Jeb Bush praises Michigan governor for 'stepping up' amid water crisis

Alan Yuhas
Sunday 24 January 2016 16.28 GMT

Jeb Bush on Sunday praised Rick Snyder, the beleaguered governor of Michigan, for “stepping up” in response to the crisis over lead-poisoned drinking water in the city of Flint.

Emails show that Snyder, a Republican, ignored and dismissed the problem more than a year ago, even as children began showing signs of irreparable lead poisoning. A federal state of emergency has been declared.

Calls for Snyder’s impeachment or resignation have come from many quarters, including the Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, former Florida governor Bush, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, said big government was most likely to blame for the crisis, which occurred after state emergency managers switched the city’s water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint river in a cost-cutting measure.

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Jeb Bush Doesn't Think Michigan Governor Should Resign Over Flint Water Crisis

By CANDACE SMITH
Jan 24, 2016, 11:21 AM ET

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush doesn't believe Michigan Governor Rick Snyder should resign over his state's handling of the Flint water crisis.

While Bush called the water contamination in Flint that has been ongoing for months “horrific,” he said that he admired Snyder for taking charge during an appearance on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday.

"He's not saying that it's someone else's fault, Bush said. "He's rolling up his sleeves and trying to -- trying to deal with this. But he has a responsibility, he's admitted it. And so does the EPA, and so does local government."

"He needs to do what he's doing which is to accept responsibility and begin to solve the problem,” Bush said when asked if Snyder should resign, calling him “a great governor for Michigan."

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