Providing for Consideration of H.R. Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2017

Floor Speech

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Ms. ROSEN. Mr. Speaker, if today's vote on the previous question fails, we have the opportunity to vote on my amendment, the Jobs, Not Waste amendment, a proactive and innovative proposal to turn Yucca Mountain into something useful, a project that would create jobs without threatening the health and safety of Nevadans and other Americans across this country.

My amendment would prohibit the Department of Energy from moving forward with its current plan to ship nuclear waste by truck and rail through 329 congressional districts to Yucca Mountain until the Federal Government considers a number of other job-creating alternatives, including defense activities, like a command facility for unmanned aircraft systems, scientific research, the development of a secure electronic data center, or renewable energy generation.

One of the arguments I regularly hear from proponents of Yucca Mountain is that it will create jobs and that we have already invested billions in building a repository at this sight. Well, I am here to say that we can still create jobs without having to take on monumental health and safety risks that come with transporting over 100,000 metric tons of hazardous and lethal nuclear waste.

Congress should have the opportunity to vote on my amendment because it would give Members a chance to find a smart, strategic solution that repurposes this dangerous and costly project. This amendment gives us an opportunity to convert Yucca Mountain into a facility that could still provide economic opportunity, drive innovation, and create new, good-paying jobs.

Relaunching the failed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storing experiment will also cost the taxpayers an additional $80 billion to complete, minimum. Let me repeat that: $80 billion, minimum.

Instead of spending billions more of hard-earned taxpayer dollars on the project that is destined to fail, that will inevitably put Nevada families and your families in your districts at risk, let us consider these forward-thinking opportunities.

I strongly urge you to do what is smart and fiscally responsible, what is right for the health and safety of all of our constituents, by making my amendment in order. I therefore ask all Members to vote ``no'' on the previous question.

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