[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 40 (Monday, March 14, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1464-S1465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. BOXER:
  S. 2674. A bill to authorize the President to provide major disaster 
assistance for lead contamination of drinking water from public water 
systems; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, today I rise to address the crisis of lead 
contamination in drinking water that we are seeing all across this 
Nation. It is time for us to come together and solve these problems. We 
have all been outraged by the crisis in Flint, where we know children 
and families are being poisoned by lead in their drinking water.
  My colleagues from Michigan, Senators Stabenow and Peters, have an 
excellent bipartisan bill--which Senator Inhofe and I helped to 
negotiate--that would provide emergency relief to address this crisis. 
The people of Flint need this relief now. So I call on any of those 
holding up this bill to get out of the way and let this legislation 
pass immediately. The crisis in Flint has also brought attention to the 
broader issue of lead in drinking water in communities throughout our 
Nation.
  I want to read to you some headlines from just the last few weeks. 
Here is one from the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, MS: ``Pregnant women, 
kids cautioned over Jackson water, lead.'' That is February 25, 2016.
  From Newsweek: ``With lead in the water, could Sebring, Ohio, become 
the next Flint?'' That is January, 27, 2016.
  From the Associated Press: ``Elevated Lead Levels Found in Newark 
Schools' Drinking Water.''
  In Charlotte, the Charlotte Observer: ``Lead in water not confined to 
Flint.'' That is January 30, 2016.
  Whether it is Flint, MI; Newark, NJ; Jackson, MS; or Durham, NC--or 
shall I name some places that are going to hit us--the American people 
have a right to expect clean, safe drinking water when they turn on 
their faucets.
  It is clear that this is a national crisis that demands a national 
solution going forward. So that is why today I have introduced new 
legislation, the Lead in Drinking Water Disaster Act. We are doing this 
because, should there be more Flints, we want to have a better way to 
move forward.
  Currently, the President can declare a major disaster for 
catastrophes such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, 
storms, droughts, fires, floods, and explosions. Now, sometimes those 
fires, floods, and explosions are manmade and, yet, we are able to act 
through FEMA, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But lead in 
drinking water is not on the list of major disasters covered under 
FEMA's rules.
  It is critical that future Presidents do not have their hands tied 
because the definition of a major disaster does not include lead in 
drinking water. My bill ensures that a lead-contamination crisis would 
be considered a disaster, which it clearly is.
  Take a look at the color of the water coming out of the fountains 
here--the faucets. Nobody could face this in their homes. You would get 
your kids out of there so fast. Current law doesn't think this is a 
disaster. So I think this simple way I have of moving forward should be 
attractive to colleagues. I hope they will sign on to this very simple 
bill.
  The way it would work is that the Governor in any State that is hit 
by this would ask the President for a major disaster declaration. So 
for all of my colleagues who feel we should process these things 
through the State, that is exactly what happens in my bill. If the 
President agrees, FEMA would provide immediate assistance to protect 
families from lead in the water.
  What we do in this legislation is we name several agencies who would 
help create the plan to address the emergency. It would be, in addition 
to FEMA, Health and Human Services, the EPA, and the Army Corps of 
Engineers. They would work together to create a plan to resolve the 
crisis.
  We can see what is happening to the kids in Flint. Instead of doing 
their afterschool activities--look how sweet they are--they are 
carrying bottles of water throughout their community.
  Look, there is no safe level of lead for children. The effects of 
exposure are generally irreversible. Lead harms the developing brains 
and nervous systems of children and babies. It can cause miscarriage, 
stillbirths, and infertility in both men and women. People with 
prolonged exposure to lead may be at risk for high blood pressure, 
heart disease, and kidney disease.

[[Page S1465]]

  What is the extent of this problem? Millions of homes across America 
receive water from pipes that date back to an era before scientists 
knew of the harm caused by lead exposure. While we take steps toward 
investing in modernizing our water infrastructure, which I hope we will 
do as we write a new Water Resources Development Act--Senator Inhofe 
and I are very hard at work in doing just that--we also have to step in 
and help communities that are in crisis right now.
  I want to conclude with this. Again, take a look at the drinking 
water coming out of the tap. Would anyone in the Senate stand still for 
a minute if their children or grandchildren were in a situation where 
this was the drinking water, this was the bathing water? We know there 
is no way we would ever allow that to happen.
  No American should ever have to drink water that puts their health 
and the health of their children at risk. I hope we take action by 
passing the emergency legislation by the Michigan Senators this week. 
The children and families of Flint should not have to wait one more 
day.
  After we pass that measure, which addresses itself just to Flint, MI, 
I hope we will take up my legislation to help future Presidents address 
this public health threat, which is going to pop up all over this great 
Nation of ours. We must be prepared. We cannot tie the hands of this 
President or any future President.
                                 ______