LATEST ADVOCACY NEWS
Looking for ways to get involved in WASH advocacy? See items below for ways you can be an advocate NOW, helping us to enable millions in the world’s poorest countries to have decent water and sanitation.
Senate Committee Approves $400 million for FY13 – Urge Congress to Support This Major Increase Now!
Tremendous news from the Senate Appropriations Committee in May, which voted unanimously to recommend an $85 million increase in WASH funding for Fiscal Year 2013!
Advocates for WASH are very pleased with the Committee’s vote on May 23, just two days after the Senate Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations approved a smaller but very welcome increase ($35 million) for WASH, up from the FY 2012 level of $315 million for programs under the 2005 Sen. Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act.
Because of pending negotiations over long-term debt reduction it is unclear when Congress will enact funding bills for Fiscal Year 2013 (which runs from October 2012 to September 2013). Most likely, Congress will pass a Continuing Resolution in the fall and defer serious decisions about the budget till later in the year, including enactment of appropriations for many departments.
Whatever winds up as the final number will be critical because it will establish a baseline for years to come – Congress is expected to enact some kind of deficit reduction, probably with some automatic cuts over the years, so establishing a solid base NOW will have profound long term impact.
We are grateful to all members of the Senate Appropriations Committee for their strong support for WASH. We ask advocates to send their thanks - they deserve public accolades for their support.
We should focus on encouraging House appropriators to agree with the increase, and approve $400 million for WASH when the two committees meet to conference the total FY 2013 appropriations bill.
WASH advocates must also push for the Senate’s bottom-line number for the Development Assistance and USAID’s Global Health Programs accounts to ensure stability of the $400 million appropriation and to avoid the House’s proposed cuts to various other foreign aid sectors. Information on the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee can be found here.
Encourage Senate to Fast-track S. 641 to Floor Vote!
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee reported the Sen. Paul Simon Water for the World Act (S. 641) to the Senate floor Tuesday, June 19, but passage is not a sure thing. Right now, we are urging these Senators who are not on the Committee to join as cosponsors, which will help our effort:
Olympia Snowe (ME) 202-224-5344
Susan Collins (ME) 202 -224-2523
Richard Burr (NC) 202-224-3154
Mike Johanns (NE) 202-224-4224
A call to any of the above to ask them to cosponsor S. 641 would be very helpful. They are not hearing specific opposition, but they do need to hear words of support. To get yes votes, they need to have a sense that there is an attentive constituency expecting it.
Another part of the process of moving a bill through Congress is getting as many members as possible to join as cosponsors.
S. 641 has a good list of cosponsors (26 as of June 28), but we want more, especially Republicans, to sign on.
We must thank those who have already cosponsored. We are certain that several of the Senators below have not yet received a note (even a short one) of thanks from someone in their home states to show them that their support for WASH is recognized.
Please help us remedy that! All Senate offices can be called at the Capitol switchboard, 202-224-3121. Senate offices can be generally emailed via their websites – the site address formula is pretty simple: (the Senator’s last name).senate.gov
The general U.S. Senate website also provides links and other information: http://senate.gov
Senate Cosponsors of S. 641 (with date of cosponsorship)
Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] – 5/16/2011
Sen Bingaman, Jeff [NM] – 3/28/2011
Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] – 2/15/2012
Sen Cardin, Benjamin L. [MD] – 3/17/2011
Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA] – 12/6/2011
Sen Coons, Christopher A. [DE] – 5/9/2011
Sen Corker, Bob [TN] – 3/17/2011
Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA] – 2/9/2012
Sen Franken, Al [MN] – 3/26/2012
Sen Harkin, Tom [IA] – 3/19/2012
Sen Isakson, Johnny [GA] – 3/17/2011
Sen Johnson, Tim [SD] – 4/4/2011
Sen Klobuchar, Amy [MN] – 5/16/2011
Sen Kohl, Herb [WI] – 7/20/2011
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] – 3/28/2011
Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] – 3/17/2011
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] – 9/15/2011
Sen Merkley, Jeff [OR] – 5/23/2011
Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. [MD] – 11/15/2011
Sen Murray, Patty [WA] – 5/11/2011
Sen Reed, Jack [RI] – 7/18/2011
Sen Reid, Harry [NV] – 3/17/2011
Sen Roberts, Pat [KS] – 3/17/2011
Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] – 2/13/2012
Sen Shaheen, Jeanne [NH] – 7/7/2011
Sen Whitehouse, Sheldon [RI] – 5/11/2011
Pressure Building for House Markup of H.R. 3658
With the June 19 approval of S. 641 by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, advocates are putting pressure on the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) to schedule a markup of H.R. 3658, the companion bill to S. 641, the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act.
