The Flint whistleblower who asked Hillary Clinton about the water crisis and lead pipes on Sunday night said the candidate’s answer "made me vomit in my mouth," according to an interview with the Huffington Post.
LeeAnne Walters, a Flint resident and activist, asked Clinton and Bernie Sanders during the debate on Sunday whether they would require nationwide removal of lead pipes from public water systems.
But Clinton’s response—in which she promised to make it a "priority" to remove lead from pipes, paint, and and other sources within five years—was insufficient, according to Walters:
"I hated Hillary Clinton's answer," Walters, 38, told The Huffington Post on Monday. "It actually made me vomit in my mouth." […]
Clinton and rival Bernie Sanders did not give direct answers. Instead, Clinton proposed getting rid of all lead sources, including paint and dust, within five years.
"We will commit to a priority to change the water systems and we will commit within five years to remove lead from everywhere," Clinton said.
To Walters, five years is an unacceptable timeline.
"To tell a Flint resident that we'll handle this in five years is no different than what the city was telling us and what the state was telling us," Walters said.
Flint, Michigan, has suffered from a water contamination crisis since switching its water source from Detroit to the Flint River. Residents have reported a widespread increase in health problems, including high levels of lead exposure in children. The crisis has become a top issue in the Democratic presidential race.