Supporting the goals and ideals of World Water Day.

Mr. Speaker, I would like first to extend my appreciation to the leadership of the International Relations Committee, particularly Chairman Hyde and the ranking member, Mr. Lantos, and the subcommittee people for working with me to advance this measure. I would also like to thank Mr. Blumenauer for serving as my partner on this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 658 supports the goals and ideals of World Water Day, an initiative born out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. The day is to be observed consistent with the recommendations called for by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development's Fresh Water Resources Agenda which urges the protection of the quality and supply of fresh water resources.

While I am aware that the official date recognizing World Water Day has passed, it is my respectful view that raising public awareness regarding one of the Earth's most precious resources should be year- round. Water is vital to human life, as a matter of fact, all life; and although it is the most widely occurring substance on Earth, it is important to note that only approximately 2 percent of all water is fresh water.

As various forms of pollution and sprawl continue to adversely impact our fresh water supplies, it is imperative now more than ever that the importance of integrated water resources development and conservation and improving the overall quality of life here in the United States and across the globe be highlighted.

Each day, millions of Americans turn to their faucets and their bottles for fresh drinking water, rarely giving a thought to the current demands our water supplies and infrastructure face. Yet while many Americans may think that water resource and development challenges are particularly associated with less-developed countries, it is important to note that the United States is not immune from some of the same challenges.

In 1972, this body enacted the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, commonly known as the Clean Water Act. The act promised that all Americans would have access to healthy waterways and clean drinking water. Although considerable progress has been made since enactment of this legislation to ensure the integrity of our water, many challenges persist as initiatives to comprehensively overhaul the act have stalled.

The Nation's wastewater treatment infrastructure, typically the first line of defense in keeping harmful pollutants out of our fresh water supplies, is in desperate need of investment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, as much as $390 billion will be needed over the next two decades to rebuild, repair, and upgrade the Nation's wastewater treatment infrastructure.

Controlling the discharge of toxic pollutants such as heavy metals and inorganic chemicals into our waterways is also becoming an increasing challenge.

Data reported by the EPA indicates that 39 percent of river and stream miles assessed by States and 45 percent of assessed lake acreage do not meet the applicable water quality standards and are impaired for one or more desired uses.

Further, approximately 95,000 lakes and 544,000 river miles in the United States are under fish-consumption advisories due to chemical contaminants in lakes, rivers, and coastal waters.

As of 2003, mercury, a contaminant of increasing concern, has forced 45 States to issue partial or statewide fish and shellfish consumption advisories.

As the ranking member on the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, I feel strongly that our water policy needs a strong set of government standards and safeguards to continue to protect public health and safety.

We should build on our achievements made possible by innovations, like the Clean Water Act, and not turn our back on them.

Congress should reaffirm and restore the Clean Water Act, which has made our water valuable for drinking, fishing, swimming and other economically vital uses for over 30 years. The Nation's future generations are depending on us.

For our children's sake, it is important that we place responsible stewardship of our Nation's water resources and water infrastructure back on our priorities for our Nation.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. There are metropolitan areas now that advise people not to drink the public water.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 658) supporting the goals and ideals of World Water Day, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 658, expressing support for the goals and ideals of World Water Day. The global celebration of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. The United Nations General Assembly by resolution designated March 22 of each year as World Water Day.

I want to thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), for introducing this important resolution. Passing this resolution will add to the strong bipartisan support in Congress for fighting global water challenges. This resolution builds upon the accomplishments of this Congress as embodied in the Senator Paul Simon Water For the Poor Act of 2005, Public Law 109-121, introduced by Mr. Blumenauer.

Water-related illnesses claim the life of one child approximately every 8 to 15 seconds, killing up to 5,000 children a day and up to 5 million people every year. The statistics associated with global water issues are shocking. According to the World Health Organization, 1.2 billion people do not have access to safe water, and 2.4 billion people lack access to basic sanitation.

World Water Day helps to raise awareness among international community members about this humanitarian catastrophe which places global development and human security in peril.

This resolution communicates our support for World Water Day. It recognizes the importance of conserving and managing water resources for sustainable development, environmental integrity, and the eradication of poverty and hunger, human health and overall quality of life; and it encourages the people of the United States to observe World Water Day.

Paula Dobriansky, the Under Secretary For Democracy and Global Affairs, recently led the U.S. delegation to the fourth World Water Forum in Mexico City, Mexico. Under Secretary Dobriansky's remarks emphasized the linkages between increased access to safe water and sanitation to improving human development indicators.

The administration has taken some noteworthy actions in response to these challenges. The Water For the Poor and Clean Water For People are initiatives equaling almost $1.5 billion combined are positive contributions that will advance the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and implement the Johannesburg Plan by 2015 to reduce the number of people by one-half who have no access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

I invite my colleagues and staff to learn more about what the private sector and the U.S. Government are doing to meet these challenges this Thursday at an event sponsored by the Rotary Club of Washington and water advocates. This event will focus on safe water and sanitation worldwide and implementing the Senator Simon Water For the Poor Act. The event will take place on Thursday, May 4, at 11 a.m. in the Montpelier Room of the Library of Congress. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I also have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I would first like to commend my good friend and distinguished colleague, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), for introducing this very important measure, and my good friend and fellow member of the International Relations Committee, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), for his advocacy on behalf of all matters related to the global environment.

Mr. Speaker, this past December the President signed the Senator Paul Simon Water For the Poor Act. This important piece of legislation demonstrated the United States' steadfast commitment to clean water and safe sanitation by designating it a major foreign policy goal of the United States.

We further solidified this commitment by participating in the fourth World Water Forum held in March. Our Nation joined with the rest of the international community in Mexico City to discuss the most pressing issues facing access to clean water and sanitation.

I would like to commend Under Secretary For Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, for leading the U.S. delegation to the World Water Forum and for the decision to join the international community in calling for global action on water and sanitation issues.

Mr. Speaker, the resolution on the floor today is yet another defining step in our quest to see all people gain access to clean water by supporting the goals and ideals of World Water Day, conserving and managing water resources for sustainable development.

In the interest of keeping with our core humanitarian values and promoting sustainable development worldwide, we must continue to promote the goals of clean water, sound water conservation and management, and basic sanitation. I strongly support this resolution, Mr. Speaker. I urge all of my colleagues to also support it.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 658, supporting the goals and ideals of World Water Day, which I introduced with Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, the Ranking Member on our Water Resources and the Environment Subcommittee.

Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is critical to promoting good health, fighting

poverty, protecting the environment, empowering women and promoting economic growth around the world. These were the goals of the ``Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act,'' which I introduced last year. This legislation, which was signed into law on December 1st, establishes water and sanitation as a cornerstone of United States foreign assistance efforts.

I look forward to working with my colleagues, concerned organizations, and the administration to help ensure that the United States is a leader on global water issues and works hard to make the goals and ideals of World Water Day a reality for over a billion people around the world in need.