Flint aid could face U.S. Senate obstacles
Washington — A congressional effort to secure $170 million in emergency aid for Flint and other communities faces obstacles even as the U.S. House is expected to vote Thursday on the assistance through two separate bills.
Congressional leaders have incorporated $170 million in drinking water infrastructure grants and other Flint-related provisions into a stopgap spending bill to keep the federal government running for another six months. Separately, a water resources bill in Congress contains language authorizing the $170 million package, directing how it should be spent.
But the water bill remains in jeopardy in the Senate because of a controversial drought provision added by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, that has split the Democratic caucus.
Retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California, as well as senators from Washington state and Oregon oppose the drought provision. Boxer said this week she would use “every tool at my disposal” to block it because it could result in the loss of thousands of fishery jobs and roll back environmental protections, among other issues.
Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, and Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, both plan to support the water resources bill and are urging their Senate colleagues to do the same.
“The fact that it’s been split into two bills has me concerned because then both bills have to pass,” Peters said. “The addition of that last-minute amendment jeopardizes the passage of what previously would have been a bipartisan bill that likely would have passed by a wide margin.”
The Water Infrastructure Improvements Act for the Nation authorizes $100 million for subsidized loans for water infrastructure improvements through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for any state that receives a federal emergency declaration due to a public health threat from lead or other contaminants in a public drinking water supply system. The city of Flint would meet this qualification.
If the budget resolution passes but the water bill fails, the $100 million in emergency aid would go into the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund without any restrictions, and the most Flint could qualify for under the program’s formula would be $2 million, Stabenow said.
“It’s very, very frustrating situation because the families of Flint are being used right now to garner votes for a water-policy dispute on the West Coast,” she said Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol.
“After having negotiated this now for just about a year, this is extremely concerning to me that we would come to this at the end. Promises were made that Flint would happen. And we’re now left in a situation where Flint families are used as pawns.”
Rep. Dan Kildee, the Flint Township Democrat, said he’s confident the House will approve both the stopgap budget resolution and the water resources legislation this week, although it’s uncertain what will happen in the Senate.
Kildee said he had a conversation this week with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, and “he continues to hold to his commitment that we’ll get this done one way or the other. But, obviously, we’re getting to the point where time is of the essence.”
That’s because members only have a couple days left before the legislative session ends, and Congress adjourns for the year. Before leaving town, they must pass the stopgap spending bill to continue funding the federal government beyond Friday.
In addition to the $100 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund grants, the Flint-related package includes $20 million to cover financing costs for up to $200 million in secured loans for water infrastructure across the country through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Fund at the Environmental Protection Agency.
Another $50 million would be directed toward national health programs for efforts such as a health registry, and more funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund.
mburke@detroitnews.com
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