WASHINGTON (AP) – House Speaker Paul Ryan promised Wednesday that a long-delayed aid package to help Flint, Michigan, address its lead-tainted water system is on track to pass into law by the end of the year.
The Wisconsin Republican says the $220-million aid package will be addressed “one way or the other.” He said he hopes it will pass as part of a popular water projects bill, though GOP aides said it’s more likely to be added to a temporary spending measure that’s needed to avert a government shutdown next week.
The Flint aid issue was a major sticking point as Republicans and Democrats battled before Congress recessed for the elections. Ryan, despite earlier reservations that Flint’s water problems are a local issue, has come to support federal help for the impoverished city.
Flint’s drinking water became tainted when the city, then under state control, began drawing from the Flint River in 2014 to save money. Regulators failed to ensure the water was treated properly and lead from aging pipes leached into the water supply. As many as 12,000 children have been exposed to lead in water, officials say.
“We are going to address Flint,” Ryan said.