Paul Tonko: “Thank you, Representative Garamendi, for leading us in what is a very important bit of discussion. In a broad term…”

“Thank you, Representative Garamendi, for leading us in what is a very important bit of discussion. In a broad term, infrastructure is something that needs our immediate attention because of years of neglect, but it comes to that water infrastructure that has been highlighted of late. I like to call it the hidden infrastructure. It can't be out of sight, out of mind. That would be a very painful outcome if that is the approach that is taken by certainly us as legislators or by society at large. You are right: for a number of years, we have been discussing infrastructure. I have made it my goal to invest in water infrastructure for a number of reasons, but also because of my assignment on the Energy and Commerce Committee as ranking--the lead Democrat--on the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy, which reports to the Energy and Commerce Committee. It is through that subcommittee that the assignment of the Safe Drinking Water Act is housed. So it is important for us to maintain a vigilance, if you will, for the outcomes that are deemed acceptable--and that is that we do not receive a D on our report card for water infrastructure. When you shared that information, Representative Garamendi, I thought to myself that if any of us brought home a D on a report card, there would be a little bit of a challenge offered our way to improve that report card with the next semester. So, I believe that we have failed in this effort to maintain a strong Federal partnership.…”