Hillary Clinton: "What happened in Flint is immoral"
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire Hillary Clinton called on Congress to approve $200 million in federal aid to fix the damaged water system in Flint, Michigan on Sunday.
"Congress needs to pass that bill immediately," Clinton said, speaking at a church in Flint, and referring to legislation introduced by state legislators. "This is no time for politics as usual."
Clinton said that access to clean water is "not optional."
"This is not merely unacceptable or wrong," she said. "What happened in Flint is immoral."
Clinton traveled to Flint from Manchester on Sunday morning, just two days before the primary election, in an effort to bring attention to the water crisis there. She has been speaking out about Flint for weeks, including at the Democratic debate last month in Charleston, South Carolina. Clinton used her closing statement to draw attention to the contamination problem and to call out state officials.
"The governor of that state acted as though he didn't really care," she said. "He had requests for help that he basically stonewalled. I'll tell you what: if the kids in a rich suburb of Detroit had been drinking contaminated water and being bathed in it, there would have been action."
On Sunday, she offered a message of support and hope for the people of Flint.
"I will stand with you every step of the way," she said. "I will not for one minute forget about you or forget about your children. I will do everything I can to help you get back up to get your strength and resilience flowing through this community again."
The trip comes at a crucial time for Clinton, who is fighting to make up ground in the polls against Bernie Sanders. Speaking to WMUR at a Dunkin Donuts in Manchester before her flight, Clinton said her commitment to the race is "rock solid."
"The mayor has been wanting me to come and this is a time that worked out for her," Clinton said. "I am thrilled to be back in New Hampshire, working as hard as I can. I will keep working literally to the last minute."
Clinton noted that Sanders left New Hampshire on Saturday night in order to appear on Saturday Night Live.
Sanders has called on Michigan Governor Rick Snyder to resign and, on Saturday, he issued a statement in response to reports that undocumented immigrants were unable to access clean water in Flint because of their status.
"This is a humanitarian crisis," Sanders said. "No one should live in fear of being deported for getting a bottle of water for their family. All people, including immigrants, should have access to clean and drinkable water, regardless of immigration status or lack of identification."
Clinton is set to return to New Hampshire and resume campaigning on Sunday evening.