[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 10, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  MANMADE DISASTER IN FLINT, MICHIGAN

  (Ms. LEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues in decrying this 
manmade disaster that is affecting the residents in the city of Flint, 
Michigan.
  Every day we learn more about how the Governor and Michigan public 
officials made decisions that sacrificed the health and futures of the 
Flint residents in order to save a few dollars. That is just plain 
wrong. The people of Flint deserve better. We cannot stand silent while 
Americans, while children, are poisoned.
  Flint is a majority African American city, and the average household 
income is just $24,834--that is a year--which is barely half of 
Michigan's average household income. Would the same decisions have been 
made had this been in an affluent community? I doubt it.
  Earlier today, this House passed the bipartisan Safe Drinking Water 
Act Improved Compliance Awareness Act, but we can and must do more to 
prevent this from ever happening again.
  Our response must be comprehensive and urgent. It is a state of 
emergency that requires Members of Congress to find all of the Federal 
resources possible to demonstrate that we are really and truly our 
brothers' and sisters' keeper.

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