Fred Upton: “Let me read the President's signing statement when he signed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act: ``The Nuclear Waste Policy…”

“Let me read the President's signing statement when he signed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act: ``The Nuclear Waste Policy Act which I am signing today provides the long overdue assurance that we now have a safe and effective solution to the nuclear waste problem. It allows the Federal Government to fulfill its responsibilities concerning nuclear waste in a timely and responsible manner.'' The President was Ronald Reagan. The date was January 7, 1983, nearly 20 years ago. The other side, the opponents of this legislation, say that we have not had enough study. We have not spent enough money. Well, we have spent nearly $15 billion getting this site ready, decades in time. Where is this site, Yucca Mountain? Well, it is on Federal land. It is close, if not contiguous, to where we have done nuclear testing for decades. It will never be a vacation spot. Many of the detractors that have spoken today and will speak have always been against nuclear power, which, by the way, provides nearly 20 percent of our Nation's power.”