Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, tonight, I rise to remember and pay tribute to the late Senator Fritz Hollings, who was a true statesman through and through.

As Governor Henry McMaster said on Saturday, learning of Senator Hollings' passing: ``One of South Carolina's greatest lions roars no more.'' Those are powerful words to describe Senator Hollings.

His life was dedicated to the service of South Carolina and the United States, and the positive impact he made on our communities will be felt for years to come.

I heard fine words from Mr. Clyburn earlier; he talked about his career. But Senator Hollings' career spanned for many decades, beginning with his graduation from The Citadel to his service as an artillery officer fighting for freedom during World War II. Like many in the Greatest Generation, he put his life on the line for our country at a very young age.

He then moved into service on behalf of the constituents of South Carolina

in a variety of roles, including Lieutenant Governor, Governor, and, most notably, here in the Halls of Congress, where he spent decades--36 years, I think--serving as a United States Senator.

He became well known as a national figure, a trailblazer, a respected fighter and champion for the American people in so many areas, including commerce and defense.

I met him in 1987 when I was working for Senator Strom Thurmond.

He will go down as one of the most effective Senators on record, and it is safe to say, there will be no one else like Senator Hollings.

Beyond his work ethic and advocacy for South Carolina, he was known as a genuine person, respected by folks from all walks of life, from every political party and from all 50 States.

His decades of work left South Carolina and our Nation better off; for that, there is no doubt. He was the true embodiment of selflessness and public service. His legacy will be felt for generations to come.

My prayers and condolences are with his loved ones, as well as appreciation for all he did for the lives of all of us.

God bless his family as they mourn the loss of a true giant, selfless public servant, and, definitely, a dedicated leader.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to strongly oppose H.R. 1. This is an egregious assault on the fundamental rights and freedoms of Americans.

H.R. 1, really, is a fight over liberty. This is a fight over the constitutional duties and roles of the States, one of which being the role in conducting elections.

Article I, section 4 says clearly, ``The times, places, and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the legislature thereof.''

Having individual States conduct elections has been vital to preserving the integrity and security of elections across the country. But this debate really is about the Democrats' desire to centralize power here in one place, Washington, D.C.

Instead of actively giving more power to Washington bureaucrats, we should be divesting power away from the expansive Federal Government, and reserving that power for the States, because that is the way the Founding Fathers designed our Republic.

But, sadly, this bill is nothing but a top-down power grab by the Democrats using the Federal Government to micromanage the electoral process, impose limits on free speech, and further impose unconstitutional mandates.

Mr. Chair, this is not the liberty our Founders intended. In fact, this is a dangerous proposal that centralizes power, enhances Big Government in Washington, and takes decisionmaking power out of the hands of the States and the people.

Let's ask ourselves: Is this the proper and constitutional role of the Federal Government? And the answer to that question is, no. H.R. 1 encroaches on the liberties and powers of the Constitution reserved for the States and the people, and I oppose this type of power grab. I think that is what so infuriates so many Americans.

We take an oath here to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. We shouldn't be passing bills like H.R. 1. We should be passing bills that preserve the liberty and freedom enshrined in the Constitution.

I encourage all Members to adamantly oppose this legislation, because if you take your oath seriously--because we aren't voting for a fancy title of a bill, when you actually read the language of this legislation, you see that it undermines the Constitution and the rights of every single American across the country, under the guise of making elections safer.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, as the former chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus and an avid outdoorsman, I rise today in support of S. 47, the Natural Resources Management Act.

But let's be clear. Where does most of the funding come from to fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund? The Land and Water Conservation Fund is overwhelmingly funded by royalties from offshore oil and gas leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf. It is funded mostly from money energy companies that produce fossil fuels pay the Federal Government.

Even though we are going to overwhelmingly, even with bipartisan support, permanently reauthorize a program that has enjoyed success since 1964, it will remain in jeopardy. Why? Because many of the Democrats supporting this have also supported this asinine, illogical, and scientifically unfounded proposal called the Green New Deal. A shift under the Green New Deal away from oil and gas to complete dependence on renewables, and you can kiss this fund good-bye.

