heck, if a nuke breaks, you don't expect the Corps to pay fer it do ya?

[Guest guest]

Senate Rejects Wyden-Sununu Amendment to Energy Bill

 

[scroll down to view a STATEMENT on this matter from Public Citizen's Wenonah Hauter]

 

June 10, 2003

 

By a vote of 50 to 48 [sen. Lieberman (D-CT) did not vote, and Sen. Allen (R-VA) voted "present"], the Senate has unfortunately rejected the Wyden-Sununu amendment to the Senate energy bill (S.14, "The Energy Policy Act of 2003"), which would have struck Title IV, Subtitle B, a provision that makes taxpayers liable for up to half the costs of constructing new nuclear power reactors through federal power-purchase agreements and high-risk loan guarantees.

 

This is a defeat, but it was close, and it was as close as it was thanks to your letters and calls. Find out how your senators voted here:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108 & session=1 & vote=00214#position

 

THE FIGHT IS NOT YET OVER. WE MUST REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS TO DEFEAT THIS ANTI-ENVIRONMENT, ANTI-CONSUMER PACKAGE OF GIVE-AWAYS TO THE ENERGY INDUSTRY.

 

Keep yourself informed and engaged at our action Web page on the energy bill:

http://www.stopenergybill.org

 

DEFECTIONS:

The following DEMOCRATS voted with the majority of Republicans AGAINST the amendment:

Breaux (D-LA)

Carper (D-DE)

Hollings (D-SC)

Inouye (D-HI)

Landrieu (D-LA)

Lincoln (D-AR)

 

 

 

 

Miller (D-GA)

Nelson (D-FL)

Nelson (D-NE)

Pryor (D-AR)

 

The following REPUBLICANS voted with the majority of Democrats FOR the amendment:

Campbell (R-CO)

Chafee (R-RI)

Collins (R-ME)

Ensign (R-NV)

Gregg (R-NH)

Kyl (R-AZ)

McCain (R-AZ)

Smith (R-OR)

Snowe (R-ME)

Sununu (R-NH)

_____________

 

*** P R E S S R E L E A S E ***

 

June 10, 2003

 

Contact: Lisa Gue (202) 454-5130; Erica Hartman, (202) 454-5174

 

Senate's Rejection of Nuclear Amendment is Loss for Consumers - All the More Reason Why the Energy Bill Should Die

 

STATEMENT of Wenonah Hauter, Director, Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program:

 

Today's narrow rejection of a nuclear amendment to the Senate energy bill (S.14) is an insult to consumers, taxpayers and the environment. In a 50-48 vote, the Senate sided with the nuclear industry in failing to strike an outrageous provision that promotes the construction of new nuclear power plants on the taxpayer dime.

 

The amendment, sponsored by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), John Sununu (R-N.H.), Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), John Ensign (R-Nev.), Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), proposed to strike Title IV, Subtitle B of the Republican energy bill. This provision would make taxpayers liable for up to half the costs of constructing new nuclear reactors through government loan guarantees and power purchase agreements. According to the Congressional Research Service, this would result in a taxpayer liability of $14-16 billion. The Congressional Budget Office expects the risk of default on proposed nuclear loans to be "very high - well above 50 percent."

 

There is no justification for providing the mature nuclear industry - already heavily dependent on taxpayer handouts - with such outrageous new subsidies. Yet 10 Democrats joined 41 Republicans in voting irresponsibly against the amendment: Sens. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Mary Landrieu, Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.), Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Thomas Carper (D-Del.), Daniel Inouye (Hi.), John Breaux (D-La.), Zell Miller (D-Ga.), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.).

 

A recent Public Citizen analysis of political action committee (PAC) contributions from the nuclear industry shows that current members of the Senate received more than $3.2 million from these nuclear PACs over the past three election cycles. Additionally, the 23 members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee took almost half a million dollars from nuclear power plant PACs in the 2002 cycle and close to $1 million over the past three election cycles - nearly one-third of the total Senate receipts. The 50 members who voted to defeat the Wyden-Sununu amendment received nearly $2.3 from the nuclear industry over the past three cycles - 71 percent of the total Senate receipts.

 

The irresponsible defeat of this amendment is all the more reason to oppose the energy bill over all.