Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton is visiting Flint, Mich., this weekend amid its ongoing water crisis.
Clinton will promote a stalled Congressional aid package for the troubled city during her visit, according to MSNBC.
The stop’s announcement comes only five days before New Hampshire’s primaries on Tuesday.
Clinton’s campaign said Thursday that it is holding at least one public event in the Granite State before ballots are cast there. Her bid faces an uphill battle against Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in New Hampshire, where he leads by nearly 20 points.
Flint’s residents — most of whom are African American — are suffering from undrinkable tap water with dangerous amounts of lead. The city’s drinking supply turned unhealthy in April 2014 when it switched its water source.
Clinton has since repeatedly drawn attention to the issue during her quest for the Oval Office this year.
She focused her closing argument during last month’s fourth Democratic presidential debate on addressing the crisis. Clinton also helped secure Flint as the location of her party’s seventh debate, which is scheduled for March 6.
The Senate failed to pass a wide-ranging energy reform bill Thursday amid heated debate over aid for the city. Democrats — led by Democratic Michigan Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters — want $600 million for Flint, including $400 million that would match state funds for replacing its old pipes and researching lead poisoning.
The Clinton campaign’s decision may help it shore up the support of African-American supporters. The voting bloc is a crucial factor in the early-voting state of South Carolina, where Clinton currently leads Sanders by nearly 30 points.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/268332-report-clinton-visiting-flint-next-sunday
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