Key Issues for Congress

摘要

The 113th session of the US Congress is well under way. For the water community, two issues will dominate the legislative arena in this session: water infrastructure finance and cybersecurity. Yes, fierce partisanship still causes legislative gridlock on many issues, but infrastructure investment and security are among the few areas where legislators can come together. The understanding that investment in infrastructure creates jobs has been around since President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. However, in recent years-thanks to the efforts of water professionals, associations such as AWWA, and a few policymakers-there is increased appreciation of the value of investing in water infrastructure. The messages have been on three fronts: (1) much of the nation's water infrastructure is coming due for replacement; (2) a sound water infrastructure is necessary for a community's public health, environmental health, public safety, and economic viability; and (3) investing in water infrastructure creates jobs-not only immediate construction-related jobs, but other jobs as well.