Dear Chairs Sanders and Carper and Ranking Members Cassidy and Capito:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Establishment Act and commends Senator Padilla for his leadership in introducing this bill.
The transformational funding contained in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is catalyzing the modernization of water infrastructure in communities across the U.S. Needed upgrades will undoubtedly result in increased costs that are passed onto rate payers, and such rising water bills have the potential to inadvertently and disproportionately affect the most vulnerable populations.
The legislation would ultimately combine at Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and make permanent two related programs: the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program, which was set up temporarily during the COVID pandemic at the Department of Health and Human Services to provide funds to states and tribes to pay for qualified household water bills, and a similar IIJA-authorized EPA pilot program for 40 communities.
We urge your Committees to consider and report this important bill.
Sincerely,
Chuck Chaitovitz
Vice President
Environmental Affairs and Sustainability
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
cc: Members of the Senate Committees on Environment and Public Works and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
