The two Democratic senators from Michigan are growing frustrated with the lack of progress on a federal aid package for the town in their state undergoing a drinking water crisis.
In a statement released Thursday morning, Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters said they continue to work on a deal to bring millions to Flint, Mich., but are being blocked.
“For weeks Senators Stabenow and Peters have been working tirelessly on behalf of the children and families of Flint to bring the city much-needed assistance to fix and replace drinking water infrastructure,” a spokeswoman said.
“Each time Sens. Stabenow and Peters get to a bipartisan agreement with offers to offset the cost of an aid package, that agreement is rejected. The people of Flint deserve better than that, which is why Sens. Stabenow and Peters continue to look at every option when it comes to finding a path forward.”
In April 2014, Flint switched its water source from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, which draws water from Lake Huron, to a local agency that also would take water from the lake.
However, the infrastructure needed to get water from Lake Huron to Flint under the new agency was not yet built, so an emergency manager appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder decided to take water from the Flint River as a temporary measure.
The water from the Flint River is so polluted and acidic that the water ate away at the lead pipes bringing water to the city’s homes.
A week ago, an effort led by Stabenow and Peters to get a $600 million aid deal into a comprehensive energy package being considered by the Senate stalled on the floor. Republicans blocked the deal over concerns about how the money, which would be released in $50 million increments, would be spent.
Some Senate Republicans want to see a package of aid considered as a standalone bill instead of attached to a larger energy package.
