Political Quotes

“Madam Prescient, this week, the Senate has the opportunity to take a major step on an issue that affects all Americans: infrastructure. Senator Duckworth, my friend and fellow Illinois Senator, is leading a bipartisan effort to finance critical water infrastructure improvements across the country. The Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act authorizes $35 billion in funding to improve access to safe drinking water, fortify our water infrastructure against extreme weather, lower the cost of utility bills, and rebuild aging water systems across America. More than 40 percent of authorized funds will go to small, rural, and disadvantaged communities, many of which have not seen water infrastructure improvements in decades. And believe me, our water infrastructure is in desperate need of improvement. My home State of Illinois has the most lead service lines of any State. Recent reports indicate that 8 in 10 Illinoisans live in a community where lead has been found in the drinking water in the last 6 years. Chicago alone has more than 380,000 lead service lines, the most of any city in the country. My hometown of Springfield has more than 10,000 lead service lines. These numbers are tragic and unacceptable. Every day, millions of my constituents risk exposure to lead, which can impair brain development in children and harm pregnant mothers. The people of Illinois, like many others across the country, sorely need these pipes replaced.…”