[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 54 (Thursday, April 28, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E818]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             INTRODUCING THE WATER FOR THE POOR ACT OF 2005

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 28, 2005

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing the Water for 
the Poor Act of 2005, with Representatives Clay Shaw, Tom Lantos, Jim 
Leach, George Miller, and Tom Tancredo as original cosponsors. The 
Water for the Poor Act complements legislation introduced by Senate 
Majority Leader Bill Frist, S. 492, the ``Safe Water: Currency for 
Peace Act.''
  This bill highlights a pressing issue: up to 5 million people die 
each year from lack of access to clean water and sanitation, including 
1 child every 15 seconds. One in six people in the world--over 1.1 
billion people--lack access to clean water and one in three people--
over 2.3 billion people--don't have access to adequate sanitation. As 
half of the people in the developing world are sick at any given time 
from a water-related disease, water and sanitation access is a major 
barrier to fighting poverty and increasing economic productivity.
  The Water for the Poor Act focuses American efforts to meet President 
Bush's commitment to cut in half the percentage of people without 
access to water and sanitation by 2015. This bill makes expanding 
access to clean water and sanitation a major objective for U.S. 
development efforts. It highlights innovative funding methods to 
increase the amount of public and private resources available and 
requires USAID to develop a strategy and measurable goals for 
increasing water access in an affordable and equitable way.

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