Herseth Sandlin, Walz, King Committed to Lewis and Clark
By Representatives Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD), Tim Walz (D-MN) and Steve King (R-IA)
February 15, 2008

Last week, President Bush released his budget blueprint for fiscal year 2009. As Members of Congress who represent parts of Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota that will be served by the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System, we were very disappointed to see that the President recommended no funding for this vital infrastructure project.

Like our predecessors, we have worked together with President Bush on this project so that the next generation of Iowans, Minnesotans and South Dakotans will have a safe and secure water supply. Since 2001, each and every budget proposal of the President’s recommended funding for this project, so it is a surprise to us that his administration has not recommended funding this year. We disagree with that choice, and once again we will work together in Congress, as Democrats and Republicans, to provide this vital project with the funding it needs.

When completed, the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System will provide safe drinking water to over 300,000 people in a roughly 5,000 square mile area including parts of South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota. Reliable access to clean drinking water isn’t a partisan issue. It’s about public health and economic development – the very future of the communities the project will serve. We pledge to work across state and party lines to provide this project with the resources it needs for completion.

In 2001, President Bush came to Sioux Falls and said, “A priority is to work with states on important development projects. And the Lewis & Clark Rural Water Project is a project that will be in my budget, and something that we can work together on.” Officials at the local and state level took the President at his word, and they have demonstrated their strong financial commitment to Lewis and Clark.

Together with the Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota state governments, 17 of 20 local municipalities participating in this project have already paid almost $106 million toward the Lewis & Clark project. This fulfills the state and local share of the cost almost a decade in advance of the project’s completion. Since the federal government first committed money to the project in 2000, Congress has committed nearly $111 million to the project. Together, we have already made significant progress toward completion and we will not let the lack of a Presidential budget recommendation stall our progress.

As Democrats and Republicans, our team remains committed to working together, without partisan interest, to advocate for funding the Lewis & Clark Regional Water Project.

To be sure, starting from zero presents a very difficult challenge, but we are committed to ensuring that thousands of rural Americans in Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa can access clean water to encourage economic development and ensure long term health and prosperity of our communities, families and businesses.