Rod Grams: “Despite this widespread, bipartisan support for our efforts to resolve the storage problem, the White House, under the…”

“Despite this widespread, bipartisan support for our efforts to resolve the storage problem, the White House, under the dictates of Vice President Al Gore, still has not offered an alternative to either our bipartisan legislation, which they oppose, or the failed status quo. The American people deserve leadership from the Clinton-Gore administration, not just the consequences of Presidential aspirations. If such leadership will not come from the Clinton-Gore administration, then it will come from Congress. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Frank Murkowski, Senator Larry Craig and I crafted a bipartisan proposal, S. 104, identical to legislation supported last year by 63 Senators. We have put this proposal forward as a good faith effort to help resolve this situation for the sake of protecting our environment and the legitimate interests of our ratepayers and taxpayers. As I've stated, Congress has an obligation to protect the American public from the estimated $40 to $80 billion they face in liability expenses. Our bill will reform our current civilian nuclear waste program to avoid the squandering of billions of dollars of ratepayers' and taxpayers' money. It will make our environment safer, eliminate the current need for on-site storage at our Nation's nuclear plants, keep plants from shutting down prematurely due to lack of storage space, and keep energy prices stable.”