[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 93 (Thursday, May 27, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S3888]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE ACT OF 2021

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise to voice my strong support for 
the recent passage of S. 914, the Drinking Water and Wastewater 
Infrastructure Act of 2021. I believe it is a vital investment in the 
current and future health of all our communities, and I applaud my 
Senate colleagues for helping to get this done.
  Ensuring access to clean water is essential--and one of the most 
basic duties of government. Every American deserves safe drinking water 
and wastewater treatment systems, and in my home State of Maryland, 
these systems are vital both to the health of our fellow citizens and 
to the health of our rivers and our beloved Chesapeake Bay.
  This bill will help pull our waterways into the 21st century by 
providing a critical boost in water systems investments to restore 
aging infrastructure, fund cutting-edge waterway technology, create 
resiliency in the face of climate change, and create new jobs. And 
critically, this legislation was designed with equity in mind, so 
marginalized communities can benefit from this big leap forward. This 
has been a longstanding bipartisan priority, and I am pleased that 
colleagues from both sides of the aisle have come together to pass this 
vital legislation through the U.S. Senate.
  Now, it is up to our colleagues in the House to pass this bill too so 
we can get it to the President's desk. And should he sign it into law, 
as I believe he will, I will be doing my part as a member of the Senate 
Appropriations Committee to ensure we fully fund this initiative.
  I thank my colleagues for joining me and a bipartisan group of 
Senators in supporting this key investment in our Nation's water 
infrastructure.

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