Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, this is very straightforward. This amendment would strike the $100 million from the nuclear nonproliferation account which has been earmarked by the committee for a bailout of a failing uranium enrichment company. This $100 million could then be put toward deficit reduction. This has nothing to do with taking away money from national security and everything to do with ending bailouts to a failed business model. Twenty years ago, two decades ago, this Congress created by charter the United States Enrichment Corporation, believing USEC could better run the uranium enrichment facilities than the government itself. But after two decades, you look at the situation and realize it ain't happening and Congress was wrong. Since its inception, USEC has squandered billions of dollars in Federal bailouts, running its operations to near insolvency because of poor decisions and--dare I say--corporate incompetency. Yearly, USEC comes to Congress and the executive branch--hat in hand--begging for millions of dollars in bailout money to continue operation sites that are technologically out of date. It is time that the Federal Government ended the endless bailouts to this enterprise. Moreover, USEC has been a bad-faith actor in negotiations with the uranium mining industry which provides the needed raw materials that are enriched at these facilities. You always ask yourself on these deals who is the winner and who is the loser.…”