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A House and Senate conference committee is underway to reconcile the differences between their respective economic recovery bills, H.R. 1 and S. 336.  Both the House and Senate bills spend over $800 billion to help pull the country out of recession, but there are very significant differences between the bills that have to be worked out before final passage.  Congress aims to have the final version of the bill finished and sent to the President before next week’s President's Day Recess.

NACWA is urging members to contact their Member of Congress now to ask them to support NACWA’s recommendations for the final conference package.  Specifically, NACWA recommends that the final package for the Clean Water SRF funds includes $6 billion for investments in the program, requires States to distribute at least 50% of the funds in the form of grants, principal forgiveness or negative interest loans; and, that NO affordability criteria restriction be placed on those funds.

Please email any feedback you receive to NACWA’s Pat Sinicropi, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or Byron DeLuke, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You can also contact them with questions or if you need information about your Senator’s contact information.

Additional Background Information:

1. Provide $6 billion to CWSRF program: The House package contains $6 billion for the CWSRF program while the Senate package provides $4 billion.  NACWA is urging Congress to include $6 billion in the final package.  NACWA members have over $17 billion in ready-to-go wastewater infrastructure projects.
   
   
2. Require at least 50% of the CWSRF funds to be distributed in the form of grants, principal forgiveness or negative interest loans. Both the House and Senate packages provide some allowance for distribution of wastewater infrastructure funding to be in the form of grants, principal forgiveness or negative interest loans. The Senate bill provides complete discretion to the States on the amount of additional subsidization provided to communities with the possibility of States distributing 100% of the funds in the form of principal forgiveness, grants, or negative interest loans.  The House package requires States to distribute only 50% of the funds in the form of additional subsidization.   NACWA supports a middle ground:   a minimum requirement of 50% for States to distribute wastewater infrastructure funding in the form of grants, principal forgiveness or negative interest loans.
   
   
3. No affordability criteria restrictions should be placed on State’s ability to distribute additional subsidization dollars. The Senate package provides complete flexibility to the States to determine which communities should receive additional subsidization dollars under the stimulus program for the CWSRF. The House requires States to distribute additional subsidies only to communities that meet affordability criteria which in most states would prevent any metropolitan areas from receiving any level of grants, principal forgiveness or negative interest loans.  NACWA urges that the final package follows the Senate proposal and allow the States complete discretion to determine which communities receive additional subsidization dollars.  In this economic crisis, all communities are struggling financially, regardless of their size, and should have access to additional subsidies if they are available.

The House and Senate Conferees are:

House Conferees:
Congressman Charlie Rangel, Chairman, House Ways and Means Committee (D-NY)
Congressman David Obey, Chairman, House Appropriations Committee (D-WI)
Congressman Henry Waxman, Chairman, House Energy and Commerce Committee (D-CA)
Congressman Jerry Lewis, Ranking Member, House Appropriations Committee (R-CA)
Congressman David Camp, Member, House Ways and Means Committee (R-MI)

Senate Conferees:
Senator Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader (D-NV)
Senator Max Baucus, Chairman, Senate Finance Committee (D-MT)
Senator Daniel Inouye, Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee (D-HI)
Senator Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader (R-KY)
Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member, Senate Finance Committee (R-IA)

Please contact either these Members on the Conference committee directly or ask your member to contact them on your behalf of your message.

Again, the bill will likely be finalized before the end of the week, and then be sent to the President for his signature.

Please Act Now!