In this Huffington Post opinion piece, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) writes about access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation among the world’s poor, stating, “As America prepares for the holiday season … I hope that Congress will give a gift of life, health and hope by helping people around the world with something that most Americans take for granted: safe drinking water.”

He notes that a lack of access to clean water and sanitation among the world’s poor “poses a significant challenge for development and security around the world, reinforcing a cycle of poverty and instability that represents both a humanitarian disaster and a national security threat.” He says the Water for the World Act of 2012 “doesn’t ask for any increase in funding, but rather improves the effectiveness, transparency and accountability of international aid programs” and provides the State Department and USAID “the tools needed to leverage the investments they are already making by elevating the current positions within the [agencies] to coordinate the diplomatic policy of the U.S. on global freshwater issues and to implement country-specific water strategies.” He concludes, “It’s time for Congress to act again” (12/13).