[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 178 (Monday, October 19, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6069-S6070]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                          NUCLEAR SCIENCE WEEK

  Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, I rise today to call attention to Nuclear 
Science Week, Oct. 19-23.
  Established in 2010, Nuclear Science Week aims to educate the public 
on the five pillars of nuclear science: carbon-free energy, global 
leadership, transformative healthcare, innovation and technology, and 
space exploration.
  In Idaho, Nuclear Science Week is especially important because we 
host the Nation's lead national laboratory for nuclear energy research 
and development: Idaho National Laboratory.
  In 2019, INL celebrated its 70th anniversary. The laboratory's rich 
research legacy includes 52 test reactors built and deployed in the 
eastern Idaho desert, and empowerment of a nuclear energy industry that 
today produces nearly 20 percent of our Nation's electricity and more 
than half our zero-carbon emitting electricity.
  INL research helped develop America's nuclear Navy, which has 
contributed to U.S. national security efforts for decades. Research at 
INL's Advanced Test Reactor, which has been in operation for more than 
a half century, allowed for the modernization of our nuclear Navy, 
whose ships and submarines can now operate for decades without costly 
and time-consuming refueling.
  Nuclear Science Week allows us to focus attention on the training, 
education, and empowerment of the future energy workforce, students 
across America who will develop the technological breakthroughs of the 
future. In the meantime, INL remains at the forefront of our Nation's 
effort to develop and deploy advanced nuclear technologies, including 
small modular nuclear reactors and microreactors.
  As the home of the National Reactor Innovation Center, INL's world-
class

[[Page S6070]]

researchers, working with industry, will develop those technologies 
that allow us to retain our world leadership role in nuclear energy 
while ensuring economic prosperity and environmental protection.
  In reference to the fifth pillar of nuclear science, space 
exploration, all of us in Idaho are proud to say that INL played an 
important role in the recent launch of the 2020 Mars Rover by 
assembling and testing the nuclear power system that will allow NASA 
scientists to learn more about our universe.
  I am honored to represent this important national laboratory, which 
embodies the traits that built our Nation: scientific achievement, the 
pursuit of knowledge, and curiosity.
  By spreading the word about Nuclear Science Week and inspiring our 
youth, we will make the world a better place for everyone.

                          ____________________