Lawmakers clash over race claims in Flint aid delay

The Democratic lawmaker who represents Flint, Mich., in the House suggested on Tuesday that GOP leaders aren’t prioritizing aid to help the city with its water crisis because a majority of the residents are African-Americans.

Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) said during floor debate that GOP leaders “don’t see American citizens” when they look at the people of Flint, who are suffering from drinking water contaminated with lead.

“There’s something about this poor community, this poor majority-minority community, that exempts them from the kind of help that we have provided time and time again to people in crisis in this country,” Kildee said.

{mosads}“I hate to come to the conclusion that there’s something about these people that causes this Congress to decide they don’t deserve that help. That is a shame,” he added.  

Kildee didn’t explicitly say that Republicans are being racist, but his comments drew a sharp rebuke from Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Ga.) moments later.

“How dare you suggest that race is the basis of this?” Woodall asked fiercely.

Woodall, who noted that he lives in a majority-minority county, described Kildee’s charge of racism as an example of why the public views Congress as dysfunctional.

“This institution is better than that,” Woodall said. “That kind of vitriol is not going to get us to where I know you and I both want us to be.”

Kildee didn’t back down, however.

“Prove me wrong,” he retorted. “You have it in your power to take up this legislation. It’s not me who’s blocking this legislation.” 

The exchange came as lawmakers remain in a standoff over how to avoid a government shutdown on Saturday over the absence of Flint aid in the stopgap spending bill unveiled by Senate Republicans last week.

The Senate is expected to vote later Tuesday afternoon to advance the legislation funding the government through Dec. 9, but Democrats are pledging to block it because Flint aid isn’t included.

They argue it’s unfair to provide federal assistance for flood victims in Louisiana, West Virginia and Maryland in the bill, but none for Flint.

The Senate earlier this month passed $220 million in aid to help Flint with its lead contamination problems as part of a water infrastructure bill, known as the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).

The House is slated to begin consideration of its version of the WRDA Tuesday evening, but it does not include Flint aid due to a committee jurisdiction issue.

The Senate committee responsible for producing the WRDA bill, Environment and Public Works, has jurisdiction over the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers.

But the House version of the WRDA came out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which does not have jurisdiction over the Flint issue.

As a result, House GOP leaders blocked a vote on an amendment submitted by Kildee on Monday to attach Flint aid to the WRDA bill this week.

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) both say that the Flint aid should be addressed in bicameral conference negotiations to iron out differences between the two chambers’ WRDA bills.

Still, Democrats insist that Congress should approve the Flint aid sooner rather than later and remain skeptical it would be resolved in the lame-duck session after the election.