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For
Immediate Release Press Contact Information:
John Sauer
202-293-4003
jsa...@wateradvocates.org
Water
Advocates Applauds Senate Passage
of the
Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act
Senators
Durbin and Corker lead historic effort to provide
water
and sanitation access to 100 million people
Washington DC (September 21, 2010) –
Water Advocates hailed the Senate’s passage yesterday of the
landmark Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act, which will help
provide sustainable access to clean drinking water and adequate
sanitation to 100 million of the world’s poorest people.
The Water for the World Act, introduced by Assistant Senate Majority
Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), passed by
unanimous consent and was sent to the House of Representatives.
“With nearly one billion people
lacking sustainable access to safe drinking water and 2.6 billion
lacking adequate sanitation, the Water for the World Act
significantly strengthens the US Government’s response to the
world’s most pressing public health issue,” said Water
Advocates’ President, David Douglas. “This
important legislation complements the efforts of US
nonprofit development organizations, philanthropies, corporations,
faith communities and civic groups, and could profoundly improve
millions of lives.”
The Senate passage of the bill comes at a
time when there is a redoubling of efforts tied to achieving the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for water and sanitation at the
MDG Summit in New York City
this week. Among other world leaders, Africa’s first female
Head of State, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia,
has made a plea for governments to finally tackle the global health
crisis caused by unsafe water and inadequate sanitation.
The Water for the World Act represents a
model for modernizing foreign assistance by demanding investments
that are cost-effective, sustainable and pro-poor, utilizing an
integrated approach, while leveraging private-citizen resources and
requiring transparency.
“Senators Durbin and Corker have shown
that bipartisan leadership is still possible, and the Senate as a
whole has demonstrated that a strong consensus can form behind good
policy,” continued Douglas.
“Now it is up to the House of Representatives to finish the job
and send this bill to the President.”
A similar bill was introduced in the House
of Representatives by Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and
Donald Payne (D-NJ).
The Water for the World Act was cosponsored
in the Senate by Senators Bond (R-MO), Boxer (D-CA), Brown (D-OH),
Burr (R-NC), Burris (D-IL), Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD), Casey
(D-PA), Collins (R-ME), Dodd (D-CT), Dorgan (D-ND), Feinstein (D-CA),
Gillibrand (D-NY), Isakson (R-GA), Johanns (R-NE), Johnson (D-SD),
Kaufman (D-DE), Kirk (D-MA), Landrieu (D-LA), Lautenberg (D-NJ),
Leahy (D-VT), Lieberman (I-CT), Merkley (D-OR), Murray (D-WA), Reed
(D-RI), Reid (D-NV), Roberts (R-KS), Sanders (I-VT), Shaheen (D-NH),
Snowe (R-ME), Specter (D-PA) and Whitehouse (D-RI).
The Water for the World Act builds on the
Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005, which made access
to safe water and sanitation for developing countries a major
objective of US
foreign assistance. Both Acts were named after the late Senator
Paul Simon whose book, Tapped Out,
called attention to the world’s worsening water crisis
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