Sam Gibbons: “I come here after reading an early morning report in the Congressional Quarterly that a House bill moving nuclear waste…”

“I come here after reading an early morning report in the Congressional Quarterly that a House bill moving nuclear waste to Nevada is rapidly moving to the House floor for consideration of passage. Before House Members consider this bill, I would like to address two issues, the first being that the Senate companion bill to this, Senate bill 104, was narrowly passed in the Senate and will be vetoed by the President under his promise. Second is the issue that I ask both sides of the aisle to consider, and that is the issue of safety; safety in that they should not vote on a bill that is going to move nuclear waste through their communities, endangering the lives, the health, and the safety of their constituents; throwing away a vote on that issue, throwing away the lives and the health and safety of their constituents, just to prove a point. Mr. Speaker, I would urge both sides of this House to vote no on moving nuclear waste to Nevada, House bill 1270, and I would issue this proclamation: that the Members should consider that their constituents should come first, that their safety and their lives are at issue here.”