Senator Stabenow Meets with Mayor Weaver, Discusses Action State of Michigan Must Take to Help Families, Children in Flint

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today met with Karen Weaver, Mayor of Flint, to discuss what steps the State of Michigan needs to take in both the short and long-term to help children in Flint, and how the federal government can support those efforts. Over the weekend, President Obama declared a State of Emergency in Michigan, which will free up federal resources to bring in bottled water, water filters, and water test kits to the City of Flint. Mayor Weaver met personally with President Obama yesterday to express her thanks and to highlight the need for continued collaboration between federal and state agencies.

“I applaud Mayor Weaver’s efforts to help the families and children of Flint and will continue to push for additional resources to address this crisis,” said Senator Stabenow. “I told the Mayor that I will strongly support her efforts to hold the State of Michigan accountable in fixing this mess and will make sure that when the attention subsides, Flint is not forgotten.”

“I know that Senator Stabenow cares deeply about the families and children in Flint,” said Mayor Weaver. “Since taking office Senator Stabenow has been there every step of the way and will continue to make sure our community has the help it needs.”

Last week, Senator Stabenow was joined by Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) and Congressman Dan Kildee (D-MI) to urge Governor Snyder to commit state resources to fix the short and long-term damage from the Flint water crisis, including resources for the establishment of a Future Fund for children exposed to lead poisoning. The letter also asked for assurances that the State will repair the damaged water infrastructure, reimburse residents’ water bills, and reimburse the City for the cost of re-connecting to the Detroit water system.