Rep. Cox Signs on to Effort to Prevent Water Shutoffs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Last week, Rep. TJ Cox joined fellow Members of Congress in sending a letter led by Rep. Brenda Lawrence (MI-14) urging Congressional leaders to prioritize $47.5 billion in water funding as part of the COVID-19 stimulus package. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to put the livelihoods of millions of Americans in jeopardy, communities of color, low-income communities, rural communities, and indigenous communities across the Central Valley will be even more vulnerable to water shutoffs or unaffordable water service rates. To combat this crisis, the letter includes three major requests for upcoming economic stimulus packages:
- First, the next federal coronavirus stimulus package must contain $12.5 billion in immediate assistance to cover the cost of nationwide low-income water billing assistance, service restorations, shutoff moratoriums, and household water bill debt forgiveness.
- Second, all states, localities, and utilities receiving those funds must be required to stop all water shutoffs and to restore service to previously disconnected customers.
- Finally, Congress must allocate $35 billion in annual federal funding for public clean water and drinking water providers to improve our water infrastructure, make service more affordable, stimulate the economy and create up to nearly 1 million jobs across the country.
“Central Valley families are already paying outrageous prices for water. This emergency is going to put potable water out of reach for thousands if we don’t step in and keep the taps flowing,” said Rep. Cox “We also must make water more reliable and affordable for the future, because it’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity.”
These requests are supported in a letter from nearly 50 national organizations including: American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO; Center for Biological Diversity; Food & Water Action; Human Rights Watch; Local Progress; the NAACP; NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.; National Drinking Water Alliance; Rural Community Assistance Partnership; Sierra Club; Sisters of Charity Federation; and others, as well as local and statewide organizations from 30 states.