Energy And Water Development And Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Chairman, as I said, I oppose this amendment. I do so because I really believe that this amendment would endanger our national security by making harmful cuts to the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility that is located in South Carolina.

This facility will be used to dispose of 34 metric tons of weapons grade plutonium according to binding international agreements originally signed back in 2000 and reaffirmed in 2010. Most of the plutonium has already been transferred to the Savannah River site, and it is there awaiting disposition through the MOX facility.

The President has requested the level of funding included in this bill to continue construction. The facility is over 65 percent complete and supports over 1,500 highly skilled jobs. Any further delay will jeopardize our international agreements and will abandon commitments that the country has made to the State of South Carolina when we signed and agreed to house these dangerous materials for our Nation.

I want to close by saying South Carolina has developed what I call a level of tolerance for nuclear. It didn't get there, as we say down in Gullah Geechee country, just by itself. We got there because of the commitment we made to this Nation years ago with the Manhattan Project.

I believe the State of South Carolina and the Savannah River site have made significant commitments to helping secure this Nation. I believe we would be breaking faith with the State to cripple this effort at this time because it is an agreement, the agreements are international, and I think we have a commitment to the State of South Carolina to continue the movement on this project.

Mr. Chairman, I ask that this amendment be opposed.

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