Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008

Floor Speech

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 -- (House of Representatives - June 27, 2007)

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Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008.

This bill is the first step on the long road back to re-investing in our environment after years of neglect. It is a much-needed turnabout from the practice of treating the natural world merely as a source of material, rather than as the human race's one and only home. It is a necessary reversal of past policies which disregarded the value of clean water, clean air, and our public lands.

It represents the commitment of the new Democratic majority to strengthening the long-term viability of our environment. At the same time, it protects public health and demonstrates how important it is for us to act as stewards for our communities.

Treating our wastewater before it is discharged into our oceans and rivers is a crucial part of this process. However, the equipment and infrastructure that we use to clean our wastewater is rapidly aging. It no longer has the capacity to treat the amount of waste produced by our growing population. My constituents in Sacramento have battled this problem for years. When heavy rains come, the specter of sewers overflowing into our streets can become a harsh reality.

That is why I am so pleased that the Appropriations Committee has used this legislation to renew our commitment to clean water infrastructure. H.R. 2643 increases water-related research, restores funding for clean water grants to States, and directs greater resources to cleaning up contaminated groundwater sites. In doing so, this bill recognizes that investing in clean water protects our drinking supply, restores our rivers and lakes, and strengthens public health.

Mr. Chairman, Americans across the country--and in particular the people I represent from Sacramento--will benefit from this legislation's clean water provisions. No longer will we have to worry about untreated wastewater stagnating in our streets and polluting our rivers. No more will raw sewage seep into basements, public parks, and other areas where young children play.

When we pass this bill, the water our constituents drink will be cleaner. The rivers they swim in will house fewer bacteria. The sewers they rely on to transport wastewater will stop overflowing. Every Member of Congress has an interest in solving the problems of overwhelmed wastewater infrastructure, and H.R. 2643 begins to do so.

While this bill is but a beginning, Mr. Chairman, I am confident that the Democratic Congress will use it as a building block to continue restoring past cuts to clean water programs. The tangible benefits of this bill's clean water funding levels are considerable, but they are still just the first step in renewing our country's commitment to that basic building block of life that sustains us all.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2643.

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