[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 1358-1359]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     FLINT, MICHIGAN, WATER CRISIS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, 100,000 people in Flint, MI, have been 
poisoned, but sadly the Republicans are doing nothing. Nine thousand 
children, all under the age of 6, have been poisoned. Their brains have 
been attacked. Still, Republicans have refused to do anything to help.
  For the last 2 weeks, the Senators from Michigan have worked on an 
amendment that would allow Federal funds to address the Flint water 
crisis. Senators Stabenow and Peters worked hard to negotiate with 
Republicans. But almost having an agreement in place is not an 
agreement. We need Republicans to work with us to reach an agreement 
and let the people of Flint know that help is on its way; otherwise, 
Senate Republicans will continue ignoring Flint. If that is the case, 
then I would like my Republican colleagues to come to the floor and 
explain to this country why this manmade disaster in Flint is not 
worthy of the Republicans' attention. Tell us why 100,000 Americans 
should be forced to drink polluted water and bathe in poisonous water.
  One mother told Senator Stabenow: I was doing everything I could for 
my children. I made sure that they stopped drinking soda pop. So they 
didn't have soda pop. They drank water. But it was horrible water, and 
it has affected my children's lives. She said: I am responsible for the 
poisoning of my children.
  I heard statements made by the assistant Republican leader earlier 
this week, and here is a direct quote: ``While we all have sympathy for 
what's happened in Flint, this is primarily a local and State 
responsibility.''
  I don't know if ``outrageous'' is sufficient to describe this. After 
all, it was the assistant Republican leader who just last year welcomed 
Federal disaster assistance for the people of Texas because of the 
terrible flooding that was taking place. Again in 2013, the town of 
West, which is in Texas, suffered a catastrophic explosion of a 
fertilizer plant--another manmade disaster. The Senator from Texas was 
quick to seek Federal assistance. He said:


[[Page 1359]]

       We will aggressively pursue this matter with FEMA and 
     pursue all appeals and remedies available to us. . . . This 
     was a disaster area and their failure to acknowledge it as 
     such is just inexcusable. We're going to get the residents of 
     West the assistance they need.

  The junior Senator from Texas--one of the many Republicans running 
for President--was just as eager to accept Federal funds. He said:

       I am confident that the Texas congressional delegation, 
     Senator Cornyn and I . . . will stand united as Texans in 
     support of the Federal Government fulfilling its statutory 
     obligations, and stepping in to respond to this natural 
     disaster.

  According to Senator Cruz, the Federal Government had an obligation 
to help Texas. He is right. We had an obligation, and we fulfilled that 
obligation. But we also have an obligation to help Flint, MI.
  I ask my colleagues from Texas and the other Republicans here in the 
Senate, why are floods and explosions in Texas disasters worthy of 
Federal support and not the help needed for 100,000 poisoned people in 
Flint, MI? Why do Texans deserve Federal assistance but not the people 
of Flint? What could the reason be?
  The sad thing is that this sort of hypocrisy isn't limited to just 
the Senators from Texas. The junior Senator from Florida--one of the 
many running for President on the Republican side--is doing the same 
thing.
  Last year Florida was hit with extreme flooding. Senator Rubio 
appealed for Federal assistance. He wrote a letter to the President. He 
said: ``As Floridians continue to reel from the effects of last month's 
torrential rains and flooding, I respectfully request you consider 
Governor Scott's appeal for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual 
Assistance for the five impacted counties.'' That is what he wrote to 
President Obama last year, but, like it always is with the Senator from 
Florida, that was then and this is now. This is what the junior Senator 
from Florida says now: ``I believe the federal government's role in 
some of these things [is] largely limited unless it involves a federal 
jurisdictional issue.'' That is a buzz word for saying ``Good luck, 
Flint.'' According to Senator Rubio, Floridians deserve disaster 
assistance but not the people of Flint. This Senator hopes to become 
President; yet he refuses to treat all Americans the same.
  There are plenty of other examples. Whenever their States have been 
hard hit, Republican Senators run here to the Senate floor and demand 
Federal aid--as well they should. The Federal Government should help in 
times of disaster. There has to be a bit of consistency from 
Republicans. They must be fair to everyone. The people of Flint are 
just like every other American. They are deserving of the Federal 
Government's help.
  Mr. President, I have a letter from the Congressional Black Caucus. I 
am not going read the whole letter, but I ask unanimous consent that it 
be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record as follows:

