Angie Craig: “I want to address one provision of this very important bill having to do with Department of Energy facilities. This bill…”

“I want to address one provision of this very important bill having to do with Department of Energy facilities. This bill will require the Department of Energy to submit to Congress a plan for the infrastructure of the nuclear weapons complex. This will include those facilities that support the nuclear weapons stockpile, the naval reactors program, and nonproliferation and national security activities. In my view, we have not seen adequate investment in the Department of Energy's facilities over the last 10 years. This is true of the facilities and infrastructure that support both the defense and civilian missions of the Department of Energy. In addition to its vital national security missions, DOE is a premier science agency of the U.S. Government. I am encouraged that my colleagues want to begin to address the decline in DOE's infrastructure. I think this plan will be an opportunity for DOE to begin a dialog with Congress on what levels of new investment are needed.”