[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 291]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MUST HELP CORRECT MANMADE DISASTER IN FLINT, 
                                MICHIGAN

  (Mr. KILDEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to talk to this Congress about my 
hometown of Flint, Michigan.
  This morning I wrote to the President and wrote a letter to our 
Governor, asking for help for my hometown.
  Almost beyond belief, for a year and a half, the city of Flint has 
had water running through the pipes and into the homes of the people in 
Flint. The water has extraordinarily high levels of lead, which can 
affect the trajectory of a child's life permanently.
  This was a decision made by the State government when it took over 
the city of Flint because of its financial situation. To save a few 
dollars, it switched from Lake Huron as its primary water source to the 
Flint River, without even any science or thought as to how the river 
might be treated. As a result, that corrosive river has put lead into 
the water source and into the bodies of young children.
  Today, finally, after months and months and months, apparently, our 
Governor is going to announce some sort of response at the State level. 
I can assure you this: There is no confidence of the people of the city 
of Flint and of the people of Michigan--I have, certainly, no 
confidence myself--that the State's response will be adequate. I am 
asking the Federal Government to step in and help correct this manmade 
disaster in Flint, Michigan.

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