Introduction of the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2011

Floor Speech

* Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, today we are introducing legislation to make long overdue investments in our nation's water infrastructure systems that will benefit both our communities and our economy.

* The American economy needs jobs, and this Congress has a responsibility to support programs that create jobs. This is precisely what spending on water infrastructure systems will do: plain and simple, it will create jobs. For every $1 billion we spend on wastewater infrastructure we can create as many as 33,000 jobs in communities across America while improving our public health and protecting our environment. It is a win-win proposition.

* The importance of investment in wastewater infrastructure is clear and the need is great. In EPA's 2008 Clean Water Needs Survey, states documented nearly $300 billion in wastewater treatment, pipe replacement and repair, and stormwater management projects that need to be fulfilled over the next 20 years.

* While Congress appropriated $2.1 billion for wastewater infrastructure projects in 2010, this year allocations to the Clean Water State Revolving Funds were reduced to $690 million. This is a far cry from the $15 billion a year we would need to spend to address the needs identified by the States to modernize and repair our aging systems.

* The ``Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2011'' is intended to close that gap. For decades, the SRFs have been the traditional mechanism for Federal wastewater infrastructure assistance. The bill renews the Federal commitment to addressing our Nation's substantial needs for wastewater infrastructure by investing $13.8 billion in the State Revolving Funds over the next five years.

* Recognizing that significant additional resources will be necessary, the bill also establishes two complimentary new initiatives for the long-term, sustainable financing of wastewater infrastructure. The first is a direct loan and loan guarantee program and the second, a Clean Water Infrastructure Trust Fund. These proposals, when implemented in concert, would leverage billions of additional dollars to meet local wastewater infrastructure needs, create jobs, and protect our public health and environmental quality.

* Mr. Speaker, I recognize that some may express concern with the overall cost of this legislation; however, when compared to the estimated $300 to $400 billion in documented wastewater infrastructure needs for our communities over the next 20 years, I would suggest that this authorization will help meet, but not entirely close, the water infrastructure gap. In addition, based on a preliminary estimate by the Congressional Budget Office, this legislation would have no negative impact on direct spending and revenues over the next ten years under pay-as-you-go rules.

* Meeting the critical water infrastructure investment needs of our local communities should not be a partisan issue. As my colleagues on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure often say, ``There is no such thing as Republican or Democratic infrastructure projects.'' These are investments that benefit our local constituents, the economies of our towns, cities, and States, and provide the added benefit of protecting public health and the overall condition of the environment. I am pleased that this legislation has garnered bipartisan support for introduction, and I plan to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to see this Congress move on providing long-term, sustained investment in our nation's wastewater infrastructure.

* Again, this is a win-win proposal and as such, it has broad support from the Associated General Contractors of America, the National Assoc of Clean Water Agencies, Food and Water Watch, the Water Environment Federation, the National League of Cities, the Water Infrastructure Network, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Construction Alliance II, the American Public Works Association and many others.

* In short, Mr. Speaker, this bill is good for America, for American workers and for the environment, and thus I urge my colleagues to join me and my fellow cosponsors in supporting this very important legislation that will help our economy recover.

Source