How will they propose to pay for the Land and Water Conversation Fund? I can assure you it won't be from royalties generated by renewable energy. It will be from higher taxes.

I support energy exploration. I support conservation and this bill with as little cost to the American taxpayer. That is why I rise in support, but I implore everyone to think about how counterproductive the Green New Deal really is in actually conserving our precious environment.

It is time we hold the Green New Deal's supporters accountable to the lack of logic and science behind their proposals that have been estimated to cost up to $93 trillion.

Madam Speaker, on the evening of January 14, 2019, I missed Roll Call vote No. 30, as I was at a meeting between President Donald Trump and my constituents--the National Champion Clemson Tiger football team. Had I been present, I would have voted YES on H.R. 116, the Investing in Main Street Act.

Mr. Speaker, first off, let me thank the gentlewoman for having this Special Order on a very, very important issue.

South Carolina is as far away from the Texas border, the southern border, as almost any State. We do have an international border with the port of Charleston. We have airports there. But on Tuesday, the President carefully explained the reality on our southern border.

Plain and simple, we have a real and tangible national security crisis on our hands with illegal immigration, drug smuggling, human smuggling, sex trafficking, and terrorist threats, terrorists attempting to infiltrate our country through our poorest and unsafe southern border. These are people who aren't from Central or South America. There have been people of all nationalities apprehended on our southern border.

The President should be applauded for looking at every angle and every out-of-the-box idea to answer his constitutional duty to the American people to secure our Nation. This is about national security. It is not just about illegal immigrants wanting to come into our country to work and provide for their family; this is about national security.

We all know we have an epidemic drug problem in this country, and the majority of the drugs are coming across our southern border. Sex trafficking and human trafficking, in general, are immense in our southern border region.

And we do know that the Quds Force, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Special Elite Forces, the Quds Force, have tried to come across our southern border, apprehended and thwarted by an undercover DEA agent on the Mexican side of the border that stopped that. That Quds Force operative wanted to come to this city, wanted to come to Washington, D.C., to assassinate the Ambassador from Saudi Arabia at a restaurant where a Member of this body could have been eating.

The threat of terrorism is real. The illegality and illegal activities happening on our southern border are real. It is what the people want. It is what they expect from the Commander-in-Chief, to make sure that our Nation is safe. They want a true leader, a problem- solver. President Trump has proven that he is a problem-solver in private business, and he is applying that as Commander-in-Chief.

Congressional Democrats have been unwilling to secure the border, even though a lot of them voted for the 2006 Secure Fence Act, but they failed to fund it. So the show vote, if you look at their rhetoric, they believed in securing the border. Now it is time to put the money there to truly do it.

Seventy-nine Senators voted for that as well, the 2006 Secure Fence Act. And because of Democrats' unwillingness to fulfill their constitutional Article I duties, the government remains partially shut down.

This isn't politics. This is national security. It is time to build the wall, secure our border, stop the illegal activities, a national security issue to protect us and our fellow citizens. We owe it to the American citizens to step up and secure this Nation.

I applaud the President and I applaud Mrs. Hartzler for having this Special Order and giving us Members a chance to voice our support for what is going on with the administration trying to secure this country.

Madam Speaker, I rise today because it is a great day, a great week, and a great year to be a Clemson Tiger.

The Third District of South Carolina, which I represent, is home to the Clemson Tigers, who were victorious in their performance against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Monday to claim their third college football national championship, resulting in a perfect season, the first 15-win season in the modern era of Division I football.

Coach Dabo Swinney led this historic team to not only victory, but a dominating performance to truly establish Clemson as the best college football team in the entire country. They left no room for doubt. It was an amazing performance for everyone, from quarterback Trevor Lawrence--and my friend from Georgia, Barry Loudermilk, will talk about Trevor shortly, the first true freshman to start and win a national championship in 33 years--to seniors like Christian Wilkins and walk-on wide receiver Hunter Renfrow.

The entire team and coaching staff showed poise, control, and leadership on and off the field the entire night.

