Washington, D.C. | May 30, 2012
The House version of Water for the World reflects what the sector has learned in the seven years of implementation of the original Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act (Public Law 109-121). As outlined in the above side-by- side comparison, the House bill does not set a population target, but it makes a number of key improvements in the way USAID reports on and directs WASH programs.
Very importantly, we see this bill as not proposing any new costs. It does not call for the creation of new offices or the hiring of additional personnel at USAID; rather, it focuses on how programs can be more effectively coordinated and how USAID can partner more effectively with NGOs to bring to scale sustainable WASH programs.
Ultimately, our goal is to help empower countries to move toward full coverage with safe and reliable water and sanitation systems, with less and less need for foreign assistance.
HR 3658 was drafted by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) a longtime champion for WASH. Rep. Blumenauer was joined in the bill by Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), a strong voice on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Together, they have introduced a bipartisan bill we strongly support, and are gaining new House cosponsors every week (42 as of May 30, 2012).
Go to http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.3658.IH: to see the text of entire bill, read a summary, or check on current cosponsors.
MWA drafted and was joined by 51 other organizations in a coalition letter urging support for HR 3658 and S. 641. Here is the letter supporting the House bill: Organizational Sign-On Letter for HR 3658 February 2012
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