Local Issues

I’m proud to be born and raised in Flint. I’m proud to represent such a diverse district in Congress—from the urban cities of Flint, Saginaw and Bay City, to the shoreline communities along Lake Huron like Tawas and Oscoda. During my time in Congress, I have worked on a number of issues that are unique to our district. They include:

• Fighting blight: I have helped to secure hundreds of millions in federal funding to help strengthen neighborhoods and tear down vacant buildings. This much-needed money has already helped to remove thousands of vacant and abandoned homes in Flint, Saginaw and other cities across Michigan and will make our communities safer and stronger. This is an issue I’ve long worked on even before coming to Congress – first as the Genesee County Treasurer and then as the President and CEO of the Center for Community Progress.

• Keeping Communities Safe: In Congress, I have worked to reduce violent crime in cities like Flint and Saginaw. I introduced the Help Communities Fight Violent Crime Act, which would help the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conduct “surge” programs that coordinate intelligence and provide additional personnel to combat violent crime. A similar four-month program in Flint in recent years saw a 50 percent drop in the city’s homicide rate during the surge. These successful programs help to keep violent criminals off the streets and help make the streets of Flint, Saginaw and other communities more safe.

• Helping Flint’s Recovery: In the wake of the Flint water crisis, I have worked non-stop to make sure Flint families receives the support they need to recover. This includes championing a $170 million federal aid package to help Flint through Congress. This represents real relief for Flint families to help remove lead pipes and expand health care services for those exposed to lead. In addition to this aid, I have successfully passed other legislation through Congress related to the crisis. Last year, I partnered with Congressman Fred Upton (MI-09) to pass the Kildee-Upton law, which strengthens requirements to have the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) immediately notify the public when high concentrations of lead in drinking water are found. This would not have prevented the crisis in Flint, but it will help to ensure that another similar tragedy never happens again. I am proud that this law was passed by Congress and signed into law by former President Obama.

I have also introduced legislation that would require the EPA to update outdated federal drinking water rules governing how we protect our drinking water. It is important to remember that there is no safe level of lead in drinking water. My bill, the NO LEAD Act, would increase transparency when it comes to water testing, require that schools and childcare centers are tested annually for lead, and lower the federal action level for lead in drinking water from the current level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) to 5 ppb by 2026.

See also information about Our District.