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REPRESENTATIVE LINDER RE-INTRODUCES “21ST CENTURY WATER COMMISSION ACT OF 2007”
January 4, 2007
Today, Representative John Linder (R-GA) introduced H.R. 135, the “21st Century Water Commission Act of 2007.” Congressman Linder introduced this same legislation in the 107th, 108th, and 109th Congresses, and it passed the U.S. House of Representatives in the 109th Congress with an overwhelmingly bi-partisan vote of 402-22.
“I wrote an article in 1978 that predicted that one of the two major challenges for our country in the next century would be providing enough fresh water for our booming population. Now, in 2007, we have a population that exceeds 300 million people, yet we still have no comprehensive water strategy. We cannot wait for a water crisis to hit. We must begin now to plan for future water shortages, before Americans turn their taps and find that no water comes out.”
Congressman Linder’s bill creates a 21st Century Water Commission that will bring together a number of top-ranked water experts to form an advisory board. These members will be made up of representatives from the private sector, state and local governments, and the Federal government. The Commission will be authorized to consider all available technologies for increasing water supply efficiently and effectively while safeguarding the environment, including recommending a means of capturing excess water for future droughts. The Commission will also place a particular emphasis in respecting the role of the states in adjudicating, administering and regulating their own water rights and uses.
“It is incumbent upon us to begin now to advance the science and knowledge that will be necessary to deal with 21st century water challenges. It is my hope that H.R. 135 will create a resource and a research engine to enable local communities to better solve their water problems.”
Congressman Linder represents Georgia’s Seventh Congressional district.
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