Brian Babin: “Let me begin by saying that I strongly support programs and operations that are funded by the Defense Nuclear…”

“Let me begin by saying that I strongly support programs and operations that are funded by the Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation section of the underlying bill. Keeping loose nuclear materials--especially from places like the former Soviet Union states--out of the hands of America's enemies is one of the most important duties of the Department of Energy and the Federal Government as a whole. That being said, Congress has the obligation to set requirements and criteria for every dollar of taxpayer money that we spend, especially funds that are sent or used overseas. In fact, my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee already exercised this judgment with an additional provision in their bill that is very similar to the amendments that I will be offering today. Section 307 of the underlying bill specifically prohibits any DOE nonproliferation funds from being used to enter into new contracts or agreements with Russia, sending a strong signal to Mr. Putin and others that there are real consequences for their irresponsible and destabilizing actions of the last few years.…”