Shortly before flying to Flint, Michigan, to see the damage from the lead water crisis there, Hillary Clinton told CNN Sunday that there is “no acceptable” amount of lead in water for kids.
“There is no acceptable level of lead for kids. None,” Clinton told Jake Tapper on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Clinton was set to fly to Flint later Sunday, as attention on the Democratic side of the race has increasingly turned to the disaster there. CNN announced Sunday that it would be hosting the next Democratic debate in Flint next month.
Clinton played up her credentials on the issue, citing her work as a senator from New York.
“I know something about lead poisoning because of the work I’ve done in the past (with Children’s Defense Fund) and as a senator from New York, we had a lot of old housing with lead paint in it. A lot of kids suffered from lead poisoning,” Clinton said. “And part of the challenge is you’ve got to intervene early. We need comprehensive health screenings, then we need to figure out how do we get the right nutrition and vitamins. You’ve got to begin to work to counteract the lead.”