Coach Brent Venables, the defensive coordinator, prepared the Clemson defense well. Alabama was in the red zone three times, on three different occasions, but came away with zero points due to the great Tiger defense standing strong. Great work, Coach Venables, and a great job, Clemson defense.

The Tide threw two interceptions in the first half, which Clemson leveraged

to turn into points for the Tigers, establishing more dominance in the game.

The Clemson offense scored an incredible 44 points over Alabama's 16; 31 of those points were unanswered, to the shock of many in the college football world, but not a shock to the Tiger nation. We know what this Dabo Swinney-coached team was capable of.

At the end of the night, Clemson's near-perfect game was too much for Alabama. The performance was truly remarkable to see, as the whole Nation stopped to watch the two top programs in college football duke it out and leave their hearts on the field.

The Clemson senior class is one to be remembered; four straight ACC championships, two national championships, and 55 wins over the last 4 years.

Madam Speaker, to say I am a proud alumnus and former walk-on Clemson football player would be an understatement.

Above all else, one of the things I am most impressed with is Coach Dabo Swinney's leadership and character. He is truly a bright light in the realm of college football. Like Dabo has said many times: ``Let the light that shines in you be brighter than the light that shines on you.''

Of course, Dabo cares about playing amazing football. He has proven this over and over again in a fantastic 10 years as the head coach. He is now one of two active college football coaches with a national championship under the belt, right along with Alabama's Nick Saban.

But I know Dabo cares about something more, something bigger and more important than football. He cares about the hearts and souls of his players. He cares about their character, their leadership skills, and their aspirations well after they leave the field.

He cares about the types of men these players will become as friends, brothers, sons, future husbands, and fathers. He invests in them to train them as both elite athletes and elite people.

There is only one reason for this type of compassion. He strives to mirror Jesus Christ's unconditional love for us every day as a leader, a coach, a husband, a father, and a friend. And as he said after the game: ``Only God can do this.'' How true this is in all areas of our lives.

Coach Swinney never misses an opportunity to speak the truth on the platform God has given him to proclaim the amazing, Christlike love that is bestowed upon all of us. You can tell he always wants to be that type of example.

I believe this is what makes Clemson so special, a leader who prays with his staff and his players; a leader who shows Christlike love to everyone that he meets; a leader who prioritizes character over everything else; a leader who cares about you as a person, not just a football player. We can learn a lot from Dabo.

Thanks, Coach, for being the man that you are.

Hats off to Alabama who always has a storied and successful program. The competition on Monday night captured the entire Nation's attention through that battle between two amazing football programs. It was a great game, and Coach Nick Saban and his Alabama team are remarkable. This team was remarkable.

But, hey, in a college sporting event, somebody has got to lose, and I am glad my Clemson Tigers were able to win on Monday night.

Clemson's success wasn't built overnight. This was built by years of focus, work, and grind, paid for with blood, sweat, and tears on the field, in the weight room, in the film room, and everywhere in between. Nothing great ever comes easy.

So, Madam Speaker, as a former player, a proud Clemson graduate, a lifetime Tiger, I am filled with pride to see where this Clemson program is today, how it has elevated the university and the entire State.

People in this Chamber and on Capitol Hill, Members of Congress, Capitol Hill police, the staff, they may not know my name, but they know who the Clemson fan is amongst them.

Many of my Alabama colleagues, like Mo Brooks, were texting me during the game. I can't reveal what those texts said, but I appreciate the time.

Clemson is a special place with proud alumni all over the world. There is something in the hills where the Blue Ridge yawns its greatness, and the football team showed this greatness Monday night.

I am immensely proud of Coach Swinney, the players, and the administration, and I will always be all in.

Go Tigers, the college football national champions. Congratulations once again.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Leader McCarthy's resolution recognizing that allowing illegal immigrants the right to vote devalues the franchise and diminishes the voting power of United States citizens.

I have been deeply concerned, seeing more and more municipalities around the country starting to allow noncitizens and illegal immigrants the right to vote in local elections, the most current example being San Francisco, as they have started allowing both noncitizens and illegal immigrants to register to vote in school board elections.

