Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. When people, Mr. Speaker, turn on their bathroom or kitchen faucets, they often take for granted that an abundant supply of clean water flows freely from their taps. It is only when the water stops flowing due to a catastrophic failure that attention is given to the complexities of providing clean, safe drinking water. In early May, when a breach of a 7-year-old pipe caused a water supply emergency that affected over 2 million residents of Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding areas, including a large portion of my district, our attention was drawn to this issue. Although the incident in Massachusetts could not have been anticipated because the pipe that broke was so new, each time something like this occurs, public attention immediately turns to the need for increased Federal funding for infrastructure projects that ensure a safe drinking water supply for years to come. Now, in the Energy and Commerce Committee, working under Chairman Waxman's leadership and partnering with Betty Sutton, with Joe Barton, with Fred Upton and all of the very distinguished members of our committee who care so deeply about safe drinking water, we reported out a piece of legislation by a 45-1 vote.…”