Flint mayor, doctor to testify on water crisis
WASHINGTON – Congressional Democrats will hold a hearing this afternoon on the Flint water crisis, taking testimony from the city’s mayor, a pediatrician who helped raise the alarm over high levels of lead in the water supply and others.
The hearing being held by the U.S. House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee begins at 2 p.m. today.
The committee went so far as to invite Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, to speak at its discussion on Flint as well but he declined, which is unsurprising given the partisan tenor of the hearing.
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No Republicans are represented on the panel, which is typically limited to selecting members of committees and making policy judgments for the Democratic caucus in Congress. U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Donna Edwards of Maryland are the committee’s cochairs; U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee of Flint Township will participate in the hearing also.
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha goes from doctor to global hero
Those testifying include Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician at Hurley Medical Center in Flint; Yanna Lambrinidou, president of Parents for Nontoxic Alternatives, an environmental health group; Flint schools Superintendent Bilal Kareem Tawwab; Eric Scorsone, an expert in local government finances from Michigan State University, and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver.
Contact Todd Spangler at 703-854-8947 or at tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @tsspangler.