One day it is local elections; the next, it could be statewide elections; and then, finally, the Federal elections. We can't start down this path. But we know this is where the radical left wants to grow their electorate.

For generations, brave men and women have fought and died in order to protect the fundamental right of American citizens to participate in free and fair elections. You and I can't go and vote in the elections of other nations, nor should we.

The gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) can't vote in New Jersey or Pennsylvania because he isn't a citizen of New Jersey or Pennsylvania. He is a citizen of New York. Nor should he vote in those elections.

When we start granting others the sacred right reserved for U.S. citizens, it puts our whole democratic process at risk and diminishes the voice of the American people. We simply can't allow noncitizens and illegal immigrants to water down the desires and visions of the American people at the voting booth. This is dangerous, and it disrespects the importance and value of citizenship that has been fought for throughout our Nation's history.

Now more than ever, it is critical that we ensure only American citizens are casting ballots to determine our children's future in this country. The left continues to embrace deadly sanctuary cities, more illegal immigrants at the voting booth, and open border policies that simply do not fall in line with American values.

These ideas are so far out of mainstream and continue to be rejected time and time again by the American people of this country who want their voice to count.

This resolution is a critical step to stand up and protect our democratic process. And while I stand here 100 percent supportive of my good friend's resolution, I believe this is laying the groundwork for what is to come. We have work to do.

I believe we must defund these communities that adopt policies like noncitizen and illegal immigrant voting. These voting policies do nothing more than foster more of the dangerous, illegal sanctuary city policies that we have seen around the country. These sanctuary policies promote illegal activity, undermine law enforcement, and suppress concerns of actual U.S. citizen voters.

I encourage all Members to support the commonsense resolution to protect the integrity of the American elections and protect the value of U.S. citizen voting power. Let's protect the voting booth. Let's protect the rule of law. Let's protect American values. Let's always put America first.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Young, the dean of the House, for his efforts on this.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 200, the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act.

As chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus and an avid recreational angler, I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bipartisan effort to provide much-needed reform to our Nation's fisheries management.

Mr. Chairman, I would ask the speakers that have gone before me on the

other side of the aisle if any of them fish or are they a member of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus. Have they taken the opportunity to educate themselves on the fishery issues that we are facing today?

Generations of folks have enjoyed one of America's greatest pastimes in our coastal waters. Unfortunately, antiquated Federal policies have unnecessarily limited the public's access to abundant marine fisheries.

Commercial and recreational fishing are different activities that require different management strategies. The Magnuson-Stevens Act has lacked the tools necessary to address the needs of recreational fisheries management. H.R. 200 provides an opportunity to recognize the alternative management approach in the Nation's principal fisheries law to the benefit of 11 million saltwater anglers.

Despite what some have said, H.R. 200 does not roll back conservation but, instead, provides Federal fishery managers with the tools to effectively manage both recreational and commercial fisheries. It provides for 21st century technologies to guide fishery management decisions that will further ensure that our marine resources are managed for abundance, long-term sustainability, and to the greatest benefit of the Nation.

As a recreational angler for my entire life, I understand the critical role that we play in conservation resource management. In 2016, anglers and boaters contributed $628 million in excise taxes for sport fish conservation and management, boating safety, infrastructure, and habitat restoration. In addition to that, anglers contributed $693 million through fish and license fees.

This bill will continue to ensure the conservation of our marine fisheries and will restore the public's trust in fisheries management.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome our guest chaplain, Reverend Dr. Alexander S. Campbell, ``Alex'' to those who love him. He is of Christ Reformed Church in Anderson, South Carolina.

In 2007, Dr. Campbell and his family moved from Columbia, South Carolina, to Anderson to become the senior pastor of Christ Reformed Church and have faithfully served the community of Anderson, South Carolina.

Dr. Campbell received his undergraduate degree from Clemson University--Go Tigers--in 1985, his master's of divinity from Columbia International University in 2001, and his doctorate of ministry from Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2015. In addition, Dr. Campbell is a chaplain in the South Carolina State Guard, where he faithfully serves, and he is wearing his uniform today.

