Democrats blamed Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder while Republicans on a House committee blamed the EPA for the lead-poisoned waters in Flint, Michigan. It was a House Oversight committee hearing. Oklahoma Rep. Steve Russell sits on the committee.
The Thursday hearing was more than contentious as chairman, Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz called for Gina McCarthy to step down as administrator of the Environmental Protection agency. Chaffetz chairs the committee since Republicans control the house. But his minority counterpart, Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland blamed Gov. Snyder and said it was not the fault of the EPA and if a Corporate CEO were in Snyder’s shoes, “the board of directors would throw him out and the shareholders would revolt.”
Other Democrats on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee called for Snyder to resign.
Gov. Snyder blamed the EPA and said officials at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality repeatedly assured him the water being piped in to Flint was safe.
“Not a day or night goes by that this tragedy doesn’t weigh on my mind—-the questions I should have asked, the answers I should have demanded,” he said in his opening statement.
McCarthy faulted the state of Michigan and said state officials did not require that the river water be treated for corrosion and lead from old pipes and fixtures leached into the homes and businesses in Flint.
“The crisis we’re seeing was the result of a state-appointed emergency manager deciding that the city would stop purchasing treated drinking water and instead switch to an untreated source to save money,” charged McCarthy. “The State of Michigan approved that decision.”
Listen to abbreviated comments from Rep. Chaffetz grilling McCarthy followed by opening comments from Rep. Elijah Cummings.