Dec 19, 2025
Press
Tlaib, Dingell Lead 43 Colleagues in Requesting the Senate Maintain $250 million for Lead Service Line Replacement
| WASHINGTON – Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI-06) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), co-chairs of the Get The Lead Out Caucus, today led 43 of their House Colleagues in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins and Vice Chair Patty Murray requesting that the Senate oppose the repurposing of $250 million that was appropriated for FY2026 by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for lead service line replacement. “To urgently achieve the decade-long task of removing lead service lines once and for all, it is crucial that this funding be protected. Too often, our local communities do not have the resources and capacity to address this health risk without a more aggressive funding approach to this growing crisis,” the lawmakers wrote. “EPA data show there are millions of lead pipes still supplying drinking water in districts throughout all 50 states and territories. The wide distribution of lead service lines threatens the health and safety of our constituents, and especially our children who are particularly vulnerable to lead.” “While it has been estimated that removing all the nation’s lead service lines will require at least $45 billion, the benefits of removing these lead pipes and reducing the health impacts of lead in tap water far outweigh these costs. EPA found that the benefits of removing lead pipes and reducing lead levels in tap water exceed the costs by more than tenfold,” the lawmakers continued. “These benefits include protecting about a million infants from low birthweight-related complications, preventing thousands of children from suffering from ADHD, and avoiding 1,500 fatal heart attacks. Reducing lead levels in tap water also will reduce the damage to Americans’ kidneys and immune, reproductive, and nervous systems. A more comprehensive assessment by academic experts found that the total benefits of reducing lead levels in tap water are at least 35 times higher than the costs. Other independent analyses have confirmed that simply removing lead service lines will yield benefits of at least 14 times the costs over coming decades.” “Ensuring that the full existing IIJA funding for removing lead service lines is retained will help keep us on track with the decades-long objective of ensuring that tens of millions of Americans’ tap water in every state in the union is protected,” the lawmakers concluded. “We therefore urge you to ensure that the IIJA funding for lead service line replacement is retained in full. Too many communities still lack access to safe drinking water and this increase in funding is needed to help ensure everyone has clean water.” View the full text of the letter here. The letter is signed by Representatives Paul D. Tonko, Robin L. Kelly, Troy A. Carter, Sr., Robert J. Menendez, Darren Soto, Greg Landsman, Haley M. Stevens, Ted W. Lieu, Kristen McDonald Rivet, Cleo Fields, LaMonica McIver, Summer L. Lee, André Carson, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Gwen S. Moore, John W. Mannion, Shri Thanedar, Eric Sorensen, Steve Cohen, Delia C. Ramirez, Dan Goldman, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Sara Jacobs, Julia Brownley, Derek T. Tran, Pramila Jayapal, Frederica S. Wilson, Maggie Goodlander, Seth Moulton, Dwight Evans, Nikki Budzinski, Gabe Amo, Donald S. Beyer Jr., Bennie G. Thompson, Jerrold Nadler, Mark Pocan, Maxine Waters, Grace Meng, Sarah McBride, Angie Craig, James P. McGovern, Marcy Kaptur, and Jesús G. “Chuy” García. |
###