Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders slammed the lack of government response to the ongoing public health crisis in Flint, Michigan, where many residents can't drink the water coming out of their faucets due to toxic levels of lead.
Clinton and Sanders are set to head to Michigan for a March 6, debate, two days before Michigan’s presidential primary. Flint's mayor, Karen Weaver, has endorsed Clinton.
Clinton and Sanders each said that the federal government should intervene to help residents -- especially children -- get clean drinking water as quickly as possible.
“This is an emergency," Clinton said. "Every day that goes by that these people are not tested...is a day lost in a child’s life."
Sanders, too, had strong words for Michigan officials.
.@BernieSanders criticizes state of Michigan's response to #FlintWaterCrisis pic.twitter.com/IQXqrof5RD— Mashable News (@MashableNews) February 5, 2016
“I don’t go around asking for governors’ resignations every day," Sanders said. "But I did ask for the resignation of [Michigan Gov. Rick] Snyder, because his irresponsibility was so outrageous.”
Sanders also questioned whether the response to the water crisis would have been different if Flint had a different socioeconomic makeup.
“One wonders if this was a white suburban community, what the response might have been," Sanders said.
Clinton is headed to Flint on Sunday, she confirmed during the debate, to highlight the city's water crisis.