potable water 
engineering systems to towns and villages in developing countries 
around the world. I ask Senator McConnell if he is familiar with Water 
Missions International and this important demonstration project.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Yes, I am familiar with Water Missions International 
and its work to provide water to communities in developing countries. I 
am particularly familiar with their current water project in a regional 
hospital in Honduras. I recently met with Water Missions' founders, 
George and Molly Greene, to discuss this important project and was 
impressed by Water Missions International's use of low-cost, 
appropriate technology for improving drinking water supplies.
  Mr. GRAHAM of South Carolina. If I may raise one more issue, I am 
concerned that United States Agency for International Development, 
USAID, has at times not followed report recommendations made by the 
Senate and House Appropriations Committees. Is it the manager's 
intention that USAID follow the recommendation in the report?
  Mr. McCONNELL. Absolutely. I strongly support the report language 
that was included in Omnibus Appropriations Bill earlier this year, 
saying that ``the managers expect the Department of State and USAID to 
follow the recommendations in the House and Senate reports, unless 
those recommendations are modified in the statement of the managers.'' 
I am pleased that senior USAID officials recently met with Water 
Missions to begin the partnership process in implementing this 
particular recommendation.
  Mr. GRAHAM of South Carolina. I thank Senator McConnell for his 
support of Water Missions and its inclusion as an USAID project.

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