[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 72 (Thursday, April 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S2612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING PAUL LEVENTHAL

  Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, this year we mark the 10th anniversary of 
the untimely passing of our friend Paul Leventhal. Paul was a 
trailblazer when it came to addressing the dangers of nuclear power and 
nuclear weapons. I personally relied on Paul's insight to craft my 
approach to preventing the spread of dangerous nuclear technology and 
nuclear weapons.
  As a Senate staffer during the 1970s, Paul made major contributions 
to our Nation's security by working on two landmark laws.
  The first was the Energy Reorganization Act, which created the 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the agency that later became the 
Department of Energy. Before this legislation, a single agency, the 
Atomic Energy Commission, was responsible for both promoting nuclear 
energy and regulating the nuclear industry, to the detriment of public 
safety.
  Paul was also instrumental for passage of the Nuclear Non-
Proliferation Act, which required countries to adopt full-scope 
safeguards from the International Atomic Energy Agency before they 
could receive civilian nuclear technology from the United States. This 
requirement later became an international standard when the Nuclear 
Suppliers Group adopted it.
  During the 1980s, Paul played an important role in helping to kill 
the Clinch River Breeder reactor, which shut down U.S. efforts to 
develop a full plutonium fuel cycle. Throughout this time, he was also 
a strong proponent of my efforts to close loopholes in U.S. nuclear 
nonproliferation law, including tightening nuclear export controls 
affecting China following Tiananmen Square. He actively worked to 
ensure House passage of the Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act, which 
imposed sanctions on those who knowingly contribute to efforts to 
acquire unsafeguarded fissile material or nuclear weapons.
  Paul was ahead of his time in raising alarms about the threat of 
nuclear terrorism. His warnings about the need to reduce reliance on 
highly enriched uranium and to limit the use of plutonium for 
commercial nuclear power later formed the core of the global nuclear 
security agenda. His warnings about the flaws in nuclear cooperation 
agreements continue to reverberate in today's debates over the export 
of nuclear technology.
  Today's ongoing nuclear challenges remind me of our solemn 
responsibility to carry out Paul's legacy.
  The nuclear industry continues to push against stringent safety 
standards. The Trump administration wants to promote the export of 
nuclear technology and walk away from the Obama administration's 
nuclear security mission. The India nuclear deal continues to increase 
the risk of a nuclear clash in South Asia. Plans for commercial-scale 
plutonium reprocessing in East Asia threaten to create a new nuclear 
arms race in the region.
  All of these challenges will require us to take inspiration from 
Paul's work to promote nuclear security and nonproliferation. To honor 
Paul, we must rededicate ourselves to fighting these threats to 
international peace and human survival.

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