Angie Craig: “I thank the chairman of the Defense Authorization Committee for his cooperation and the ranking member for allowing…”

“I thank the chairman of the Defense Authorization Committee for his cooperation and the ranking member for allowing Idaho and Washington and South Carolina to resolve what was and has been, at some points along the way, a contentious issue. But foremost, I thank my colleague from Idaho, Mike Crapo, for the diligence that he has put into making sure that Idaho remains whole in its agreement, that Washington remains whole in its agreement, and that South Carolina be allowed to gain an agreement with the Department of Energy, and, if you will, to wipe away the fog that had been created by a court decision that did not, in the opinion of the Department of Energy and the OMB, allow them a clear path forward to continue to spend money for the purposes of cleanup. We think this language allows that clear path forward while allowing the State of South Carolina to arrive at an agreement different from that which the State of Idaho or the State of Washington has. I agree, the language is not precedent-setting. Idaho is still very whole in the relationship it has currently with the Department of Energy. My goal, and the goal of the other Senator from Idaho, Mike Crapo, has always been to assure that cleanup goes forward without a hitch, and this language will allow that to happen, for the $90-plus million that was dedicated to cleanup in Idaho for this coming year to be allowed to be applied for that purpose.”