Tom Lantos: “I commend my good friend and distinguished colleague, Congressman Earl Blumenauer, for his leadership on this critically…”

“I commend my good friend and distinguished colleague, Congressman Earl Blumenauer, for his leadership on this critically important bill, of which I am proudly an original cosponsor. I would also like to commend my dear colleague and friend, Henry Hyde, Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, for his help in bringing the bill to the floor expeditiously. Mr. Speaker, the entire world has witnessed time and again the unimaginable devastation that humanitarian disasters, such as Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma and the Pakistani earthquake, can wreak. They leave hundreds of thousands homeless and hungry, their lives in danger from water-borne diseases because of unsafe water and sanitation. Unsafe water and poor sanitation are appallingly common in the developing world. Each year, more than 3 billion people suffer from water-related diseases, from which 3 to 4 million die--and most victims are children under five. The Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act seeks to address the 1.1 billion people lacking access to safe drinking water and the almost 2\1/2\ billion who have no access to basic sanitation. The legislation directs the Administration to make expanding access to safe water and sanitation a major policy objective in U.S. development efforts.…”