Contact: Rob Ostrander 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Monday, March 21, 2005

JEFFERSON CITY, MO U.S. Senator Kit Bond today addressed the Missouri Water Environment Association’s annual meeting, where he thanked them for their important work, stressed the importance of water issues, provided an update on his new committee assignment and outlined his recent trip to Southeast Asia.

“You protect us from thousands of different germs and bacteria so that we have clean water to bathe in and safe water to drink – and that’s no small task,” said Bond to the group. “You protect our health, and literally, our lives.”

A strong advocate for bringing clean and safe water to communities throughout Missouri, Bond has secured more than $92 million for Missouri communities over the last 5 years and has fought to expand and protect the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.

Although he no longer controls the purse strings for the EPA, Bond emphasized that he will continue to use his position on the Senate Appropriations Committee to advocate for water issues. Earlier this month the full Senate Appropriations Committee assigned new chairmanships for its subcommittees as part of a bicameral effort to streamline the appropriations process. Other subcommittees will now have jurisdiction over veterans' affairs and the Environmental Protection Agency while Senator Bond will chair the new Transportation, Treasury and Housing subcommittee.

Bond also told the Missouri Water Environment Association to expect the fight with upstream states over water flows on the Missouri River to continue. He will continue to ensure Missouri receives the water it needs for drinking, power production and transportation.

For the past two years Bond has worked to pass the Water Resources Development Act, which is written by the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee Bond chairs on the on environment policy committee. Bond will continue his efforts to pass this legislation, particularly for Missouri which is in desperate need of modernization of the Mississippi and Illinois River lock system.

Lastly, Bond thanked the group for their work to protect the country’s drinking water supply, something many take for granted. He updated the group on his recent trip to the tsunami-devastated Southeast Asia, where necessities like safe drinking water has become a major concern. He praised the U.S. military for its immediate response to the disaster and the importance of bringing the countries of Southeast Asia, like Indonesia, and the United States closer together.