Clean Water Current

(April 30, 2019) – President Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) met today to discuss the possibility of a bipartisan infrastructure deal, and early reports indicate they reached agreement on the outlines of a $2 trillion infrastructure package.  In advance of the meeting, NACWA was active in the media pushing for inclusion of water as a key component of any agreement. 

Details on the agreement reached at today’s White House meeting are still emerging, and it appears the White House and Congressional Democrats have not reached agreement on how to pay for the infrastructure package – something that could be a major sticking point for talks going forward. 

Still, the announcement indicates that infrastructure investment remains one of the few current areas of potential bipartisan agreement in Washington, DC.  The President and Congressional leaders are expected to meet again in the coming weeks to continue discussions. 

Prior to the meeting, Pelosi and Schumer sent a letter to the White House expressing their desire that water and resiliency issues be included in any package.  This echoes the message the water sector has been advancing, including during Water Week 2019 earlier this month, and reiterates the continued success of the sector’s call to elevate water as a national priority. 

Related to the meeting, NACWA CEO Adam Krantz was quoted in The Hill newspaper, an influential Washington publication, outlining the importance of additional federal infrastructure investment to help address cost and affordability issues.  NACWA continues to be viewed as a key source of information and analysis by the media on water issues, particularly around the need for greater infrastructure investment. 

NACWA will continue to track development around the potential infrastructure package and keep members updated.