Senate and House appropriators from both parties are recommending a significant increase in funding for safe drinking water to implement the Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act. If the final bill passes as currently drafted by the U.S. Senate, $300 million would be appropriated to implement the Act for the coming year.
Water Advocates commends the leadership of Senators Leahy, Durbin, McConnell, and Brownback and Representatives Obey, Lowey, Jackson Jr., Knollenberg, Payne, and Smith.
“The U.S. government can have a tremendous positive impact on the global safe drinking water and sanitation problem. What we need now is for Americans to write their Representatives and Senators to ask them to pass the Senate version and fund the Water for the Poor Act for 2008,” said John Oldfield, director of partnership development at Water Advocates.
Building on the leadership of the U.S. Congress, Water Advocates is urging increased U.S. private sector action to tackle the global safe drinking water and sanitation challenge. Water Advocates will release its latest annual full-page advertisement today with the message, “Support, Sponsor, Solve.” Unsafe drinking water and inadequate sanitation impede progress in public health, education, environmental sustainability and commerce, especially in less developed regions of Africa and Asia.
Water Advocates continues to offer pro bono consulting advice to leaders of corporations, foundations, and civic and faith-based organizations that are looking to increase their support for the global water and sanitation problem. Water Advocates also designs partnerships and brokers relationships between government, foundations, non-profit organizations and corporations.
Source: Water Advocates
