OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

United States-Mexico Economic Partnership Act

Floor Speech

Date: Dec. 21, 2020
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Government Budget and Spending Energy

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Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the fiscal year 2021 omnibus appropriations bill, and particularly the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

As ranking member of the subcommittee, I am pleased this bill is significantly improved from the House bill in many ways.

First and foremost, the bill strongly supports our national nuclear security programs, providing $15.3 billion for the Weapons Activities account, an increase of $2.9 billion above fiscal year 2020. This funding supports the maintenance and modernization of our nuclear weapons system, which will ensure a credible and reliable nuclear deterrent.

One of my personal priorities is promoting innovation and growth in nuclear energy. This bill provides almost $1.4 billion for research, development, and demonstration activities, including increased funding for the Advanced Small Modular Reactors Program and the Advanced Reactors Demonstration Program, both programs focused on building the next generation of carbon-free technologies to be deployed here and abroad.

The bill also includes critical water storage projects in the drought-prone West, such as the Anderson Ranch Dam raise in my district in Idaho.

Mr. Speaker, before I yield back, I would like to thank the full committee ranking member, Kay Granger, who has so ably led our Republican Conference on appropriations matters all Congress long. And full committee Chairwoman Lowey deserves our thanks for her many years of service in this committee and to the Nation. We will miss her.

Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Chairwoman Marcy Kaptur and I, again, worked well with our Senate partners, Lamar Alexander and Dianne Feinstein, to advance national and constituent interests throughout the programs that are funded in this bill.

Finally, I would like to thank staff on both sides of the aisle for their hard work--extremely hard work--particularly this last month, working to help bring this bill to completion.

Mr. Speaker, this appropriations package, which includes the Energy and Water division, is a strong bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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