Bob Wise: “Mr. Chairman, I believe I am in support of the gentleman from New York's perfecting amendment, but I really want to go…”

“Mr. Chairman, I believe I am in support of the gentleman from New York's perfecting amendment, but I really want to go at the overall amendment because I think that is what is crucial here. The gentleman from Oklahoma's amendment I believe is sincere. He is concerned about deficit reduction and other things. I just think it is the wrong way to go at this time. I have the opportunity from time to time to be involved in, as we all in this hall do, the dedication and ground breaking ceremonies for sewage treatment facilities, and there is a map that we have in the West Virginia facilities when we preside over these. There is a map that is provided; there are actually two maps. One hand is all that has been built, the partnership between the State government, the Federal Government, the local government, and the ratepayers, as well as taxpayers all. That partnership has built $1 billion worth of sewage treatment facilities, wastewater construction projects, in our State. And that is impressive in a small State. That is the map on one side, what has been done. There is a map on the other side, too, and that shows the many locations that still need to be constructed if it is to meet the goals set by this Congress and to meet common sense goals of health. What that map shows is that there is at least a $2 billion need.”