Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - What's Happening With the Water in Flint, Michigan, Is an Outrage

"There is no excuse for what's happening in Flint."

The drinking water in Flint, Michigan, is poisonous.

For the last two years, the city of 99,000 has repeatedly experienced water crises. And recently, residents discovered that their water contains unsafe amounts of lead—900 times the EPA maximum.

In that time, the number of children suffering from lead poisoning in Flint—a city where 40 percent of people live at or below the poverty line, and 56 percent of the population is African American—has nearly doubled.

People all over the country are trying to figure out how this happened—and how we can make sure it never happens again.

When Hillary Clinton appeared on "The Rachel Maddow Show," Rachel Maddow asked what she thought about the situation in Flint. Over the past week, members of Hillary's campaign staff have been in Flint, talking to officials about the problem.

"You sent some staff members to meet with the mayor of Flint. If you were president now, would you do something in terms of the response that isn't already being done?" Rachel asked Hillary.

"I am just outraged by this," Hillary said.

"We need to test kids," Hillary said, "provide quickly whatever health care they can get, whatever antidote is possible, and we need a fund for education. If these kids have been too exposed, the damage may be irreversible. We'll have to do more."

The Justice Department is investigating this crisis in Flint. Hillary has said that the people of Flint deserve to know what Governor Snyder knew, and when he knew it. And she believes that officials at every level of government need to be held accountable for what happened.

Right now, Hillary is focused on helping the residents of Flint. She has called on the state of Michigan to pay for clean water until the city has access to safe drinking water again. She's also called on the governor to ask the Obama Administration to immediately set up a health monitoring and surveillance system, in order to test Flint residents, especially children, for lead poisoning.