This year offers a crucial opportunity to get the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act passed. This Congress doesn’t have much to show for the past two years, and needs to find legislation all sides can agree on. The Water for the World Act is a great opportunity for Congress to enact something all Americans can support!
House members, especially Republicans on HFAC and the House Republican leadership, need to hear from their colleagues that there is no reason to delay marking up H.R. 3658, since individual HFAC members have told us they support WASH initiatives as a USAID priority. A very short email to these Representatives, who can be found here, is a good way to encourage them to demonstrate their support.
We should not neglect to thank those who have already cosponsored! Below is a list of current co-sponsors of H.R. 3658, at 59 as of June 28.
House Cosponsors of H.R. 3658 (with date of cosponsorship)
Rep Bass, Karen [CA-33] – 12/14/2011
Rep Berman, Howard L. [CA-28] – 12/14/2011
Rep Bishop, Sanford D., Jr. [GA-2] – 3/21/2012
Rep Bordallo, Madeleine Z. [GU] – 3/21/2012
Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] – 12/14/2011
Rep Capuano, Michael E. [MA-8] – 4/16/2012
Rep Carnahan, Russ [MO-3] – 12/14/2011
Rep Clarke, Hansen [MI-13] – 6/26/2012
Rep Cole, Tom [OK-4] – 1/24/2012
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] – 12/14/2011
Rep Davis, Geoff [KY-4] – 6/26/2012
Rep Dold, Robert J. [IL-10] – 4/17/2012
Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] – 3/21/2012
Rep Emerson, Jo Ann [MO-8] – 1/31/2012
Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] – 4/16/2012
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] – 3/21/2012
Rep Gutierrez, Luis V. [IL-4] – 3/21/2012
Rep Herger, Wally [CA-2] – 6/21/2012
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] – 3/27/2012
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2] – 3/27/2012
Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] – 1/31/2012
Rep Keating, William R. [MA-10] – 3/21/2012
Rep Lance, Leonard [NJ-7] – 6/21/2012
Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] – 12/14/2011
Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] – 3/21/2012
Rep Manzullo, Donald A. [IL-16] – 6/2/2012
Rep McCaul, Michael T. [TX-10] – 12/14/2011
Rep McCollum, Betty [MN-4] – 3/21/2012
Rep McDermott, Jim [WA-7] – 12/16/2011
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] – 12/14/2011
Rep McNerney, Jerry [CA-11] – 4/16/2012
Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] – 4/16/2012
Rep Miller, George [CA-7] – 3/21/2012
Rep Moran, James P. [VA-8] – 3/21/2012
Rep Paulsen, Erik [MN-3] – 6/27/2012
Rep Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10] – 12/14/2011
Rep Petri, Thomas E. [WI-6] – 6/26/2012
Rep Pingree, Chellie [ME-1] – 3/21/2012
Rep Poe, Ted [TX-2] – 12/14/2011
Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] – 3/21/2012
Rep Reyes, Silvestre [TX-16] – 6/26/2012
Rep Ribble, Reid J. [WI-8] – 6/26/2012
Rep Rohrabacher, Dana [CA-46] – 6/26/2012
Rep Rothman, Steven R. [NJ-9] – 6/21/2012
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] – 3/27/2012
Rep Schiff, Adam B. [CA-29] – 5/18/2012
Rep Schilling, Robert T. [IL-17] – 6/21/2012
Rep Schock, Aaron [IL-18] – 12/16/2011
Rep Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [WI-5] – 6/26/2012
Rep Sires, Albio [NJ-13] – 12/14/2011
Rep Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [NY-28] – 3/27/2012
Rep Smith, Adam [WA-9] – 12/14/2011
Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] – 6/26/2012
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13] – 4/17/2012
Rep Terry, Lee [NE-2] – 6/26/2012
Rep Towns, Edolphus [NY-10] – 3/27/2012
Rep Walsh, Joe [IL-8] – 6/27/2012
Rep Waxman, Henry A. [CA-30] – 6/21/2012
Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] – 3/21/2012
See our stories in the News section of this site for more updates on the appropriations bill as we move forward.