[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 135 (Thursday, September 8, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H5171-H5172]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        DEMANDING ACTION ON FLINT, MICHIGAN, AND THE ZIKA VIRUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lee) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues who are 
demanding action for the families in Flint, Michigan. First, I want to 
acknowledge many Members of the Michigan delegation, led by Flint's 
Representative, Congressman Dan Kildee, who are fighting every day to 
bring justice to these families. Their work is essential to ensuring 
the people of Flint have the resources that they need to recover.
  Mr. Speaker, the situation in Flint is nothing short of a tragedy, 
and a tragedy that could have been prevented. Michigan State officials 
sacrificed the health and futures of Flint's children in order to save 
a few dollars in water costs. This really is a shame and a disgrace.

[[Page H5172]]

  Mr. Speaker, I have to ask, would this have happened in a city where 
the residents had the advantage of wealth? Or do these gross breaches 
of public trust only happen in cities where politicians believe the 
residents are expendable?
  Sadly, I think we all know the answer to that question. After the 
incredible harm that has already been done to these families, our 
elected officials are, once again, turning their backs on the people of 
Flint. These families deserve better.
  The people of Flint were already hurting before the water crisis. The 
average family income in the city is just $24,834 a year. No one can 
raise a family on that. Many of these courageous and resilient families 
struggle to find high-quality child care, access healthcare services, 
and afford healthy food. And now the costs of this crisis are mounting 
for families, the schools, and the entire community. We can, and we 
must, do more for our fellow Americans in their time of need.
  Two years since this tragedy began, families are still relying on 
bottled water for daily life. Imagine using bottled water for 
everything from brushing your teeth to making a bottle for a hungry 
baby.
  We can do better by these families. They need support, including 
health care, nutrition, specialized education, and developmental care. 
And we need to fix the root of the problem: the degraded, dangerous 
pipes, and infrastructure that caused this tragedy.
  The shortsighted, dangerous actions of Michigan officials have 
already caused unimaginable pain for these families. We cannot allow 
Congress to betray these families as well.
  Let me just say that I was part of a congressional delegation that 
traveled to Flint, Michigan, to listen to the residents regarding the 
horrendous impact of these government decisions that led to the 
poisoning of those children and families. The environmental injustice 
in Flint is an example of how many low-income communities of color 
throughout our country, not just in Flint, throughout the United 
States, an example of how they are treated differently than affluent 
communities.
  Mr. Speaker, Congressman Dan Kildee and members of the Michigan 
delegation have introduced legislation that would help these families 
rebuild their lives and get the care they need for their children. The 
Families of Flint Act, H.R. 4479, is a comprehensive plan to address 
their most urgent needs. It would provide for critical investment in 
Flint's water system to replace the lead pipes that poisoned these 
families.
  This legislation would also provide essential support services to the 
families of Flint to help these children mitigate and overcome lead 
exposure.
  These are simple, commonsense measures for the people of Flint. 
Addressing this tragedy really shouldn't be a partisan issue. Every 
Member of this Chamber should understand the need for urgent action. It 
could happen in any of our communities. Yet, congressional Republicans 
have not held one single vote, or even a hearing, on this bill. That is 
just simply outrageous.
  And let me just say that Flint is not the only public health crisis 
that congressional Republicans have ignored. There are 17,000 
Americans--including almost 1,600 pregnant women--who have contracted 
the Zika virus. The President submitted an emergency request of $1.9 
billion for Zika funding more than 6 months ago, and the Republicans 
have failed to act on it. Now, if we don't act soon, the CDC will be 
out of money to combat Zika in a matter of weeks.
  Congressional Republicans also failed to do their job on gun 
violence. Every day, more than 90 million people die from gun violence. 
This, too, is a public health crisis; but congressional Republicans, 
once again, have refused to take up any commonsense gun legislation, 
even though 91 percent of Americans support background checks to keep 
guns out of the hands of terrorists and criminals.
  It is clear that the American people need Congress to do its job. The 
women in Florida who can't leave their homes for fear of a mosquito 
bite need Congress to do its job. The families who fear gun violence on 
their block need Congress to do its job.

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