Press Releases
July 30, 2010
House Passes H.R. 5320 – The Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act
The U.S. House of Representatives today voted to pass H.R. 5320, the Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act, by voice vote. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman from California introduced this legislation on May 18, 2010, in an effort to improve drinking water infrastructure around the country. The legislation would amend the Safe Drinking Water Act and increase federal assistance for the drinking water state revolving fund.
Included in H.R. 5320 is a provision increasing the state revolving funds available to Guam, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This amendment would increase the federal government’s contributions from .33% to 1% of available funds and was introduced by Congresswoman Donna Christensen of the Virgin Islands. Congresswoman Bordallo also co-sponsored the amendment.
“The passage of the Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act today is an important step toward more permanently addressing our island’s water infrastructure needs. If signed into law by President Obama, this legislation would triple the funds available to Guam which are needed to improve its water infrastructure,” Congresswoman Bordallo said today. “These funds would prove critical to increasing access and improving the quality of our island’s drinking water. I would like to thank Congresswoman Christensen for her work on this issue. I would also like to thank Chairman Waxman and the House leadership for their efforts in the passage of H.R. 5320. There is still more work to be done to improve Guam’s water infrastructure and I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to address this issue.”