President Obama Drinks Flint Water During Visit To Struggling City

FLINT (WWJ) - Visiting the struggling city of Flint on Wednesday, President Barack Obama is drinking the water.

During meeting at a food bank just after noon, the President spoke for about 15 minutes before taking a drink from a glass that he said contained filtered Flint water.

"Generally I haven't been doing stunts but here you go," the President said. He added that the EPA has concluded that the water is safe for everyone except children under six and pregnant women, as long as a water filter has been used.

After he was greeted at the airport by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, the three joined U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, along with Health and Human Services and EPA officials, among others, for briefing that lasted about an hour.

Obama and the governor were expected to discuss the latest involving the lead-contaminated water, with Snyder asking for more federal money to help with tests and infrastructure improvements.

The briefing happened prior a meeting with residents who have been affected by the bad water, including an 8-year-old girl who wrote him a letter and a public speech at a local high school.

The federal government has already expanded health coverage to people under 21 and provided millions of bottles of water to homeowners.

MORE: Obama Visiting Flint For First Time Since Water Crisis Began

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• Flint
• Barack Obama
• Flint Water Crisis