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White House Leads Briefing With Statement on Flint, Does Not Mention Navy SEAL Killed in Iraq

Josh Earnest (AP)
May 3, 2016

White House spokesman Josh Earnest led off his briefing Tuesday with an announcement about President Obama's impending visit to Flint, Michigan, but he made no mention of the the U.S. Navy SEAL killed by Islamic State militants in Iraq until questioned on the matter.

Earnest often begins briefings without announcements, but he made a point of specifically detailing Obama's trip Wednesday to Flint to discuss the town's water crisis, as well as tout the administration's response to the matter.

"As you all know, the president will travel to Flint, Michigan tomorrow," Earnest said. "He will stop first at the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, to receive a briefing on the response to the crisis from federal officials and members of the unified command group. The food bank has helped more than 300,000 people in the last year and has become a critical hub in the response to the crisis. The facility coordinates the intake of basic supplies like water and food, and packages meals and hygienic products for distribution to the community."

"The president will then take part in a neighborhood roundtable discussion, where he will hear from Flint residents dealing firsthand with the impact of the crisis," he continued. "The president will also deliver remarks to a crowd of about 1,000 people at Northwestern High School, which is located in predominately African-American North Flint. At the direction of President Obama, a wide variety of federal agencies have been on the front lines responding to this crisis. FEMA has distributed more than 9 million liters of water and 50,000 water filters. Medicaid coverage has been expanded to everyone under the age of 21 in Flint."

"HHS has extended funding to expand capacity at Head Start centers and community health care centers in Flint," Earnest said. "The EPA has surged resources to significantly expand water-testing and to offer additional technical advice as needed, and advantages like SPA and HUD have stepped up their support to the community that's weathering a pretty significant economic fallout from the crisis as well. As the president noted in his letter last week to Mari Copeny, known around town as Little Miss Flint, Flint residents need to know that when the cameras are gone, the administration's support for the state and local support response efforts will continue, and the president looks forward to meeting with Mari and her family while he's in Flint tomorrow as well."

As Earnest wrapped up his opening, reporter Mark Knoller asked if Obama would meet with Gov. Rick Snyder as well. Earnest said he expected that such a "customary" meeting would likely take place.

"On the death of the U.S. Navy SEAL in Iraq, is there any reaction from the president to that or expression of condolence, and can you tell us when he was informed?" a reporter asked.

"I can tell you the president has been briefed on this incident, and everyone here at the White House, including the First Family, extends our condolences to the family of the service member that was killed today in northern Iraq," Earnest said. "This individual was the third U.S service member killed in action since the beginning of Operation Inherent Resolve, and this service member's death reminds us of the risks our brave men and women in uniform face every single day."

Earnest added the Defense Department's report was that ISIS forces penetrated a checkpoint manned by Iraqi forces.