FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 20, 2005

CONTACT: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider 202-226-7616

Pelosi: Republican Interior Appropriations Bill Turns Back the Clock on Clean Water

Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in opposition to the fiscal year 2006 Interior and Environmental Appropriations, which cuts funding for critical clean water initiatives.

“The fiscal year 2006 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill epitomizes Republican domestic policy: hand out lavish tax breaks to the wealthy while slashing crucial programs at home.

“In this bill, there are painful cuts to a wide range of valuable initiatives, from EPA enforcement to the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Among them all, the cuts in clean water funding stand out as a prime example of what’s wrong with the Republican budget.

“Nothing is more essential to human health than clean water. If we follow down the path the Republicans are leading us, there will be water, water everywhere, but not a drop of it to drink.

“More than three decades ago, Americans rose up in outrage, appalled by our filthy rivers and lakes. Congress responded to the clarion call for clean water with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, which evolved into the modern Clean Water Act.

“When upstream communities fail to clean up their sewage or prevent polluted runoff, downstream communities pay the price. Beaches must be closed to protect swimmers from harmful bacteria and virus. Fish cannot be eaten, and shellfish cannot be harvested. Water must be treated more thoroughly before it can become drinking water.

“We have made enormous progress since the infamous day the Cuyahoga River in Ohio caught fire in 1969. For three decades, the federal government has been an essential partner, working with the states to pay for clean water infrastructure.

“The key federal program today is the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which provides funding for wastewater collection and treatment, correction of combined sewer overflows, and control of storm water and non-point source pollution. These funds also create good jobs for engineers, contractors, skilled laborers, and manufacturers.

“But our work is not done. About 45 percent of water bodies in the United States that have been assessed do not meet our water quality standards. Our wastewater infrastructure is aging, and our population is growing. The Environmental Protection Agency’s estimates funding needs range between $300 billion and $400 billion over the next 20 years.

“This bill turns back the clock on clean water, slashing the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for the second year in a row. Cuts for this program total $500 million in this two-year period.

"Democrats, led by David Obey of Wisconsin, offered an amendment to increase funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund by $100 million, by reducing a program that lawmakers use to earmark special projects for their own districts. But the Republicans shot it down, and the amendment failed 186-235.

“Clean water is precious and must be treated as such. For the sake of our children, and our grandchildren, let us take care of this most basic of our needs: clean water.”

“ Democrats are united in presenting a New Direction for America, one that will make our nation as strong as its people, one that brings opportunity, security, and prosperity to all Americans. ”

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi