House Proceeding 12-02-09 on Dec 2nd, 2009 :: 1:00:10 to 1:05:00
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1:00:06 to 1:00:26( Edit History Discussion )

Cliff Stearns: support this bipartisan b with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from florida. . mr. s speaker. i yield myself such time as i

1:00:10 to 1:05:00( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Cliff Stearns

1:00:27 to 1:00:47( Edit History Discussion )

Cliff Stearns: may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. stearns: the gentleman is very talented. but shakespeare said to err is human. and in this case, the gentleman from tennessee has erred, particularly in this bill. so i stand here and not support of his grandill here. i think many in congress are

1:00:48 to 1:01:08( Edit History Discussion )

Cliff Stearns: perhaps frustrated that we're not focusing on domtic nuclear waste disposal issues which obviously need to be resolved if we're ever going to revitalize our nuclear industry. instead, we're talking about this bill. and in effect this bill is going to hurt businesses in their area trying to create

1:01:09 to 1:01:30( Edit History Discussion )

Cliff Stearns: jobs and trying to promote it will actually discourage it. the administration has irresponsibly turned down -- turned us back on yucca mountain. waste repository site leaving us with no clear plan to dispose of high level of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel and leaving taxpars liable for potentially billions of dollars

1:01:31 to 1:01:52( Edit History Discussion )

Cliff Stearns: in damages. now, this bill, mr. speaker, does not focus on high level radioactive waste but rather it focuses on what is known as a class a radioactive waste. now, my colleagues, this is the lowest of lowest level of radioactive waste. now, supporters of this bill will say that we lack sufficient capacity in the

1:01:53 to 1:02:14( Edit History Discussion )

Cliff Stearns: united states for this waste. let's talk about what the g.a.o. says. they have testified that class a waste disposal capacity is simply not a in the short term or the long term. g.a.o. had some real concerns about disposal capacity for

1:02:15 to 1:02:37( Edit History Discussion )

Cliff Stearns: what is known as class b and c waste but not this class waste. now, what does this legislation do to deal with spent nuclear fuel or the impending class b and waste disposal cris? nothing. nothing is done. instead, it would prevent u.s. companies from competing in the

1:02:38 to 1:03:00( Edit History Discussion )

Cliff Stearns: restraing trade in this very low-level waste. now, a t of us will hear the word radioactive, and this is perhaps a word that is radioactive to lawmakers, but it should not frighten us once we look at this and become clear that what we're talking about is the same kind of waste that you find in a home smoke detector.

1:03:01 to 1:03:22( Edit History Discussion )

Cliff Stearns: i think everybody in this chamber as well as everybody in the house probably has a smoke detector in their home. so that's the type of low-level waste we're talking about. i want ameri american workers to be able to fully participate in the nuclear renaissance. you know, it's happening in china, certainly, including the

1:03:23 to 1:03:44( Edit History Discussion )

Cliff Stearns: handling of this low-level waste. this is anti-jobs and anti-trade bill. it will simply ban americans from the marketplace, and that's why reluctantly many on this side of the aisle oppose this legislation and voted against it when it was in the full committee. i am also concerned that this bill may have negative unintended consequences on top

1:03:45 to 1:04:05( Edit History Discussion )

Cliff Stearns: of the intended ones. in addition to restricting the ility of u.s. companies to bid on secure foreign contracts, this bill may prevent u.s. companies in the future from working cooperatively with foreign companies on other nuclear projects. the bill will prohibit the importation of this low-level waste into the united states

1:04:06 to 1:04:26( Edit History Discussion )

Cliff Stearns: unless it is being sent to a federal government on -- or military facility or other limited exceptions. so i do not believe that the importations of very common low-level waste has issues. the g.a.o. didn't think so either. at the same time i don't believe that the u.s. nucar

1:04:27 to 1:04:47( Edit History Discussion )

Cliff Stearns: companies are to participate -- i do not believe that if u.s. nuclear companies are to participate in the global nuclear services market and to compete with foreign- companies, they must simply be able to manage and dispose of the low-level waste incidental to their work and subject to n.r.c.'s already strict regulations and requirements.

1:04:48 to 1:05:01( Edit History Discussion )

Cliff Stearns: so think about that. we already have in place through the n.r.c. the necessary regulations and requirements. this is going to overlap on that. so, mr. speaker, i'd like to create jobs.