Bonnie Watson Coleman: “On World Water Day, I rise on behalf of every American who lacks access to the most basic necessity of human survival.…”

“On World Water Day, I rise on behalf of every American who lacks access to the most basic necessity of human survival. Mr. Speaker, 4 years ago, 15,000 households in Newark, New Jersey, were forced to rely on bottled water due to the lead in the city's supply. As lead contamination levels approached record highs, residents of my State's largest city were forced to reckon with the reality that access to safe drinking water would not be and could not be taken for granted. I am grateful that Newark has since replaced nearly all of its lead pipes, and their residents can once again trust that their tap water is safe to drink. In fact, had this emergency been unique to one city at one time, I probably wouldn't have been compelled to speak here today. However, the year after Newark put an end to its emergency, infrastructure failures in Jackson, Mississippi, cut off residents' access to safe water. Mississippi's capital city still lacks the resources to support residents in need. Let me be clear. This is not a Newark crisis or a Jackson crisis, or for that matter, even a Flint, Michigan, crisis. It is an American crisis. Due to climate change, outdated infrastructure, and systemic disinvestment in our most vulnerable communities, millions of Americans risk losing access to water. As the wealthiest Nation on Earth, we have the resources--not to mention the moral imperative--to change that situation. Safe, clean water is a human right.…”