Dr. Campbell is married to his wonderful wife, Nancy, and has four adult children--Zan, Meg, McBryde, and Ian--some of whom are joining us in the gallery for this special moment.

I am proud to join Dr. Campbell on the floor of the people's House and thank him for his service to his God, his country, and his community. May God continue to bless him and his family, the State of South Carolina, and the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for holding this Special Order and for recognizing South Carolina's role in helping the Republic of Texas.

You heard the words from the gentleman from Ohio about the economic impact on his State, and on America, with America's energy independence and the renaissance that we are experiencing.

In a tax reform committee hearing today, Chairman Walden talked about the economic benefits of tax reform on the energy sector, but also on America.

We are blessed in this country with natural resources. We have an abundance of natural gas.

What does an abundance of natural gas mean? That means that, last year, for the first time since 1957, we are an exporter of natural gas.

Now what does that mean not only for American producers that are providing the natural gas and the LNG terminals that are being built along the coastal regions in Houston and Louisiana--and, hopefully, one day in South Carolina, we will have an LNG terminal to help us play a part in that--but what does that mean for our allies and friends around the world? Well, just think about it.

Mexico is a huge importer of U.S. LNG. Not only are they importing natural gas through a pipeline from the plays down in Eagle Ford and Barnett in Texas, but they are also importing LNG.

We all know the situation in Venezuela. Venezuela is imploding. So many countries in South America, Latin America, are relying on Venezuelan energy. The Caribbean nations are relying on Venezuelan energy. South American countries are relying on that.

If we can provide, through LNG exports, sustainable, reliable energy sources for the Caribbean nations, that is a game changer for them, the Panama Canal being a distribution hub for U.S. LNG to be distributed all through Latin America.

I was in Spain recently and talked with the Spanish folks. They want to be the LNG importer of American LNG so they can distribute across Western Europe so that Western Europe can be less reliant on Russian gas.

Europe is reliant on Russian gas, and Russia definitely has used the spigot for energy sources as a political tool against Europe. In fact, the Lithuanian President recently said this: ``U.S. gas imports to Lithuania and other European countries is a game changer in the European gas market. This is an opportunity for Europe to end its addiction to Russian gas and ensure a secure, competitive, and diversified supply.''

American LNG exported to our friends and allies around the world is a game changer for the geopolitics of energy. We can provide abundant natural gas that we have produced in this country to folks around the world and lessen their dependence on less reliable sources. American businesses will benefit from that, and our neighbors and friends will benefit from that. That is why it is so important.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for holding this Special Order tonight and for allowing me to speak about something I am very passionate about and that is using the abundant resources we have in this country to change lives around the globe.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 263.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, and it is the largest bipartisan and bicameral caucus in the United States Congress.

Every year we have an annual congressional shootout, which consists of sporting clays, trap, and skeet shotgunning, and it is a competition between Republican Members of Congress who are members of the Sportsmen's Caucus and Democratic Members of Congress who are members of the Sportsmen's Caucus.

This year, we had 28 shooters, and I am pleased to say that the Republican team once again retained the trophy for another year.

We also had some individual competitions going on, and I would like to recognize those Members of Congress.

The Top Gun Member of Congress this year goes to Representative John Rutherford from Florida. Now, Mr. Speaker, this was his first time at this event, and he had the second highest score for a Member of Congress since the year 2010. He shot 61 out of a total possible 75.

We also had a Top Gun Republican Member, Richard Hudson from North Carolina.

We had a Top Gun Democrat. That was Representative Mike Thompson from California, who always shoots well. I like shooting against him.

Of course, I won the Top Skeet Award. Duncan Hunter from California won the Top Trap, and the Top Sporting Clays was Representative Austin Scott, who is also the co-vice chair on the Republican side for the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus.

Now, the caucus is made up of two chairmen, one Republican and one Democrat, and two co-vice chairmen, one Republican and one Democrat. I would like to take this opportunity to yield to the co-chairman, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green).

