The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“WORLD WATER DAY” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H2369-H2370 on March 13, 2014.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
WORLD WATER DAY
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania). The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for 5 minutes.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, today, on Capitol Hill, we are watching several hundred dedicated volunteers fan out to share their vision of the United States' providing leadership for safe drinking water and sanitation around the globe.
They will point out that, today, women will spend 200 million hours gathering water for their families--200 million hours that will not be spent farming or in economic enterprise, 200 million hours that will not be spent in school, 200 million hours that too often take them away from the village and put them at risk for physical sexual assault. They will be talking to our colleagues on Capitol Hill about some critical legislation that my colleague Ted Poe and I have introduced, H.R. 2901, the Paul Simon Water for the World Act, which will, in a deficit-
neutral fashion, help refine the approach that the United States, the USAID, and the State Department take in providing water assistance around the globe.
I must say, this morning I heard, in an eloquent fashion, Congressman Poe lay out the need, the vision, and the solution. I cannot say enough about the bipartisan leadership of my colleague from Texas. He points out that, as a Democrat from the Northwest, I don't have all that much in common with my Republican friend from Texas, but this is an area in which we are united. The United States must do all it can to prevent unnecessary disease and death from contaminated water, but it goes beyond issues of disease and sanitation.
Look at what has happened in Syria. Between 2006 and 2011, nearly 60 percent of Syria's landmass was ravaged by a severe drought. The water table was already too low because of irresponsible farming practices. It wiped out the livelihoods of almost a million Syrian farmers, and it created a massive population of drought refugees that flooded into the cities and added to the instability of that tragic country.
It did not cause the civil war, but the failure of the government to respond to the drought played a huge role in fueling the uprising, made possible by that sad, tragic consequence of events. Now the fourth largest city in Jordan is a refugee camp where men and women and children are fighting for survival and water as they cross the border to escape the violence. And this is a growing problem. The global population has now passed 7 billion people, and much of that growth has taken place in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, two regions of the world in greatest need when it comes to water and sanitation.
Mr. Speaker, we have within our capacity the ability to make a difference, and I am pleased to have worked with volunteers from coast to coast--from churches and rotary clubs and students--who are making a difference in their own communities. It is important for Congress to pass the Water for the World Act and to support the terrific work of Congresswomen Granger and Lowey, on the Appropriations Committee, that has protected and has actually enhanced a little bit this important money that the United States provides--a small amount in the overall scheme of things but one that has a tremendous impact on lives around the world.
I urge my colleagues to take the time to listen to these dedicated volunteers. They have a message we should take to heart and act upon.
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