Jeff Bingaman

The priorities laid out in the President's proposed budget reflect a strong commitment to clean energy

Resolution Copper has always recognized that such a review under NEPA will be required prior to commercial mining.

We call upon the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to ensure that H.R. 1904 is not enacted into law.

A principal concern of H.R. 1904 that he 'flagged' is that 'it provides for a directed land exchange and does not allow for the analysis of potential impacts of the exchange prior to that exchange being conducted.'

There will be significant impact on the land

There are issues that obviously need to be reviewed and answered to be before the exchange takes place

This land is effectively exempt from nearly all requirements of federal law and outside review and scrutiny.

It does not allow for the federal government's ability to modify the terms and conditions of exchange brought to light in those reviews

Disagreement on cultural resources and sacred sites

Bowing to public opposition and budget constraints, Congress short-circuited the siting process.

President Reagan signed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act into law and praised the bipartisan cooperation.

We've known for decades that we need a permanent waste repository.

Implementing the recommendations obviously will require legislation.

Our mission now must be to implement these recommendations quickly and completely.

Make no mistake: after seeing the nuclear crisis that threatened Japan this year, the American people want to know that their Government is doing everything in its power as promptly as can be done to make sure that a nuclear nightmare…

We need strong regulators who put the interest of the public above the interests of an industry and wake up every day looking for ways to make our country safer.

I wish to announce that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will hold a business meeting on Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 9:30 a.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The purpose of the business meeting is to…

Utah and Nevada have a challenge over groundwater resources, as Senator Bingaman noted, that has not adequately addressed.

I do think the Federal Government's role can be to supply good information.

They have a very, what I would characterize as a very irresponsible set of water laws in Texas.

The water that is being used by agriculture in many cases is groundwater, and it is being depleted.

We do not do enough to assist, and incentivize, and require that agriculture be more sensitive to water use.

In our State, I believe I'm right, that by far the largest use of water is agriculture.

I, too, appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today.

John McDonough of the Boston Globe, in his commentary on the response to Don Berwick's nomination, wrote: One of [health care's] most distinguished leaders and voices got mugged by partisan Republicans who know better and who got away with…