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Texas, and I want to invite all Members of Congress to join the Sportsmen's Caucus. It is not just about hunting and fishing. It is about access to outdoor property that we own as taxpayers. Public access is important. It is about trapping. It is about a lot of other outdoor activities that we can take advantage of.

The sporting clay competition that we had is open to all Members, from beginner to expert. Come out and enjoy the day next year about this same time, and enjoy a day out in Maryland at the Prince George's Trap and Skeet Center gun range club. It is a great afternoon.

Mr. Speaker, this trophy will reside in my office, 2229 Rayburn House Office Building if anybody wants to come by and admire it. It will have a new plaque saying the Republicans won the 2018 competition.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Shimkus for his work on this legislation.

I have long been an advocate for nuclear waste policy like this for Yucca Mountain.

Since 1982, when the Nuclear Waste Policy Act was created, ratepayers in this Nation have paid, as part of their utility bill, over $40 billion. In South Carolina, that means ratepayers have paid $1.3 billion for the construction and operation of what we now know as Yucca Mountain.

Currently, in South Carolina, there are over 4,500 tons of spent nuclear fuel in temporary storage from commercial reactors. At the Savannah River Site, we have both research and military nuclear waste sitting in vitrified glass ready to go to a long-term repository.

The law of the land, passed in 1992, is for Yucca Mountain to be a long-term repository for this Nation's waste. It is time to move forward and give the ratepayers--not the taxpayers, but the ratepayers--what they paid for, and this legislation moves in the right direction.

Mr. Chairman, I look forward to my colleagues supporting this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 5310.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for holding this Special Order hour to talk about a very critical policy and issue for our country.

Mr. Speaker, nuclear energy is a critical component of the United States' energy matrix. It is no secret that I am passionate about energy independence and nuclear energy as an essential, emission-free, domestic source of electricity.

As we create nuclear energy, we also create nuclear waste. In my district, the Oconee Nuclear Station run by Duke Energy in Oconee County, South Carolina, has 40 years' worth of nuclear waste sitting at the site. Without a permanent geological repository, nuclear waste will continue to pile up at reactors in South Carolina and all across the Nation.

There is currently estimated to be about 4,500 tons of spent nuclear fuel in temporary storage in South Carolina from commercial reactors.

Furthermore, there are more than 10,000 tons of military and research nuclear waste at the Savannah River site, just outside my district.

Nuclear waste sits idle and is stored in dry casts and wet pools in 121 communities across 39 States. It is imperative that we pass Chairman Shimkus' legislation, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act, to reform our country's nuclear waste policy and utilize Yucca Mountain as our main point of nuclear storage.

Having nuclear waste dispersed across the country and close to highly populated areas makes zero sense, and is an unnecessary and avoidable risk.

The depository at Yucca Mountain, after decades of research, has been independently verified to safely dispose of spent nuclear fuel for a million years. It is the law of the land. It is a perfect site for this.

We as a country need to embrace the law of the land. It is a long- term stable storage facility at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. After all the scientific research and money taken from ratepayers, it is time to move forward.

It is sad that this project has been mothballed because of politics and has been used as a political football at the expense of the American ratepayers.

What do I mean by American ratepayers paying for this?

U.S. ratepayers have already paid the Federal Government over $40 billion to develop Yucca Mountain, and currently all U.S. taxpayers are paying over $2 million a day because we have not yet fulfilled our legal obligations. Ratepayers are quite literally paying something for nothing.

Ratepayers in my State of South Carolina have already paid $1.3 billion in fees, which were intended to pay for a functioning Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. Ratepayers in other States which utilize nuclear commercial energy have paid billions more.

It is time to put politics aside. Authorize what Congress has already approved and paid for by Americans. Yucca Mountain should not have taken this long to become a reality; not after colossal amounts of money have been poured into this infrastructure project.

Members on both sides of the aisle, as you see tonight, are supportive of authorizing the use of Yucca Mountain through the Nuclear Waste Policy Act Amendments. It voted out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee by a vote of 49-4. Let's not let the politics of a few get in the way of reforming our nuclear waste policy and ensuring Americans get what they have already paid billions into.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership, and I look forward to working with him to move this forward.