[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 20154]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             WATER IS LIFE

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, nearly 700 million people across the 
globe lack access to water. This is a disturbing world crisis. In many 
countries, women and children walk for miles and face countless risks 
just to find some water.
  Mr. Speaker, water is not just about drinking; it is about 
sanitation; it is about hygiene. It prevents diseases and drastically 
improves the quality of life. That is why I worked with my friend, 
Representative Earl Blumenauer, for the Water for the World Act.
  This bill has made it U.S. policy to improve international access to 
safe water, sanitation, and hygiene. I applaud the administration on 
issuing the Global Water Strategy required by that law, and I look 
forward to seeing its implementation.
  The road ahead is long. Eighty percent of the countries receiving 
U.S. aid still suffer from water issues. With our God-given resources, 
we have an obligation to make sure people receive the basic element of 
life--clean water--because water is life.
  And that is just the way it is.

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