Congressional Gridlock Is Putting Flint's Pipe Replacement In Peril

Political gridlock has created a lapse in funding for a program that provides health insurance to poor children. It may also end up being culpable for preserving lead service lines that still run under the city of Flint, Michigan.

Since its creation in 1997, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has provided healthcare for children and pregnant women from low-income families who don’t qualify for Medicaid. But this year, Congress failed to meet the September 30 deadline for the program’s renewal. Although committees in both the House and Senate have passed bills to reauthorize CHIP, no one is sure when a final measure will appear. The state of CHIP’s funding is up in the air, and those who rely on it are left in limbo.