President Obama took his concern for the children of Flint, Michigan straight to their state Wednesday during a speech in Detroit.
"You know, I am very proud of what I've done as president, but the only job that's more important to me is the job of father," Obama told a crowd at the United Auto Worker's General Motors training center in Detroit. "And I know that if I was a parent up there, I would be beside myself that my kids' health could be at risk. That's why over the weekend, I declared a federal emergency in Flint."
Because the president declared that state of emergency, FEMA now becomes the coordinator for distribution of federal supplies and funds.
Obama said in his Wednesday speech that he'd met with Flint Mayor Karen Weaver at the White House to assure her that she had his administration's support.
"I told her that we are gonna have her back, and all the people of Flint's back, as they work their way through this terrible tragedy," the president said. "It is a reminder of why you can't short change basic services that we provide to our people and that we together provide as a government to make sure that public health and safety is preserved."
This speech followed President Obama's Tuesday veto of Congress' attempt to repeal expanded regulations under the Clean Water Act. That unusual resolution was spearheaded by Senator Joni Ernst (R-Koch).
"Too many of our waters have been left vulnerable," Obama said in a veto message to Congress. "Pollution from upstream sources ends up in the rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and coastal waters near which most Americans live and on which they depend for their drinking water, recreation, and economic development."
Congressional Republicans tried to use a rarely invoked law known as the Congressional Review Act to overturn the regulation. But they're far short of the two-thirds vote necessary in each chamber to overturn the veto. It passed 53 to 44 in the Senate and 253 to 166 in the House.
The sponsor of the resolution, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said she would continue to look for ways to undermine the rule.
You can't make this stuff up. While kids in Flint are being poisoned by tap water, Republicans are looking for ways to undermine the Clean Water Act and regulations.
Timing is everything, GOP.
