Howard Berman: “the scare is unlimited indemnification by the United States in the case of a North Korean light-water nuclear reactor.…”

“the scare is unlimited indemnification by the United States in the case of a North Korean light-water nuclear reactor. But the amendment does not address the scare. The amendment sweepingly prohibits any and all indemnification or liability agreements without regard to how limited, how widespread, who is participating and what is happening. Some people in this House do not like to see nuclear energy. Probably everyone in this House looks at North Korea as an adversary who has undertaken and engaged in irresponsible conduct domestically and in foreign policy. But everyone who votes for the amendment should think first about the fact that they could be torpedoing the agreed framework and the ability to get meaningful inspections about what the North Koreans have done with the plutonium that is not even reached yet by the present freeze in the North Korean nuclear program. That is a very high price to pay for the pleasure of voting for an amendment which, on its surface, seems very attractive. I think for purposes of making sure that we rid North Korea of any nuclear program whatsoever, of getting it in compliance with the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, of making it certified by the IAEA and of finally getting an account and disposing of the plutonium that we all know they have, it is a terrible mistake to vote for this amendment, and I urge the body to reject it.”