[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3837]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            WORLD WATER DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, for many, tomorrow is just an ordinary 
Thursday, like any other day. But for hundreds of millions of people 
who lack access to clean water and billions who lack access to adequate 
sanitation, this ordinary Thursday is part of the daily struggle.
  But this Thursday is World Water Day, where those of us fortunate 
enough to live in developed countries are encouraged to reflect on just 
how fundamental freshwater is to our health, our children's well-being, 
and how much we take for granted. We've never had to try to work that 
hard to find drinking water. We don't have to choose between drinking 
dirty water and going thirsty. For many of us, freshwater is so safe, 
abundant, it's hard to even imagine life without it.
  But on this World Water Day, we should reflect that every 20 seconds 
a child dies needlessly from waterborne disease. Today, and every day, 
women will spend 200 million hours collecting water. This week, 3 
million students will miss school because they lack access to clean 
water or sanitation. Indeed, half the people who are sick around the 
world today are sick needlessly from waterborne disease.
  There is a vision, there is a knowledge to do something about it, 
but, sadly, we don't have the resources, and we actually don't have the 
plan. The United States does not only have an obligation to do the 
right thing and save lives, but it's also in our self-interest to 
provide access to safe water.
  United States security experts testified before this Congress that 
water problems will contribute to the instability in states important 
to United States national security interests.
  With all the problems the world faces, Congress needs to prioritize 
programs that deliver the highest return on investment with substantial 
multiplier effects. And when it comes to foreign assistance, increasing 
access to clean water is perhaps the most effective use of taxpayer 
dollars. The World Health Organization estimates that up to $34 is 
saved for every dollar invested, saved from health care costs and 
resulting in increased economic productivity.
  Indeed, it affects other efforts of our aid. We're involved with 
trying to eradicate diseases like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, but taking 
the medicine with dirty water compounds the problems in terms of 
diarrheal diseases that result from that dirty water.
  Madam Speaker, since we've passed the Water for the World legislation 
7 years ago, where Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee Henry 
Hyde, Senator Reid, and Senator Frist were my partners, we've increased 
our leadership globally. We owe a debt of gratitude to Secretary 
Clinton, who has made water a cornerstone of her work while at the helm 
of the State Department. But we do need to do more; and one simple 
step, an area where we find broad bipartisan support, is the Water for 
the World Act that is cosponsored with my friend and colleague from 
Texas (Mr. Poe).
  This legislation strengthens the capacity of USAID and the State 
Department, increases aid effectiveness, transparency, accountability 
for sanitation water and hygiene, and it has no net cost, according to 
the CBO.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation and hope 
that we can move it forward in this Congress, as there has been 
movement in the Senate. Millions of lives will be transformed.

                          ____________________