On the recordJune 5, 2012
I share the gentlelady's concern on the Department's continued off-budget use of its uranium transfer authority to circumvent the appropriations process and avoid congressional oversight. Congressional oversight is essential in order to make sure there are adequate protections in place to protect our domestic uranium mining and conversion industry. However, this amendment is too broad an approach for what is, by most estimates, a very complex issue. There are several uses for the many uranium transfer authorities given to the Secretary of Energy that support ongoing national security activities, and there is still a great deal of ambiguity of whether this language in this amendment would prohibit funding for a depleted uranium tails transfer that will keep the Paducah plant in Kentucky operating for another year. That deal would sustain, and there may be a question in terms of how many jobs are here, but our estimates say it will sustain 2,000 jobs in fiscal year 2013 and provide the needed uranium fuel to produce tritium to supply our nuclear weapons stockpile. I hope we can work together--the gentlelady and I, and members of the authorizing committee and the Appropriations Committee on Energy and Water--to find a solution that addresses all of these and other concerns. I urge my colleagues reluctantly to vote ``no'' on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR.…
