Jim Gibbons

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, it has been more than 5 months since the terrible terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. And since that fateful day, thousands of dedicated Americans have united to help build this country. Today I rise, Mr. Speaker, to recognize one of those great Americans, Mr. Michael Duncan, Jr., who was the only Nevadan deployed from the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team, also known as DMORT. DMORT is a Federal-level response team which provides mortuary assistance in cases of mass fatality incidents like September 11. Unfortunately, due to the heinous acts of the terrorists, our Nation has had to call upon DMORT for assistance at Ground Zero in New York City. Mr. Speaker, I would like today to recognize the efforts of DMORT and specifically of Mr. Michael Duncan. On behalf of a grateful Nation, I thank him for his dedicated effort to a stressful, tragic and demanding job but a job which has to be done. Mr. Duncan serves as a role model for Nevadans and for all Americans.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday in the Washington Post John W. Bartlett, an engineer who headed the Yucca Mountain project for the DOE from 1990 to 1993 stated: ``The rock formations were found to be far inferior to that originally expected in terms of preventing contamination.'' Mr. Bartlett is not the only former DOE official opposed to Yucca Mountain. Kenneth Davis, Energy Under Secretary from 1981 to 1983, has also said that Yucca Mountain as a waste repository is not reasonable in his view and should be put in mothballs. Former senior DOE geologist Jerry Szymanski has found that an earthquake could dramatically elevate the water table, potentially flooding the repository. The Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board and the GAO have also said that the DOE's science is weak to moderate and that recommendation is not prudent or practical. Mr. Speaker, it disturbs me to think that the Energy Secretary is willfully ignoring the concerns of his own experts. Unless the DOE stops the Yucca Mountain project when it comes time, and Mr. Abraham is quoted saying that Yucca Mountain was a mistake, it will be too late for the American people.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, today, our 40th President, Ronald Reagan, is celebrating his 91st birthday. I want to wish this Great American a peaceful birthday and to thank him for his leadership which has endured well beyond his years in the White House. Ronald Reagan rekindled our nation's patriotism and pride. Today, as we continue to wage a war against terrorism--a war against those individuals who jeopardize our freedoms and liberties--the confidence Ronald Reagan had in the American spirit provides every one of us with the strength and will to see this war to its rightful end--to victory. In the 106th Congress, I was proud to introduce legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy. This legislation was signed into law and the award will stand as a fitting tribute to the commitment and dedication the Reagans have had to this nation. As President, Ronald Reagan was dedicated to encouraging economic growth, recognizing the value of hard work, and sparking hope and pride among Americans. He believed that ``everyone can rise as high and as far as their ability will take them.'' This principle became a guiding creed of Reagan's Presidency, as he successfully turned the tide of public cynicism and sparked a national renewal. President Reagan fulfilled his pledge to restore ``the great, confident roar of American progress, growth, and optimism.'' During his presidency, Americans once again believed in the American Dream. Today, as we face a great evil, we build upon this ``confident roar'' and find solace in Ronald Reagan's everlasting faith in America and her people. Thank you Mr. President for your inspiration and leadership which continues to guide our nation and which will help us to protect our freedoms and liberties in the twenty-first century. May you have a peaceful and relaxing birthday and God bless.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, last week the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board joined an ever-expanding list of independent experts who are criticizing the science being touted by the Department of Energy regarding the Yucca Mountain Project. In its report the board called the DOE's science ``weak to moderate.'' Board member and hydrologist Paul Craig added that ``many of the DOE's assumptions regarding Yucca Mountain are extreme and unrealistic.'' John Bartlett, former Director of DOE's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, stated that ``the documentation does not provide a sound foundation for the basis of a site recommendation.'' Moreover, the GAO has raised its own concerns with the Yucca Mountain Project, stating that ``making a site recommendation at this time would not be prudent or practical.'' Mr. Speaker, when will the DOE begin to answer the serious questions being raised about its failed science? Hopefully they will do that before going any further into the site recommendation process and before the lives of millions of Americans are jeopardized.