John Shimkus

People who try to hide problems or minimize their existence usually face a swifter and more ferocious corrective response from Congress and the public than if they had simply come clean.

When problems are hid, you are going to face a swifter and more ferocious corrective response by Congress.

Further, cover-ups are the best hope of people who know they are in the wrong and the worst move for those who get found out.

In my time serving in Congress, I have learned, as oftentimes is the case, that the initial problem isn't as big a deal to people as a poor explanation of a problem can be.

I have been very concerned about capital research fleeing the United States because of the FDA's slowness.

I got frustrated at the end when they kept stating how we have failed to act.

The House has spoken numerous times that it is the will of the House that we move forward on Yucca Mountain.

I am very unhappy and disappointed that they were constrained so due to the political actions of this administration.

I think they do know what they need to do, long-term geological repository; they do know how to do it because Yucca Mountain is there to do it.

I have got thousands of my State people getting this ready to ship to Yucca and it is going to be all dressed up and no place to go.

Knowing what this country has gone through to get where it is today not to consider this site and move forward on it I think is a terrible mistake.

I think it is safe to say that because one U.S. Senator doesn't want the site, that is not speaking for the locals.

I would argue that the Federal Government is a local entity here, the Federal Government, we are the locals, we own the land.

Nothing in this report forecloses Yucca Mountain as a potential suitable site, correct?

Don't you think a final scientific report might help educate the locals and develop a consent-based approach?

I want to underscore this, because you address a lot on this consent-based approach, right.

So it was Secretary Chu who said do not consider Yucca Mountain in the Blue Ribbon Commission report?

I believe that a consent-based site selection process is not just good government, it is a frank concession to reality.

My stated position is this President and this majority leader have failed to comply with the law.

Now, we got a problem, we got a problem in this country that is very, very difficult to solve.

I do think that your report is going to help us in the political arena make a decision on what to do.

The reality is Yucca Mountain not only fulfills our commitment to the American taxpayers to secure high-level nuclear waste as required by law, but makes a commitment to the people in Nevada to turn around a struggling economy and…

As a result of our successful defense programs, and as contractual obligations to taxpayers and consumers who have invested billions of dollars and counting, we, as a Federal Government, have responsibilities to permanently dispose of…

I think the Chinese are profoundly pleased. The Canadians, our allies, are profoundly disappointed.

They support it for job creation.