President Obama is heading to Flint, Mich., next week to see how the city is recovering from its water crisis, and to show his commitment to preventing similar public-health breakdowns in other communities.
Obama wants to “demonstrate that while the public discussion of this situation doesn’t retain the same spot in the limelight, the administration is committed to following through on helping that community recover,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest explained.
“We certainly would welcome a greater commitment, or frankly any commitment” from congressional Republicans to help Flint mend, Earnest said. The administration “has marshaled significant resources” to help, while no legislation aimed directly at Flint’s water woes has passed, he said.
“There is a role for Congress to play,” in both helping Flint and staving off similar problems in other cities, Earnest said.
The trip’s timing coincides with a request from an eight-year-old girl, who wrote Obama asking him to visit her town.
The Environmental Protection Agency responded to Flint’s lead water crisis by issuing guidance to all 50 states about proper use of lead pipes in municipal water systems, which is just one proactive step the EPA has taken in response, Earnest said.
That “stands in contrast to some Republicans” who advocate for eliminating the EPA, Earnest said.
