Durbin-Corker Water for the World Act Clears Committee

Press Release

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee today unanimously advanced The Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2014, bipartisan legislation to significantly improve access to clean water and sanitation around the world. The bill is sponsored by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Bob Corker (R-TN), cosponsored by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ), and led by Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Ted Poe (R-TX) in the House of Representatives.

"Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services sickens and kills thousands of children every day, and leads to poverty across the globe," Senator Durbin said. "But this is no longer simply a global health and development issue--it's a long-term problem that increasingly threatens our national security. The Foreign Relations Committee agreed unanimously today, and I hope the full Senate will quickly pass this legislation before the crisis reaches a devastating tipping point."

"We need to make every dollar of our limited foreign aid resources count by addressing problems where we can have a real impact on people's lives. By focusing our efforts on clean water and sanitation, we can save lives, improve public health and provide stability in vulnerable communities throughout the world," said Senator Corker.

Nearly 750 million people around the world lack access to clean, safe water and nearly 2.5 billion people lack access to basic sanitation--many living on less than $2 a day. Rapid industrialization and population and economic growth continue to put pressure on global water supplies, particularly in developing nations. Water issues are no longer isolated problems, but are increasingly linked to regional tensions, global health, child and maternal mortality, and economic growth.

The Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 made access to safe water and sanitation for developing countries a specific policy objective of the United States Foreign Assistance Program. The Act was named after the late Senator Paul Simon, who more than a decade ago wrote the book, Tapped Out, which warned of the world's looming clean water crisis.

The Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2014 will make better use of existing Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) funds, strengthen WASH programming, and ensure the greatest impact on communities worldwide, without spending new money or creating new bureaucracy.

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