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Democrats Concerned Over EPA Cuts In Spending Bill

By: Matt Laslo // March 17, 2013
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Democrats want to do all they can to avoid a government shutdown, but many say they have big problems with the spending bill being debated in the Senate this week.

Virginia Democrat Gerry Connolly says it's suspicious that the National Institutes of Health gets a $71 million spending increase, while the Environmental Protection Agency sees a further cut.

"I'm sure that the fact that NIH is in Maryland had nothing to do with that when Chairman Mikulski of Maryland marked up the bill," he says. "But EPA cannot afford — on top of sequestration — take another $90 - $95 million cut."

Connolly says the cuts are risky, and lawmakers can't afford to have the EPA crippled in its ability to pursue its mission in improving air quality.

Congress only has two weeks to act before the government's lights would go out, but right now lawmakers in both parties are voicing serious concerns with the spending measure.

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