Government shutdown possible after Senate blocks bill over lack of aid for Flint

Fight over funding bill comes down to $220 million in aid for Flint

FLINT, Mich. – Will the federal government be open for business in 72 hours?

At this point, anything is possible. But the fight over passing a funding bill to keep the government open through the end of the year is all coming down to $220 million in aid for Flint.

UPDATE: House aides: Deal reached to help Flint, keep US government open

Senate Democrats want the money attached to the funding allocations being voted on this week to keep the federal government open. Senate Republicans are calling it "nothing but gamesmanship," since the $220 million will likely come by the end of the year in a separate package of bills.

"I’m still here. I’m still living this life," Jessica Judson said from the front porch of the home she and her husband bought months before the water crisis exploded. "Although people in D.C. have come here and we’ve become a cool place to visit and had the debate here, there are still major structural fixes that are needed here."

"We still do water runs," Mike Judson said. "I’ll fill up the Jeep with just (a) ton of water. This can’t go on forever."

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The Judsons, like so many, feel that once the national cameras went away, so did any real outrage over the situation. Michigan Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, said he and his neighbors are frustrated by a lack of speedy action on a variety of levels and, quite frankly, feel left behind.

His office routinely gets calls from people with water worries. Ananich himself won’t drink the water out of his tap.

"No, I don’t," he said. "I have seven results that tell me it’s lower than 5 parts per billion, and I still don’t trust it because I was lied to, just like everyone else in Flint was."


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