Democrats in the House and Senate want to transfer 600 times more taxpayer money to Ukraine than would be used to address the water situation in Jackson, Mississippi, where many people continue to drink tainted water.
A $40 billion military aid package for Ukraine was signed by Biden in May. Only 57 House Republicans and 11 Senate Republicans opposed the $40 billion in wasteful spending, including members of the House Republican leadership Steve Scalise (R-LA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), and Elise Stefanik (R-NY).
Democrats are now planning to transfer $12.3 billion more to Ukraine as part of a short-term budget package, which is 600 times the $20 million that legislators are asking for to assist in fixing Jackson’s water situation where people are being warned of lead poisoning.
The support for foreign nations over American cities brings to light a concern raised by the Republican populist wing: American taxpayer money should be focused on domestic infrastructure instead of abroad.
A system failure last month left thousands without access to clean water, escalating Jackson’s long-standing water issue, as reported by the Washington Post:
“More than 150,000 people lived in the city, and there was no end in sight to the lack of adequate drinking water. Many locals claim that they have already adapted to the catastrophic failure of the administration.”
“Roshonda Snell, 32, a hotel employee in the area, stated “Jackson’s water has been screwed up; I don’t even feel like they should be handing people bills.” It’s contaminated, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“Jackson, the state capital of Mississippi, has a failing water system. A severe winter storm in 2021 caused the system to be offline for a month. Residents deal with sporadic boil-water advisories and high costs for water that is not always safe to drink, even when water is pouring from the faucets. This week, the treatment plant entirely malfunctioned, partially as a result of the extreme flooding, leaving the city’s citizens without water for drinking, bathing, or even flushing the toilets.”
According to CNN, Jackson locals are now wondering whether newly discovered illnesses, skin conditions, and other disorders are related to lead contamination:
“She and Andrew believe that lead in the water in their hometown is the current culprit. Parents of roughly 2,000 children—and probably many more—who are currently suing the city and the state—share this assumption. The citizens of the capital city, which has a population of around 150,000, are used to heating water so they may bathe or cook with it. However, when lead is present, boiling water raises the concentration of the recognized neurotoxin and possible carcinogen.”
“It’s not the type of brain damage where, if you passed them on the street, you’d think, ‘That kid is severely injured.’ Rather, it’s the kind of brain damage that you can’t feel or touch. But it’s real. Due to the fact that, unlike us, children’s brains are still developing, it exists and affects them.”
While tap water is now again available in Jackson, people have been advised to take caution while cooking, brushing their teeth, and taking showers. Instead, they are required to use bottled water, which is frequently more costly and in short supply.
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