{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-celebrates-decades-long-initiative-bringing-clean-water-to-iowa", "Grassley Celebrates Decades-Long Initiative Bringing Clean Water to Iowa", "2024-10-28", "2024", "2024-10", "Republican", "Senate", "IA", "Chuck Grassley", "G000386", "www.grassley.senate.gov", "grassley", "https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases", "scraper", "OSCEOLA COUNTY, IOWA \u2013 U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today delivered remarks in Sibley at a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating its connection to the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System. Grassley discussed his longtime support of the clean water initiative and thanked local leaders for their hard work and dedication to the project.\n\n\u201cOver 30 years ago, community leaders began dreaming of a way to provide safe, clean water to hundreds of thousands of Iowans and Midwesterners. After decades of perseverance, we\u2019re seeing that dream come to fruition,\u201d Grassley said. \u201cWhile today marks the final connection to the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System, you can be sure of my continued support through future construction and expansion projects.\u201d\n\nDownload photos HERE. Grassley\u2019s prepared remarks follow.\n\nLewis and Clark Regional Water System Ribbon Cutting\n\nSibley Meter Building, Sibley\n\nMonday, October 28, 2024\n\nGood morning, it\u2019s a pleasure to join you for this occasion.\n\nYou\u2019ve come a long way to bring reliable drinking water to rural communities in Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota.\n\nI\u2019ve enjoyed witnessing your accomplishments and helping on the federal level.\n\nLet\u2019s talk about the beginning for a minute.\n\nWith a mission dedicated to bringing safe drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people, I recall working with a group of senators on the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System Act of 1999.\n\nThis bill came about to support the local efforts to ensure that folks had access to clean water.\n\nShallow wells and contamination were very real concerns for the water resources in this part of the state and country.\n\nMurray Hulstein of Sioux Center, Red Arndt of Minnesota, Troy and others may recall some of these early efforts and conversations.\n\nAs you know from my standing here today, the passage of that bill came in 2000. Now that\u2019s not to say that since 2000 the path to get towns connected to the water system was easy.\n\nHowever, the perseverance and dedication of many has led to this ribbon cutting to celebrate Sibley as the most recent town to get connected.\n\nIt has also provided hundreds of thousands of people access to clean and safe drinking water.\n\nSince the 2000s, I\u2019ve viewed my support for this initiative as an investment in our communities.\n\nThis investment was made possible because of the hard work of [those] here today and [those] who were champions for this effort in the past.\n\nSo, I\u2019d like to close with a comment of gratitude.\n\nThank you to those with Lewis and Clark that have been tirelessly committed to improving their communities. Your work has made a real impact.\n\nGod bless you.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-celebrates-decades-long-initiative-bringing-clean-water-to-iowa"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0263270232826471, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}