WIN: Congressman Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.), Chairman of the House Water Resources & Environment Subcommittee, announced at a recent briefing: "Through the House Water Infrastructure Caucus, we are laying the groundwork for WATER 21, which would use the surplus to infuse $50 billion over five years for needed drinking water and wastewater infrastructure." Following the House environmental leaders announcement, plans for WATER 21 got underway with a series of meetings by our Water Infrastructure Network (WIN), a coalition of 30 organizations, in which we are active, developing a consensus-based "white-paper." The white paper, WATER 21, will present recommendations to the 107th Congress in February that address our nation's water infrastructure funding gap.

CONGRESS: In January, the new Chairman for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will be Don Young (R-Alaska). The current chairman, Bud Shuster (R-PA), will take over the chairmanship of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Ground Transportation, which handles highway and transit legislation. Congressman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) will remain the ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. In the Senate, Bob Smith (R-NH) will remain Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) becomes the ranking member on the committee. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), the current ranking member, will become the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee.