[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18377-18378]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   PROVIDING FOR APPROVAL OF U.S.-AUSTRALIA NUCLEAR ENERGY AGREEMENT

  Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 6411) to provide for the approval of the Agreement Between 
the Government of the United States of America and the Government of 
Australia Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6411

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. APPROVAL OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF 
                   THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE GOVERNMENT 
                   OF AUSTRALIA CONCERNING PEACEFUL USES OF 
                   NUCLEAR ENERGY.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding the provisions for 
     congressional consideration of a proposed agreement for 
     cooperation in subsection d. of section 123 of the Atomic 
     Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2153), the Agreement Between 
     the Government of the United States of America and the 
     Government of Australia Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear 
     Energy, done at New York, May 4, 2010, may become effective 
     on or after October 8, 2010, as if all the requirements in 
     such section 123 for consideration of such agreement had been 
     satisfied, subject to subsection (b) of this section.
       (b) Applicability of Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and Other 
     Provisions of Law.--Upon coming into effect, the agreement 
     referred to in subsection (a) shall be subject to the 
     provisions of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2011 
     et seq.) and any other applicable United States law as if 
     such agreement had come into effect in accordance with the 
     requirements of section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Tanner) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6411 approves the U.S.-Australia 
agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation, which replaces the current 
U.S.-Australia agreement that expires in January.
  I know everyone here agrees that Australia is a close friend and 
valued ally to our country. Moreover, Australia provides over 20 
percent of the uranium used by U.S. domestic nuclear power reactors. 
While the United States does not need a framework agreement for 
peaceful nuclear cooperation in force to purchase and receive uranium 
fuel supplies, Australian law does require such an agreement in order 
to export uranium.
  If a new agreement is not passed and does not come into effect this 
year, it will have to be resubmitted to the next Congress. Given the 
statutory requirement for 90 days of continuous session to elapse, it 
would likely be May before the new agreement could come into effect.
  If Australia is therefore forbidden by its own law to export uranium 
to the United States in the interim, it would stand to lose some $250 
million in revenue. But, more importantly, the bill would ensure that 
this new agreement comes into force and that we, the United States, can 
continue to purchase what we require in this nuclear domestic power 
reaction field.
  I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  This companion bill to S. 3844 ensures that the proposed nuclear 
cooperation agreement with Australia is approved before the existing 
agreement expires at the end of this calendar year.
  Since the Australia 123 agreement was submitted on May 5, changes to 
the announced House schedule created the possibility that Congress 
might possibly adjourn before the agreement met the Atomic Energy Act's 
requirement of a review period of 90 days of continuous session.
  The direct result would have been a disruption of several months of 
our nuclear trade and cooperation with Australia, which supplies the 
United States 25 percent of its uranium. But now it appears that the 
projected extension of the lame duck session will be sufficient to meet 
the 90-day requirement.
  However, there are still several reasons the House should still vote 
to pass this bill. The most important is the opportunity to express our 
strong support and admiration for our close ally, Australia. For seven 
decades the United

[[Page 18378]]

