Water Resources Technical Assistance Review Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3427, as amended, a bill which I am co-leading with my colleague from Ohio (Mr. Taylor). I thank Congressman Taylor for his leadership on this issue and for recognizing the importance of this issue.

This bill directs the Government Accountability Office to review the technical assistance programs created to help underserved, rural, and Tribal communities obtain critical investment for their water infrastructure needs.

In March, the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment heard testimony from witnesses across the country on how these programs are critical to economically disadvantaged communities and rural communities.

Without the seed money and discretion provided by EPA, many underserved, rural, and Tribal communities simply do not have the staff, the resources, or the capacity to even apply for Federal assistance when it is available.

Unfortunately, in its fiscal year '26 budget request, the administration proposed to virtually eliminate funding for clean water- related infrastructure projects, but it also proposes to cut the Technical Assistance for Treatment Works Grant Program by over 60 percent.

These cuts ignore the water infrastructure needs of our most vulnerable communities, which includes a large part of the communities that I have the privilege of serving in Alabama. Rural communities, Tribal, and economically distressed communities in every State need this sort of assistance.

The message from the administration to these communities is: We will no longer help you meet your critical infrastructure needs. You are on your own.

I don't think that should be the case. Mr. Speaker, many of the communities that I have the privilege to represent historically have been passed over for critical infrastructure investments, and they need these investments, communities like Prichard, Alabama, and Greenville, Alabama, who are struggling with clean water issues and infrastructure issues as we sit here today.

The technical assistance provided by the EPA to be able to affordably meet their basic clean water and drinking water needs is something that they must have.

This GAO study will help identify how EPA implements the technical assistance programs established in the Clean Water Act, as well as any essential services for economically distressed, rural, and Tribal communities that continue to go unmet through these programs.

My hope is that these findings will, again, demonstrate how critical clean water infrastructure and technical assistance investments are to struggling American communities, especially to our rural communities.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 3427, as amended. I urge my colleagues to do the same, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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