The top Democrat on the House oversight committee called Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s governance “vindictive” and “utterly incompetent” due to his handling of the Flint water crisis, and another lawmaker compared Snyder’s comments to the reasoning of a domestic abuser.
Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., made the comments when saying that he wished the Environmental Protection Agency moved in quicker to deal with the lead water crisis in the city of 100,000.
“The Republicans are desperately trying to blame everything on the EPA,” Cummings said.
“I agree the EPA should have done more, they should have rushed in sooner to save the people of Michigan from Gov. Snyder’s vindictive administration and utter incompetence.”
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is investigating the crisis in Flint that began in April 2014, when a state emergency manager appointed by Snyder signed off on a symbolic vote from the Flint City Council to change the city’s water source. The move aimed to cut costs by requiring the city to take its water from the Flint River instead of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department while a new pipeline was built to connect the city to Lake Huron.
The Flint River water, however, was so acidic that it caused the lead pipes bringing water from the city’s cast iron mains into homes to corrode. Lead leached off the pipes and into the drinking water throughout the city.
The state and the federal government have declared a state of emergency, and Flint residents are not able to drink the water coming out of their taps.
Snyder mostly stuck to prepared remarks Tuesday morning.
“Let me be blunt: Government at all levels failed the people of Flint,” he said.
Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pa., asked Snyder several pointed questions and cut off just about all of his answers.
Cartwright said he didn’t buy any of Snyder’s excuses. He called Snyder’s apologies “false contrition” and told him to resign.
“Pretty soon we will have men who strike their wives say, ‘There were failures at all levels,'” Cartwright said.