States and Australia have developed ever closer ties, which have been 
repeatedly tested in both war and peace.
  Beginning in World War II and extending through Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, 
and now Afghanistan, the United States and Australian troops have 
fought side by side. In fact, Mr. Speaker, Australia has been a loyal 
ally in every major war since World War II that the United States has 
fought in.
  Without its bedrock support, the defense of our interests in the East 
and South Asia would be greatly undermined. Reliable allies are rare in 
this world, and close friends are even rarer.
  This bill also is a recognition of Australia's exemplary record in 
preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons worldwide. It has taken 
responsibility very seriously and cooperated closely with the United 
States on nonproliferation issues across the board, most recently by 
joining with us to impose new and tougher sanctions on Iran.
  There is another and equally important reason the House should vote 
for this bill: Namely, to demonstrate the contrast between this nuclear 
cooperation agreement with Australia and that proposed for Russia, 
which is also before Congress and which also faces an expiration of the 
90-day deadline.
  While Australia has been a reliable ally and a partner and honest 
with the United States, Russia has worked to undermine our interests 
around the world, from Iran to Europe and Venezuela to Syria. Moscow's 
overt and covert assistance to Iran's nuclear program has been crucial 
to Tehran's progress in developing a nuclear weapons capabilities.
  It has built the Bushehr nuclear facility, which is scheduled to come 
online in January, and the Russians have said they are ready to 
construct several more. Russia has repeatedly acted to protect Iran 
from international pressure aimed at halting its nuclear weapons 
program.
  Its repeated threats to veto any significant U.N. Security Council 
effort to impose sanctions on Iran have ensured that only weak measures 
have been adopted, which Tehran has laughed at and ignored. Russia has 
also signed nuclear cooperation agreements with the rogue regimes in 
Burma and Venezuela and continues to market its nuclear wares anywhere 
in the world to anyone that has a little money to spend.
  Given this record, an intelligent observer might wonder why we are 
even considering nuclear cooperation with a country so determined to 
undermine our interests, that consistently does not tell the truth. 
Well, the answer is that this nuclear cooperation agreement was offered 
to Russia first by the previous and then by the current administration 
as one of a series of gifts in an effort to bribe Moscow into 
cooperating on Iran.
  The strategy obviously has not worked, and the agreement certainly 
cannot be sold on its merits. Moscow sees this as a way to make money, 
but it is difficult to identify how the United States might benefit 
from the agreement.
  By voting for this bill, the House will reaffirm its strong support 
for the United States' alliance with our friends and allies, the 
Australians.
  It will thereby demonstrate that we will support nuclear cooperation 
agreements only with those countries which have earned our trust, which 
have not aided our enemies, and which have consistently acted to 
prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Russia meets none of these 
conditions, and we must not reward it for its actions that, either 
recklessly or deliberately, have greatly undermined the security of the 
American people and that of the world as a whole.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TANNER. Do you have any more speakers?
  Mr. POE of Texas. We have no other speakers, Mr. Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will address the Chair.
  Mr. POE of Texas. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6411, 
which would approve the cooperation agreement between the government of 
the United States and the government of Australia concerning the 
peaceful use of nuclear energy. This important legislation will renew a 
long-standing agreement between one of our strongest allies and promote 
the safe trade of nuclear energy products.
  I thank Chairman Berman for his leadership in bringing this bill to 
the floor. I also thank the sponsor of this legislation, Ilena Ros-
Lehtinen, for her commitment to the safe, secure trade and peaceful use 
of nuclear energy products.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States has had an ongoing civilian nuclear 
cooperation agreement with Australia since 1957. Australia sells around 
36 percent of its $1 billion in uranium exports to the United States. 
This accounts for 13 percent of our uranium supplies. This cooperation 
agreement also facilitates Australia's sale of uranium to other 
countries that will use it with technology made in the United States.
  The civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Australia is set to 
renew automatically upon the 90th day of continuous session since the 
President's May 5 transmittal of the renewal agreement. However, it is 
nonetheless appropriate for us to come together to affirm this 
agreement with Australia, one of our closest and most strategically 
important allies.
  The United States and Australia have a strong relationship rooted in 
our shared values, historical ties, and strategic outlook. Our 
militaries conduct joint military exercises and Australian troops are 
currently in Afghanistan fighting alongside U.S. service men and women. 
In addition, Australia has an excellent record on nuclear safety and 
has worked with the United States to fight nuclear proliferation. 
Australia's efforts to reduce proliferation have made them one of the 
world's leaders on global nuclear security and arms reduction.
  Mr. Speaker, for these reasons I urge my colleagues to join me in 
showing their support for this important agreement with Australia. This 
cooperation agreement is good for our relationship with an old ally, 
good for our energy sector, and good for international nuclear 
security.
  Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 6411.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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