Washington, D.C. | June 19, 201
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved S. 641, the Sen. Paul Simon Water for the World Act, and recommends its passage to the full U.S. Senate.
Lead sponsors Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL, and Majority Whip in the Senate), and Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) are seeking to make needed changes in the implementation of current law, and to help USAID focus programming in more effective ways. Among other things, the bill would strengthen U.S capability to monitor progress in WASH initiatives, help build local capacity, and direct focus to communities most in need of assistance.
Different from the previous version of the bill, which the Senate unanimously approved in 2010, S. 641 includes a 25% matching requirement for implementing organizations working under grants from USAID. MWA encourages the Senate to bring it to floor consideration, and also the House Foreign Affairs Committee to schedule a markup for S. 641’s companion bill in the House, H.R. 3658.
Thanks and congratulations to all of you who signed letters, made calls, and did other things to help get us to this point!