Cruz won’t block Flint aid from moving forward

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has dropped his objection to the Senate moving forward on aid for the Flint, Mich., water crisis.

Cruz was among a group of senators that earlier Thursday had put a hold on the bill while he and his staff reviewed it, along with the Senate’s energy reform bill.

{mosads}But by Thursday evening, Cruz, who is running for the Republican nomination for president, had determined that there was no reason to object, his spokesman said.

“Cruz has reviewed the bill now and will not prevent it from moving forward,” Cruz spokesman Phil Novack said.

The $250 million package would fund loan programs to help drinking water systems that have contamination problems, including Flint’s lead contamination, caused by a switch in the city’s water source.

It also puts new funding into a variety of health programs, proposing to take funds from an Energy Department automobile technology program to pay for it.

But Cruz dropping his opposition does not necessarily mean smooth sailing for the Flint and energy bills. Senators said earlier Thursday that other members had put holds on the bills, which may still be in place by next week when the Senate returns to business.