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Madam Speaker, I also would like to thank my colleagues who have allowed me time to speak on this very important bill. It brings me a great deal of pleasure to offer my full support of this legislation here that is before us today, S. 737. As you know, this legislation, as has been described, will designate a facility of the United States Postal Service located in Yerington, Nevada, as the Joseph E. Dini, Jr., Post Office. Madam Speaker, it was my great honor and great privilege to work with Speaker Dini when we served together in the Nevada State Legislature. As a freshman legislator, I can speak from experience and fact that very early in my political career, Speaker Dini taught me some very valuable lessons about the passage of legislation, about bipartisanship and all the things that are important to doing a job as a public servant in a legislative body. I can remember how well Speaker Dini worked with those from both sides of the aisle, focusing more on the legislative accomplishments than on one's personality or partisanship. Still to this day, after serving in our State legislature since 1967, Speaker Dini maintains his ability to put people before politics. Mr. Dini certainly is a natural leader. He has achieved one success after another, as you heard my colleague the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) say, and he has avoided the political grandstanding that tends to stymie the legislative process. Madam Speaker, Speaker Dini has not only served his constituents in the Nevada Assembly, district 38, with distinction and class, but he has served and continues to serve the entire State of Nevada in the same fashion. Madam Speaker, I would ask all my colleagues to join me today in honoring one of our country's, and, yes, Nevada's, finest public servants by supporting Senate bill 737.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, imagine if you were participating in an Olympic event and you were winning the race and suddenly the Olympic Committee came along and changed the rules because they did not want you to win. You would be outraged. Well, yesterday the Nuclear Regulatory Commission notified Nevada of their plans to once again change the ground rules for judging Yucca Mountain. The NRC is proposing to eliminate rules governing what it calls the ``unlikely event'' of a volcanic eruption. The NRC staff believes that there is less than a 1-in-10 chance of an eruption occurring within 10,000 years. A less than 10 percent chance? What does that mean? Does the term ``1-in-10'' or ``less than'' equate to ``sound science''? There is a better chance of Yucca Mountain exploding than there is of winning the lottery. We should ask the people of Africa. We should ask the people of Hawaii. We should ask the people of Mount Saint Helens in Oregon what they thought about that 1-in-10 chance. I continue my outrage at the entire Yucca Mountain project. But by telling Nevadans that they have a less than 1-in-10 chance that Yucca Mountain could explode is downright astonishing. The NRC should be ashamed of itself. It is time to put the safety of Nevadans and all Americans ahead of their own desire to win at any cost.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, well, here we go again. Last week, the Department of Energy changed the ground rules once again for judging the suitability of Yucca Mountain. How convenient for them to change the guidelines after scientists began to conclude the natural features of the mountain would not work. You cannot change the rules of the game once the game has begun, Mr. Speaker. The audacity of the Department of Energy is deplorable. First, their own Inspector General cites 9 years of possible collusion of a corrupt law firm; then, the GAO warns that the plans the DOE has shown to Congress and the Nevadans may not describe the facility the GAO would actually build and develop. And now, after changing the regulations to suit their science, we, the American people, are supposed to trust them? The Department of Energy should be ashamed of itself. It is time to put the safety of Nevadans and Americans ahead of their own desire to win at any cost.N O T I C E Effective January 1, 2002, the subscription price of the Congressional Record will be $422 per year or $211 for six months. Individual issues may be purchased for $5.00 per copy. The cost for the microfiche edition will remain $141 per year with single copies remaining $1.50 per issue. This price increase is necessary based upon the cost of printing and distribution. Michael F. DiMario, Public Printer

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. I thank the chairman of the full committee and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), for bringing before this House what I feel is probably one of the best intelligence authorization conference report bills we have had in a long time. As a result, I do stand here in strong support of the conference report. Mr. Speaker, since September 11, all Americans have witnessed, I believe, our intelligence community working at its best. America, unfortunately, did witness its first loss, our first combat loss of an American hero in our war on terrorism, CIA agent Johnny Mike Spann. Now we must provide the resources needed to combat terrorism at the most basic level for intelligence. This, Mr. Speaker, is a good bill. It provides significant resources to the intelligence community which, during the last decade, went underfunded, understaffed, and underappreciated. The 1990s were a risk-averse period during which the bullies of the world began to get the idea that the United States had gone soft and no longer had the will to defend American lives and American interests. The intelligence community often was not performing aggressively enough, though this was by no means the fault of the dedicated men and women who constitute the intelligence agencies' rank and file. They are now doing a terrific job, a wonderful job of catch-up, and they deserve the best support that we can give them. Regarding today's needs, we are providing logistical and technical resources for a worldwide campaign to root out terrorism. Our intelligence officers are working on the ground in Afghanistan, as the American public is now very much aware, sadly aware, with the news of our fallen CIA hero. What the American public will probably never know is that American intelligence officers are working around the clock worldwide to neutralize terrorist cells and otherwise diminish the possibility of future attacks on innocent American citizens. As for the needs and future needs, this bill provides resources for greater foreign language expertise, increased specialized training, increased analytical expertise, to include measures to restore the intelligence community's ability to provide worldwide analytical coverage. This