Saturday, January 23, 2016

As Flint Struggles With Contaminated Water, Congress Tries To Gut Clean Water Rule

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/01/21/3741610/clean-water-rule-veto-upheld/
"The latest attempt to do away with a federal water rule that protects millions of miles of streams failed Thursday, as senators couldn’t garner enough votes to override a presidential veto and block the contested Waters of the United States rule. The attempt to veto the rule, which protects bodies of water that provide drinking water for one-third of Americans, comes in the midst of a water contamination crisis in Flint, Michigan. The vote was deeply divided among partisan lines, with 52 senators voting to upheld the veto, eight abstaining and the remaining 40 voting against it. While the vote was close, overriding a veto requires a super-majority. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) filed for the vote, which was considered a long-shot from the start"