[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 102 (Monday, July 11, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2012

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. MICHAEL K. SIMPSON

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, July 8, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2354) making 
     appropriations for energy and water development and related 
     agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, and 
     for other purposes:

  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Chair, I would like to express my appreciation to 
the Chair and Ranking Member of the Energy and Water Development 
Subcommittee for the work they and the subcommittee staff have done in 
developing the FY12 Energy and Water Appropriations bill.
  It is impossible to make everyone happy when the fiscal reality 
requires reductions, but at a time when we borrow 40 cents for every 
dollar we spend we need to be willing to set priorities and make 
difficult decisions.
  The bill before us makes responsible investments in energy research 
and development and it funds critical waterway infrastructure 
improvements, but it does it in a responsible and sustainable manner. 
One of the lessons that we all should have learned over the past 
several years is that it is in nobody's interest to expand budgets at 
an unsustainable rate. We are now faced with the unpleasant task of 
trimming back the budget to remove the excesses of the past several 
years so that we can get back to a responsible baseline.
  The Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee has 
always worked in a bipartisan basis to address the energy and 
infrastructure challenges facing our nation, and I believe that this 
product is better for the cooperative and problem-solving approach of 
both the staff and subcommittee members. It is an honor for me to be 
able to serve on this subcommittee, and I am pleased to be able to 
support this bill.
  I would also like to speak directly to the Administration and NRC 
Chairman Gregory Jaczko. I'm deeply concerned that Chairman Jaczko has 
allowed politics to influence the NRC's decisions, and in my opinion, 
in order to restore public confidence in the NRC, the Chairman should 
step aside. Absent that, the President and Chairman Jaczko should take 
note that the bill we are passing contains funding to continue with the 
Yucca Mountain repository and the associated licensing activities in 
the NRC.
  Congress is making a statement here: continuing funding of Yucca is 
the fiscally responsible thing to do to prevent billions of dollars in 
future liability and to ensure that the $15 billion already invested 
has not been wasted.
  Again, I want to express my appreciation for Chairman Frelinghuysen, 
Ranking Member Visclosky, and the subcommittee staff for the fine work 
they have done this year.

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