administration and this Congress are acutely aware of the need for a strong intelligence capability. We on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence have done our utmost to give the intelligence agencies what they need to do their job. Mr. Speaker, I want to ask all my colleagues to support this bill, and I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, more than a month ago this House passed a much-needed economic stimulus package; but, unfortunately, America waits. American families have been waiting for the Democratic leadership in the other body to act; waiting for the relief to spur on economic investment; waiting for additional Federal assistance so small businesses can obtain loans to keep their doors open and people employed; waiting for expanded health care and unemployment benefits for those in the tourism industry who have been laid off since September 11. Mr. Speaker, like all Americans, Nevadans have waited too long for the Democratic leadership to start putting the welfare of this Nation and its economic prosperity ahead of their political priorities. It is time for an economic stimulus package to be passed by both Chambers of Congress and sent to the President and signed into law. America's economy, stability, and the individual prosperity of every American depends on it. Let us do it now.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, since September 11, all Americans have witnessed our intelligence community at its best. We have witnessed their loss, our first combat loss of an American hero in our war against terrorism, CIA agent Johnny ``Mike'' Spann. We must provide the resources needed to combat terrorism at the most basic level, intelligence. This is a good bill. It provides significant resources to the intelligence community, which during the 1990s was underfinanced, understaffed, and underappreciated. The 1990s was a ``risk averse'' period, during which the bullies of the world began to get the idea that the United States had gone soft, and no longer had a will to defend American lives and American interests. The intelligence community often was not performing aggressively enough, though this was by no means the fault of the dedicated men and women who constitute the intelligence agencies' rank-and-file. They are now doing a stupendous job of catchup, and they deserve the best support we can give them. Regarding today's needs, we are providing logistical and technical resources for a worldwide campaign to root out terrorism. Our intelligence officers are working on the ground in Afghanistan, as the American public is now aware--sadly aware with the news of our fallen CIA hero. What the American public will probably never know is that American intelligence officers are working around the clock, worldwide, to neutralize terrorist cells and otherwise diminish the possibility of future attacks on innocent American citizens. As for future needs, this bill provides resources for greater foreign language expertise, increased specialized training, increased analytical expertise to include measures to restore the intelligence community's ability to provide worldwide analytical coverage. This administration and this Congress are acutely aware of the need for a strong intelligence capability. We on the Intelligence Committee have done our utmost to give the intelligence agencies what they need to do their job. I urge your support on this motion.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, much debate has occurred recently on President Bush's decision to utilize military tribunals to hold all terrorists responsible for their actions. I come to the floor to state my whole-hearted support for his decision. Let us get one thing straight. Terrorists do not, by definition, conduct themselves as lawful combatants. They began this war with us; and, consequently, they should be treated as war criminals if captured. Mr. Speaker, I strongly disagree with the arguments of the other side that say using military tribunals would not ensure a fair trial. To the contrary, it allows for an appeals process through all levels of the military courts and ultimately to the United States Supreme Court. I remind my colleagues that President Bush's decision to use military tribunals as a means of bringing terrorists to justice has historical precedence dating back to Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and even George Washington. Mr. Speaker, terrorists are not abiding by the rules of a civil society. They should be held accountable for their actions as war criminals.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the call of the Private Calendar be dispensed with today.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), my colleague and good friend. I am happy to be here today to come to the floor of the House to join with my colleagues in the House to commemorate the life and work of a dear friend, the strong and vibrant Maureen Reagan. Mr. Speaker, many things have been said on this House Floor today about Maureen Reagan, all of which I share, and I would like to join in and add my voice to the same great comments that have been made about Maureen Reagan and her life and her dedication to what she did. The numerous contributions that Maureen made to the causes and charities that she pursued would remind all of us of the person, the courage, and the passion and the leadership qualities that she shared with her father. Mr. Speaker, many times I have met with Maureen and her family, either at her home in California or mine in Nevada, and never once did Maureen, even though she was afflicted with cancer, ever complain about her status, her health, or the fact that she did have a terrible disease called cancer. She was always vibrant, she was always outspoken, always talking positively and passionately about the future and where she was going with her work in dealing with these charitable organizations and issues that she did deal with. In putting these great qualities to work, Maureen would go on to leave many of her own footsteps across this Nation for many to follow. She never once needed her name to prove both her effectiveness or her charm. Maureen's deep commitment to raising the awareness of Alzheimer's disease and the importance of research confirmed her status as a selfless, dedicated benefactor for millions of Americans. I extend my heartfelt prayers and deepest condolences to Maureen's husband, Dennis, and her lovely daughter, Rita. Indeed, the sense of loss that our Nation has felt is in no comparison to that, I am sure, of Maureen's own family. