Brenda Lawrence

But you communicated with him that there was a water issue in the City of Flint.

From the emails that I have seen, it appears that all of his senior aides were aware of extensive issues with MDEQ and DHHS.

I feel that the governor should have listened more to the people of Flint and been less trusting of EPA and MDEQ.

I would like to know that question myself, how this decision was made to not follow the law.

I am infuriated that someone made the deliberate decision not to treat this water when the primacy or the responsibility of drinking water rests with the State.

This is a fundamental problem with emergency management philosophy is that you report only to a bottom line and to the governor, and that the voice of the people are eliminated in this process.

In America we do not normally boil water. We turn on the faucet and drink it, and trust the government to provide us with water that is safe.

And at no time did anyone ask the question. So how do we know how to fix it if no one ever asked why would we in America in 2016 with you being in charge, and you signed the contract, regardless of who initiated it, and people in Flint…

So for the life of me, I do not understand why it was not followed because every dollar you spend on corrosion control not only protects from lead, it saves $10 at minimum in terms of damage to your pipe infrastructure.

I have dedicated 25 years of my life to public service. And this issue has created anxiety, sadness, frustration...

You screwed up, and you messed up people's lives.

We believe that the primary responsibility for what happened in Flint rests with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

It seems a common theme of the time that it takes to get a license. I think you mentioned 60 days.

If we are to achieve the goals set forth in the National Export Incentive of doubling exports and creating new jobs, we must remove existing burdens which constrain the success of our small businesses.

Breaking down those barriers must be a priority in every agency that seeks to provide export assistance to our small firms.

The strength of America's small business is unquestionable. They drive American exports, with 97 percent of U.S. exporters being small and midsize companies.

Do not bet on science. Bet on management.

I just wanted to, before I start my questions, just state that heart disease and stroke kill one in three women, more than all the cancers combined.

So we have, again, the State and the Federal Government.

I also want to say, when we were saying that the EPA had not showed up until this last week...

I want to be clear about that.

I want to just emphasize something, and we can't say this enough.

We all share responsibility in the Flint water crisis, whether it's the city, the State, or the Federal Government.

I believe that we have a moral obligation to conduct a comprehensive investigation of this crisis.

My objective is that never again in America. We can fix this, but we have to have those who made the decisions come forward and give answers.