Washington, D.C. - Today, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, responded to a controversial proposal by House Republican leaders calling for expanded drilling to bolster the Highway Trust Fund.
Senator Boxer said: "As I have stated many times, we need to pay for the surface transportation bill in a way that is not contentious and does not threaten jobs. The proposal by Republican leadership would mire a very popular surface transportation bill in controversy, and it would directly threaten many thousands of fishing, tourism, and recreation-related jobs. In addition, I am told by financial experts that this proposal would fall billions short. I am proud that Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have avoided this type of distraction, because millions of workers and thousands of businesses are relying on us to work together."
