It took almost five months between the time that tests identified high levels of lead in the Flint, Michigan, water supply and and the first admission from state officials that there was a real problem. More than five months after President Obama first requested funds to fight Zika virus, Republicans still have yet to offer up an actual response.
So you may be excited to learn that some issues get immediate response from lawmakers.
Members of Congress and their staff can get free blood testing on Wednesday, one week after facilities managers discovered high levels of lead in an office building next to the Capitol.
One week. That’s how long it took to get action on a health issue when it actually touched the people in Congress.
Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) contrasted Capitol custodians’ speedy reaction with lawmakers’ inaction on national water infrastructure problems exposed by the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. ...
Legislation to help Flint and other cities replace lead pipes stalled in the Senate earlier this year.
“Helping Flint families ought to be as much of a priority as ensuring safe water and health for those who work on Capitol Hill,” Kildee continued.
Note that most of the people in the congressional office building drinking this water are not children, the people most affected by lead poisoning—though some of them certainly act like it.