Washington, DC - Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement in response to the President's State of the Union Address tonight:

Senator Boxer said: "Our No. 1 priority must be keeping our economy growing, and President Obama laid out a bold roadmap for doing just that. He made absolutely clear that we can't afford to lose 1 million jobs, which is exactly what would happen if we allow the sequester's devastating automatic spending cuts to go into effect next month.

"We should also heed the President's call to invest in a job-creating infrastructure plan, raise the minimum wage, and train our workers for new manufacturing and clean energy jobs. He made an eloquent case for fixing our nation's broken immigration system, reducing gun violence and ensuring that no American voter is forced to wait in line for hours to cast a ballot. And I agree with President Obama that Congress should give every responsible homeowner in America the chance to save $3,000 a year by refinancing at today's low rates by passing my bill.

"The President is right - we must do more to combat climate change, and Superstorm Sandy was a wake-up call. It is happening before our eyes, the science is clear, and we must act before it is too late. I am committed to working with my colleagues on a comprehensive solution, and I strongly support the President's efforts to move forward with executive actions to address this serious threat."