madam chairman , i rise to express my deep concerns about the fy06 interior and environment appropriations bill . 
this bill epitomizes the republican plan ; hand out lavish tax breaks to the wealthy while slashing crucial domestic programs . 
in this bill , there are painful cuts to a wide range of valuable programs , from epa enforcement to the land and water conservation fund . 
among them all , the cuts in clean water funding stand out as a prime example of what 's wrong with the republican budget . 
nothing is more essential to human health than clean water . 
if we follow down the path the republicans are leading us , there will be water , water everywhere , but not a drop of it to drink . 
more than three decades ago , americans rose up in outrage , appalled by our filthy rivers and lakes . 
congress responded to the clarion call for clean water with the federal water pollution control act amendments of 1972 , which evolved into the modern clean water act . 
the clean water act set the goals of zero discharge of pollutants , and achieving water that is clean enough to be `` fishable '' and `` swimmable. '' when upstream communities fail to clean up their sewage or prevent polluted runoff , downstream communities pay the price . 
beaches must be closed to protect swimmers from harmful bacteria and virus . 
fish can not be eaten , and shellfish can not be harvested . 
water must be treated more thoroughly before it can become drinking water . 
we have made enormous progress since the infamous day the cuyahoga river caught fire in 1969 . 
for three decades , the federal government has been an essential partner , working with the states to pay for clean water infrastructure . 
the key federal program today is the clean water state revolving fund , which provides funding for wastewater collection and treatment , correction of combined sewer overflows , and control of storm water and non-point source pollution . 
these funds also create good jobs for engineers , contractors , skilled laborers , and manufacturers . 
but our work is not done . 
about 45 percent of water bodies in the u.s. that have been assessed do not meet our water quality standards . 
our wastewater infrastructure is aging , and our population is growing . 
the environmental protection agency 's estimates funding needs range between $ 300 billion and $ 400 billion over the next 20 years . 
this bill turns back the clock on clean water , slashing the clean water state revolving fund for the second year in a row . 
cuts for this program total $ 500 million in this two-year period . 
this is the wrong thing to do , and the public agrees . 
a recent poll showed americans want clean water to be a national priority -- 67 percent say they prefer spending for clean and safe water over tax cuts . 
madam chairman , i also wish to state my support for the stupak amendment on sewage blending . 
`` sewage blending '' is a euphemism referring to the practice of allowing some sewage to bypass the secondary treatment phase , the phase in which toxic chemicals , viruses , parasites , and other pathogens are removed . 
the amendment would not block current practices needed to cope with heavy rains or snowmelt , but it would prevent epa from expanding the use of sewage blending . 
furthermore , i intend to support the andrews-chabot amendment to stop wasteful and destructive logging in the tongass national forest , and the hastings amendment to promote environmental justice . 
it is unconscionable that minorities and low-income communities are subjected to worse water and air pollution than other americans . 
madam chairman , clean water is precious and must be treated as such . 
for the sake of our children , and our grandchildren , let us take care of this most basic of needs : clean water . 
