Click here or on the image above to watch Senator Capito’s remarks.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairman of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee’s Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee, issued the following statement after the committee’s markup of America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 and the Drinking Water Infrastructure Act of 2020. Both bills passed out of committee unanimously.
“Today’s markup was an important step in getting communities across the country the support they need to meet their water demands,” Senator Capito said. “Water infrastructure investment benefits the public health and economic success of our state. Through my chairmanship, I was able to ensure that the particular needs of our region were addressed by securing $120 million for drinking water and wastewater investments specifically in central Appalachia. The bill also supports rehabilitation of our inland waterway infrastructure, such as locks and dams, and improvements to flood control projects. I’ve made sure to look out for smaller water systems, like many in southern West Virginia, by creating a new grant program that responds to their unique needs. I want to thank Chairman Barrasso and Ranking Member Carper for their leadership, and I’m looking forward to moving forward and getting these water infrastructure resources to communities that need them.”
The America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020—led by EPW Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-Dele.) and co-authored by Senators Capito and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) who serve as chairman and ranking member of the EPW Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure—includes approximately $17 billion in new federal authorizations. Specifically, the bill will support our nation’s economic competitiveness by increasing water storage, providing protection from dangerous floodwaters, deepening nationally significant ports, and maintaining the navigability of inland waterways across the country. It will also repair aging wastewater and irrigation systems.
The Drinking Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 includes approximately $2.5 billion in federal authorizations. It reauthorizes programs under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to provide resources and technical assistance to communities to help meet their drinking water needs. The legislation also includes the requirement of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set a maximum contaminant level (MCL) on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a standard Senator Capito has advocated for extensively. Learn more about Senator Capito’s work on PFAS here.
BACKGROUND:
This legislation co-authored by Senator Capito builds on the bipartisan success of the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA), which President Trump signed into law on October 19, 2018. AWIA was the most sweeping infrastructure legislation to be considered last Congress. The bipartisan water infrastructure legislation increased water storage, authorized federal funding for water projects, reduced flood risks, and improved drinking water systems. The bipartisan legislation passed the Senate by a vote of 99 to 1.
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