The Senate passed a bipartisan bill that would help Flint, Michigan residents who are still dealing with lead-tainted water. But it is uncertain whether it will pass the GOP-controlled House.
Last week, the Senate voted 95-3 to approve funding for Flint's water crisis, allocating $270 million to aid residents. That total includes $20 million to develop a national lead exposure registry.
There is a catch. Supporters in the House will have to attach the allocation to some kind of must-pass spending bill to get it to President Obama’s desk, and it is not certain that the Republican majority will allow it.
The total amount won't make a dent in the massive infrastructure repairs necessary to fix the long term problem, but it is a beginning. The real challenge will be how to get a Republican-controlled House to make the lead crisis an ongoing priority, and not just a passing problem in a presidential election year.
If they don’t, children like Amariyanna Copeny, the 8-year-old girl who is also known as “Little Miss Flint" and has become an informal spokesperson for the town, will continue to pay the price.
Hey world in case you didn't realize #Flint is still in crisis #LittleMissFlint pic.twitter.com/dJAityto9s
— Mari Copeny (@LittleMissFlint) September 15, 2016
UPDATE: At Rewire, Imani Gandy also reports that Flint's Receivership Transition Advisory Board, whose members are appointed by Republican Governor Rick Snyder, changed the rules governing the city so that a lawsuit cannot be filed without its prior approval. The rule change was enacted "days after Flint city officials announced they might file a lawsuit against the state over the city’s water crisis."
