Ed Markey

I authored legislation in 2002 that required the distribution of a potassium iodide to residents living within a 20-mile radius of nuclear power plants.

What interim safety measures are you going to require while you study the issue?

I would just hope that maximum credible earthquake would be reexamined after what has happened in Chile, New Zealand, and Japan.

Don't you think that we should hold off on licensing new reactors on new reactor designs or approving new loan guarantees until we assure that these new reactors are safe and we have learned the lessons of Fukushima?

Should OMB reexamine the risk premium?

Are you going to reexamine it in light of what happened in Japan?

One of them is banker-in-chief to the nuclear industry, a socialist system that allows for the U.S. Government to provide taxpayer-backed loan guarantees for nuclear power plant construction in our country.

I think the American taxpayer really has to be protected here going forward.

They are just like a toxic asset, literally and financially guaranteed by the federal taxpayers if something goes wrong.

We don't need to study these pills to know that they can prevent cancer. I believe that the Obama administration should immediately implement my law from 7 years ago.

We, too, need a seismic shift in our approach to nuclear reactor safety. I fear that we are not moving fast enough to take these important steps.

Right now, a few dozen brave souls are fighting a nuclear meltdown with water trucks. We send our prayers to those heroes and to the people of Japan.

Somebody needs to send a message, and you can send it as we can send it to these industries...

Why do people have to die at four times the rate?

I am saying the highest standards, not the lowest.

So if this Congress does not pass that kind of legislation would your constituents be unhappy, Ms. Randolph?

Do you think the United States should have safety standards as high as the rest of the world?

We can just go across, would you support legislation that raised the safety standards in the United States to those of the other countries in the world which were mentioned in the BP Commission?

It is much more dangerous to do this in the United States than it is to do it in Europe for the same companies.

I do not think, sir, that oil companies are sending the rigs back just to idle. I do not think they are sending new rigs in just to idle.

The Obama Administration is not issuing new leases. In fact, the lease sales that were scheduled for this year have in fact been canceled.

Even though you are not familiar with the safety recommendations of the BP Commission, you are ready to say that it is safe and people should go out there.

Does that include implementing the safety recommendations of the BP Commission?

Given your job don't you think you should have looked at those safety record recommendations?

They were absolutely irresponsible, and their irresponsibility is something that goes to their safety record.