Thomas Daschle: “I joined Senators Edwards and Lieberman as a cosponsor of their amendment to delay implementation of the Bush…”

“I joined Senators Edwards and Lieberman as a cosponsor of their amendment to delay implementation of the Bush administration's proposed weakening of the Clean Air Act. This amendment would delay implementation of the regulations for 6 months while the National Academy of Sciences conducts an analysis on the effects of the rules on public health and the environment. On December 31, 2002, the Bush administration finalized the most significant weakening of the clean air protections since the Clean Air Act was adopted 30 years ago. These changes would allow increased levels of pollution at 17,000 industrial facilities across the Nation. More than 170 million Americans live in areas with unhealthy air quality. Air pollution is a serious public health problem, particularly among children and senior citizens. Mounting medical evidence shows that air pollution causes asthma attacks, heart and lung disease, and premature death. More than 1,000 physicians from across the Nation urged the administration to halt its proposed weakening of the Clean Air Act.”