Michigan lawmakers plot path forward on Flint aid

Supporters of emergency aid for Flint, Mich., are eyeing every possible legislative vehicle to get a funding package over the finish line in Congress — including a stopgap spending bill.

{mosads}The Senate on Thursday is on track to pass the Water Resources Development Act (WDRA), which authorizes dozens of water-related infrastructure projects around the country and provides $220 million in direct assistance for lead-stricken communities like Flint.

But the House version of the measure, which could see a floor vote next week, doesn’t contain the Flint component due to jurisdictional differences between the House and Senate committees, meaning the chambers would have to go to conference.

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), ranking member on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, admits that lawmakers likely won’t have time to reconcile their differences before the November elections.

“There are a number of major differences in the bills,” DeFazio told reporters Wednesday.

Michigan lawmakers who have been leading the charge on Flint aid are now strategizing alternative — and quicker — routes forward.

“We are looking for multiple paths,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said after a news conference on Wednesday. “There’s a lot of interest in putting it in the House WRDA bill. There are other avenues, and we are talking about all of those.”

Lawmakers, officials and community leaders have stressed that time is of the essence in Flint, where water from the river corroded the city’s pipes and contaminated the water supply with lead. Area residents still can’t drink unfiltered tap water and many are reeling from the physical and mental effects of lead poisoning.

“You can put it in the water resources bill, you can put it in one of the spending bills, you can put it in the morning prayer,” said Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.). “It really doesn’t matter to us what vehicle we use. We just want one that will get to the president’s desk as fast as we can.”

Kildee said one of those routes might be a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government past Sept. 30 — the only must-pass legislation before the November elections.

Lawmakers emphasized, however, that they would still fight to attach Flint language to the House WRDA bill.

“But simultaneously, we can look at other options,” said Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.).

Peters believes that the strong Senate support, coupled with the fact that the package is fully paid for, will step up pressure on House leaders to finally address the crisis.

But CR talks have already stalled over emergency funding to combat the Zika virus, and lawmakers are up against the clock.

And when pressed on whether they would withhold support for a CR if it didn’t have a Flint component, lawmakers demurred.

“At this point, just know we are actively in negotiations and working with folks,” Stabenow said.

The Flint package contains $100 million in subsidized loans and grants for lead-contaminated communities and $70 million in Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation credit subsidies.

It also designates money for the Department of Health and Human Services to monitor residents’ health in lead-tainted communities; creates a new Environmental Protection Agency grant program to reduce lead levels in drinking water; and offers loan forgiveness for states where a public emergency has been declared over lead contamination.

The provisions would be paid for by taking money from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program.