                                   Congressional Black Caucus,

                                 Washington, DC, February 4, 2016.
     Senator Mitch McConnell,
     Majority Leader, U.S. Senate, The Capitol, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator McConnell: The state of emergency in Flint, 
     Michigan requires immediate action from the United States 
     Senate. Our children have been poisoned because of poor 
     decision-making by some and inaction by others who are 
     responsible for protecting the most vulnerable among us. 
     Senate Republicans should not prevent federal emergency 
     assistance to the people of Flint by blocking the common-
     sense amendments offered by Michigan Senators Debbie Stabenow 
     and Gary Peters to the Energy Policy and Modernization Act. 
     Instead, both parties should come to an agreement on an 
     emergency relief package for the people of Flint.
       While there are no flooded streets or people stranded on 
     the roof of their home, poisoned water still runs through the 
     faucets in Flint. There are children with visible scars, and 
     those who will have mental health issues and learning 
     disabilities that we cannot yet see. Bottled water is not a 
     solution. It is a band-aid that will not heal this gaping 
     wound. The City of Flint is in crisis.
       Providing emergency assistance to Flint is not a bailout. 
     The Stabenow-Peters amendments would: a) provide emergency 
     finding to help repair Flint's water infrastructure, b) 
     notify the public of concentrations of lead in the water, and 
     c) connect children and adults exposed to lead poisoning with 
     community services and health experts. Moreover, other 
     communities currently dealing with lead water crises in 
     states like Ohio and elsewhere could also benefit from these 
     resources.
       Republican senators have routinely requested this type of 
     assistance when disasters occurred in their states. The 
     people of Flint deserve nothing less. Republicans must join 
     Democrats in meeting our moral obligation to protect the 
     health of our children.
       Senator McConnell, we are asking for your leadership to 
     ensure your Republican colleagues do not condemn the people 
     of Flint to more pain and suffering by blocking these 
     amendments.
           Very truly yours,

                                            G. K. Butterfield,

                                                         Chairman,
                                   The Congressional Black Caucus.

  Mr. REID. Here is what is said in the final two paragraphs:

       Republican Senators have routinely requested this type of 
     assistance when disasters occurred in their states. The 
     people of Flint deserve nothing less. Republicans must join 
     Democrats in meeting our moral obligation to protect the 
     health of our children.

  This is what is said by Congressman Butterfield, who is the chair of 
the Congressional Black Caucus.
  The final paragraph in the letter says:

       Senator McConnell, we are asking for your leadership to 
     ensure your Republican colleagues do not condemn the people 
     of Flint to more pain and suffering by blocking these 
     amendments.

  I would hope my Republican colleagues would look in the mirror and 
ask themselves a simple question: What would I do if 100,000 of my 
constituents were poisoned?
  I urge my Republican colleagues to join us in addressing this 
critical issue.
  In a conference held in Las Vegas, NV, yesterday, one of the foremost 
experts dealing with water, Pat Mulroy, said that the ``stupid stunt'' 
that led to widespread lead contamination in Flint, MI, has dealt a 
blow to public confidence in water systems everywhere--even in places 
such as Southern Nevada, where lead pipes are not an issue. ``It has 
given a black eye [to water management] not just in Michigan, not just 
in the United States, but around the world.''
  She went on to say:

       I was angry. I was very angry. They did it to save money. 
     But was it really worth affecting these children's lives 
     forever to save a couple of bucks?

  She also said that complaints about the water began a month after the 
switch, but officials waited for almost 2 years. By then, tests showed 
elevated levels of lead, which causes brain damage.
  She said:

       The finger-pointing is going to be endless for a while, 
     especially as lawsuits begin to emerge. . . . I think there 
     will be criminal charges.

  I don't know if there will be criminal charges, but these are pretty 
egregious actions taken by the State of Michigan.
  She said that ready access to clean water is something most Americans 
take for granted, but something like this can cast doubt on the whole 
system. ``Now there is a crack in that trust relationship,'' she said. 
``In Flint it is gone.'' That is certainly true.
  So I would certainly hope my Republican colleagues will understand it 
is important that we do something now to help these people. We have 
something that can be done. It should be done. Republicans should stop 
it. It is not something that is a local issue or a State issue.

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