title:  This Deranged Michigan Congressman Thinks Disaster Relief For Flint Is Unconstitutional: Here’s Why
text: Representative Justin Amash (R-Mich.) thinks that providing disaster relief to the people of Flint, Michigan is unconstitutional (Full Disclosure: Amash is my current representative). Amash is a libertarian, and a Constitutional Originalist. That means that he takes the extreme view that the Constitution should be interpreted as the original framers would have. He s besties with Rand Paul, and a darling of the Tea Party. I have been to many of his speaking events. No matter what the topic is, his supporters mostly only want to know the latest news on Benghazi.Amash s extremist view, that is shared with the likes of Justice Scalia, has led him to be very vocal in his opposition to giving federal assistance to the people of Flint. Here is Amash s reasoning for his opposition: While the U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to intervene in an intrastate matter like this one, the State of Michigan should provide comprehensive assistance to the people of Flint. The residents who were harmed deserve an independent, nonpartisan investigation, and the persons responsible for this crisis must be held accountable. Michigan needs federal assistance. That s the bottom line. It is estimated that it will cost $1.5 billion dollars to fix Flint s water system. It is tragic that Republicans can rail against the government, working to dismantle the effectiveness of its apparatus on every level, only to have their failed schemes be bailed out by the government. However, we are the United States. We come together in times of crisis. Man-made, or otherwise. 10 people have already died from legionaries disease, people need help now.There is absolutely no Constitutional argument against providing disaster relief to the people of Flint, outside of the mad imaginings of what these loons think the Constitution is. Fortunately, Amash and similarly minded people in Congress don t have the collective political power to actually prevent disaster relief funds to places that need them.That s why the Hurricane Sandy spending package of $9.7 billion dollars was approved of, despite Amash s and other Republicans votes against the package, in 2013. Yeah, he voted against disaster relief for those hurt by Hurricane Sandy too. At least Amash is consistent in his world view, even if that world view is a complete departure from reality.By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America (Justin AmashUploaded by AlbertHerring) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons