Senate Leaders Leave Money for Flint Out of Energy Bill
Senate leaders agreed on Wednesday to support a bipartisan energy bill that does not include aid for residents of Flint, Michigan who have suffered during the city's ongoing water crisis. The legislation had previously been mired in a partisan debate over whether to use the bill as a vehicle to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to improve Flint's water pipes and aid the health of residents. A group of Democrats insisted on providing aid for Flint through the measure while Republicans led by Senator Mike Lee of Utah vowed to block the legislation because of the way Flint would be funded. The bill, the most significant energy legislation since 2007, aims to boost energy efficiency, update the nation's power grid and improve oil and gas infrastructure. The legislation could pass the Senate as soon as this week, and President Obama has suggested that he supports the measure but has concerns over some provisions.