Washington, DC - Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement in response to continued GOP demands to attach provisions to the budget-cutting deal that would repeal health protections in our landmark environmental laws.

Senator Boxer said: "For the life of me, I don't understand why my Republican colleagues want to threaten the air we breathe and the water we drink. Republicans have demanded the repeal of key provisions of the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act in the budget-cutting deal. Why would we want to destroy public health safeguards that prevent premature deaths, children's asthma attacks and emergency room visits? Why would we want to eliminate protections that ensure our drinking water is safe from harmful toxins?"

###