Herb Kohl: “I will vote against cloture on the motion to proceed to the House version of the nuclear waste bill, but I want to be…”

“I will vote against cloture on the motion to proceed to the House version of the nuclear waste bill, but I want to be very clear that my vote does not change my strong support for nuclear waste legislation--and for passing such legislation this year. The federal government must act to fulfill its legal responsibility to store used fuel from more than 100 nuclear power plants across America. Over a decade ago, the federal government promised the ratepayers of Wisconsin that it would take possession of all the spent nuclear waste in the State by 1998 and send it to the desert of Nevada for long-term storage. On the basis of that promise, the ratepayers of Wisconsin have paid over $250 million into a fund to help pay for the construction of the storage site. But we have seen no return on that investment, only delays. This vote today has nothing to do with nuclear waste. The fate of that legislation lies in the House. The vote today is about tobacco-- and whether we will continue to work on the strong tobacco control legislation that we started on two weeks ago.”