{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-cosponsors-bipartisan-legislation-to-renovate-repair-and-modernize-rural-water-infrastructure", "King Cosponsors Bipartisan Legislation to Renovate, Repair, and Modernize Rural Water Infrastructure", "2020-10-07", "2020", "2020-10", "Independent", "House", "ME", "Angus King", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON,\r\nD.C.  U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) is cosponsoring bipartisan\r\nlegislation that would provide rural communities under significant financial\r\nstrain due to the coronavirus pandemic emergency assistance to repair,\r\nmodernize and renovate failing water infrastructure. TheEmergency\r\nSupport for Rural Water Systems Actwould provide $1 billion in\r\nemergency grants, low- and zero-interest loans and loan forgiveness for\r\nstruggling small and rural water and wastewater systems across the nation.  Water and\r\nwastewater management systems are key to maintaining healthy communities, but\r\nmany small systems in rural areas are currently facing severe financial\r\nhardships due to the coronavirus pandemic through no fault of their own, said\r\nSenator King. Maine is one of the most rural states in the nation, and\r\nthat's why I'm cosponsoring this bill to help rural water and wastewater\r\nsystems continue their work, upgrade their infrastructure, and ensure residents\r\nin rural areas can maintain the water quality they deserve.  \"When the\r\nCOVID-19 pandemic brought daily life to a screeching halt the water and\r\nwastewater utilities of Maine didn't miss a beat in providing critical service\r\nto their communities, said Kirsten Hebert, Executive Director of the Maine\r\nRural Water Association. Many of these utilities' costs ballooned while\r\nutility payments fell due to the financial hardships our neighbors faced. This\r\nlegislation would help make water and wastewater utilities whole again and\r\nbetter enable them to continue providing the excellent public health services\r\non which our communities rely.\"  Small rural\r\nwater and wastewater systems are facing expected losses of at least $3.6\r\nbillion this year. According the Rural\r\nCommunity Assistance Partnership (RCAP), several of Maine's small systems\r\nin the RCAP network are struggling with maintaining their systems, working with\r\ncompliance regulations, and facing improvement delays and limitations due to\r\nfinancial difficulties. As the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic\r\ncontinue, it is estimated 30 percent of systems on a national level and 13\r\npercent of Maine systems in the RCAP network cannot last more than six months\r\nunder current financial conditions. TheEmergency Support for Rural\r\nWater Systems Actwould allow rural communities to make necessary\r\nimprovements and repairs to critical water infrastructure and ensure residents\r\nof these rural communities continue to have access to clean drinking water and\r\nwastewater treatment services.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-cosponsors-bipartisan-legislation-to-renovate-repair-and-modernize-rural-water-infrastructure"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.788875252008438, "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"}