We strengthened protections for vital wetlands. And last year, we launched a new Clean Water Action Plan to help finish the job the Clean Water Act started 25 years ago. We can all be proud of the progress we've made so far, but when 40 percent of our nation's surveyed waterways are still too polluted for swimming or fishing, we know we have to do more. Like many Americans, I was shocked to learn that several young children became gravely ill last week after swimming in a lake that may have been contaminated with e. coli bacteria. That is simply unacceptable.
Parents have a right to expect that our recreational waters are safe for their children to swim in.
All Americans have a right to expect we're doing all we can to clean up our waterways. So today, I'm pleased to announce that we're taking new action to ensure that every river, lake and bay in America is clean and safe. These steps will chart a course to clean up 20,000 waterways, and ensure that they remain safe for generations to come. But just as we're taking new action to preserve our environment for future generations, the Republican leadership in Congress is laying plans to roll back more than a quarter century of bipartisan progress in public health and environmental protection. They short-change vital research and development programs that address the threat of global warming, that help us to develop alternative fuels in vehicles that pollute less, and to make the maximum use of available energy conservation technologies.