Mark Udall: “I support this rule and will support the conference report. There are some things in the conference report that are not…”

“I support this rule and will support the conference report. There are some things in the conference report that are not fully satisfactory to me, as is often the case with conference reports. But the conference report also includes some items that I very strongly support, and I want to speak briefly about two of them. First, the conference report includes legislation dealing with the future of Rocky Flats, the former nuclear-weapons production facility in Colorado. Under this part of the conference report, Rocky Flats will be transferred from the Department of Energy to the Department of the Interior once it is cleaned up and closed and then will be managed as a national wildlife refuge. This builds on legislation that I first introduced in the 106th Congress to preserve this area for its open space and wildlife resources and incorporates the later bill that I developed in collaboration with Senator Allard. I had the privilege of serving as a House conferee on this provision, and I am very pleased that the other conferees agreed to its inclusion in the final bill.”