Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Ms. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, I have come to the floor to speak in support of the fiscal year 2016 Energy and Water appropriations bill. I want to thank the senior Senator from Tennessee for his leadership in developing this bill, for doing his part to help the Senate return to a regular budgeting process, and I want to urge my colleagues not to filibuster when we vote on it.

The Appropriations Committee passed this bill with broad bipartisan approval in late May. The final vote in committee was 26-4, with all Republicans and 10 Democratic Senators supporting it. That means close to 90 percent of the Appropriations Committee voted to advance this bill--a very strong ratio that we should carry over here on the floor, instead of grounding it with demands for more and more spending.

There is a lot in here that the Senate should like. My colleague from Tennessee has developed a good, balanced bill that will provide funding and direction to the Department of Energy, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Bureau of Reclamation. It will allow the Senate to advance our Nation's energy security, nuclear waste cleanup, flood control, and infrastructure development.

We hear a lot of talk about the importance of Federal energy policy around here. As the chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I certainly agree that energy policy and stewardship of our public lands are worthy of our time and attention. And that is one of the reasons this bill should be allowed to go forward. It will support research and development for our conventional energy resources, for renewable resources, for nuclear energy, and for many other promising technologies.

It includes a pilot program for the consolidated storage of spent nuclear fuel, a step in the right direction after years of stalemate that have placed our Nation's nuclear future in limbo.

It focuses on the legacy wastes from the Manhattan Project and provides considerable funding for environmental cleanup at legacy sites around the country.

It will also uphold our Nation's nuclear security, providing funds for nonproliferation efforts and weapons activities.

But that is not all this bill will accomplish.

It will also fund the Army Corps of Engineers, whose construction projects and maintenance operations are critical not only for Alaska's harbors, but for every port in the country. Dozens of communities in my home State depend on the sea for their livelihoods--it is a source of food, jobs, and income. Without a viable port, many Alaskans cannot maintain their traditional subsistence way of life, so this is particularly vital to our Alaska Native communities.

I don't have time to tick through what this bill will do for all 50 States--but I can tell the Senate a little about what it will do for Alaska.

It will fund general investigations in Craig, Kotzebue, Perryville, and St. George.

It will provide construction funds for Port Lions and fund the Continuing Authorities Program, which allows projects that are needed by small communities to take place far quicker than can occur through the usual congressional approval process.

Operations and maintenance funds will go towards dredging in Anchorage, Homer, Nome, and other cities to ensure their harbors are in good working order and able to handle maritime traffic.

This is a good bill. It spends a total of $35.4 billion--which used to be a big number around here. It makes important choices and wise choices and funds our priorities.

So if you care about the national lab system or university research programs, you should support this bill.

If you care about energy innovation and nuclear safety and nonproliferation, you should support this bill.

If you care about ports, roads, harbors, and other infrastructure all around the country, you should support this bill.

And if you think the Senate should lead in the Federal budgeting process--if you are serious about getting that back on track, serious about us playing a role instead of being a bystander--you should support this bill.

Again, I thank the senior Senator from Tennessee for his hard work and encourage the Senate to move to full consideration of this important bill.

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