[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17354]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            WORLD TOILET DAY

  (Mr. BLUMENAUER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, the concept of a World Toilet Day can 
make children giggle, some adults blush and others change the subject, 
but the title is designed to take a most serious subject head-on.
  The world can no longer afford to be squeamish, to make jokes or to 
change the subject about the fundamental issue of access to adequate 
sanitation. That is because 2.5 billion people live without it, which 
leads to 700,000 premature deaths each year, and it is getting worse. 
Instead of solving this global crisis, the number living without access 
has increased by 700 million people.
  Today, we want to renew our commitment to helping these unfortunate 
people around the world have access to sanitation, which we all take 
for granted.
  I appreciate the Gates Foundation and other NGOs, like WaterAid, for 
stepping up to help solve the dilemma, and I call on my colleagues to 
support H.R. 2901, which Congressman Poe and I have introduced, which 
is the Water for the World Act, so that the United States can play a 
greater, more effective role to save lives around the globe.

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