With the health of adults and children in New Jersey and throughout America at risk, New Jersey State AFL-CIO-endorsed Rep. Chris Smith, R-4th District, has reintroduced a bipartisan bill to get rid of lead pipes in water systems.
The Get the Lead Out Act – HR-3300 – would allot $66.2 billion so that all water utilities in America can find and remove lead service lines like the ones in Newark, Trenton and Hamilton that made national headlines.
“Congressman Smith has once again shown his concern for the well-being of working families not only in his district but all over the country,” New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech said. “Lead in water has been proven to hurt adults and cause developmental problems in children. Every American has the right to safe, clean drinking water.
“We know that this work, which should be done by union tradespeople to ensure the highest levels of quality, will restore Americans’ confidence in the water that comes out of their taps,” President Wowkanech continued.
Congressman Smith and Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, first introduced Get the Lead Out in 2020, and currently are the only sponsors of the current version. “We respectfully ask the New Jersey congressional delegation to cosponsor this important bill,” President Wowkanech concluded, “and urge Congress to pass it quickly and send it to the president for his signature.”