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), as well as the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for bringing H.J. Res. 60 to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this courageous and amazing woman. Maureen's contributions to her family and Nation will certainly never be forgotten.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, here we go again. The General Accounting Office, a nonpartisan congressional investigative agency, is calling on the President and the Department of Energy to indefinitely postpone its decision on whether to build a huge permanent centralized waste storage site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The GAO report calls the plan to bury waste at Yucca Mountain a failed scientific process, echoing the concern I and my fellow Nevadans have expressed for years. Yet the report goes on further; it warns that the plans the DOE has been showing to Congress and Nevadans may not describe the facilities that DOE would actually develop. Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that the plan to bury nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain has not only been an obscene waste of taxpayer money but also a huge conspiracy to misrepresent the facts and deceive the American public. It is time for the DOE to tell the truth. Storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain is not a safe plan, and I call upon my colleagues in the Congress to protect the American people and halt Yucca Mountain.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I come to the well of this great body to recognize the achievements of Chance Kretschmer, a freshman running back for the University of Nevada, Reno, Wolf Pack football team. Chance Kretschmer broke not only every Nevada football rushing record for number of yards, number of carries and number of touchdowns, but he is also the lead rusher in the NCAA. Born and raised in a small rural town, Tonopah, Nevada, the young football star joined the Wolf Pack football team as an unknown walk-on freshman. Now, not only are the UNR fans and coaches taking notice, but all of the college sports community is doing so as well. In his last game, Chance ran for an amazing 327 yards on 45 carries and scored an amazing six touchdowns leading the UNR to victory. And as only a freshman, this Nevada native certainly has an exciting future ahead of him. Congratulations, Chance Kretschmer, on your athletic accomplishments. You have made all of Nevada proud.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, September 11 of course was a day of tragedy where thousands of Americans lost their lives, and some of the youngest victims of this heinous attack were the children who lost one or both parents in the disaster. Today, I am proud to announce that a resident of Reno, Nevada, is spearheading a project to benefit these children facing a world without one, either a mother or a father from this disaster. Ms. Debby Bullentini, a former fifth grade teacher, has begun the Comfort Quilts Project, a project to provide the children with a special hand-made quilt made up of patches from all over the country. Every Member of this Chamber can help by signing an individual patch for the quilts which will be distributed to the 10 to 15,000 children who lost one or both parents on September 11. I have encouraged every Member of Congress to visit any office or call at 100 Cannon and take a few minutes to sign a patch like this one to show that we do care about these children, and I wish we could do more to ease the pain of these children who are the youngest victims of this terrorist attack.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I come to the House of Representatives today to take a moment to recognize one of the finest officers in our Armed Forces, Major General Paul A. Weaver, Jr., the director of the Air National Guard. Well known and respected by many Members in this Chamber, General Weaver will soon retire after almost 35 years of selfless service to our country. Today I am honored to acknowledge some of General Weaver's distinguished accomplishments, and to commend the superb service he has provided to the Air National Guard, the Air Force, and our great Nation. After completing his Bachelor of Science Degree in Communicative Arts in Ithaca College in New York, he entered the United States Air Force in 1967 and was commissioned through Officer Training School. After earning his pilot wings, he had flying assignments in the F-4E and O- 2A, and completed overseas tours in Germany and Korea. In 1975, he joined the New York Air National Guard, with which he served in increasing levels of responsibility. This culminated when he took command of the 305th Airlift Group at Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York, in 1985. Following his 9 years as commander, General Weaver served as the Air National Guard's deputy director for 4 years and was appointed the director of the Air Guard in 1998. General Weaver is a command pilot with more than 2,800 flying hours in five different aircraft. He is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Just Cause. General Weaver's decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Combat Readiness Medal with Service Star, and Southwest Asia Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters. While serving as commander of the 105th Airlift wing, Paul Weaver was responsible for the largest conversion in the history of the Air National Guard. Under his command, the wing converted from the Air Force's smallest aircraft, the 0-2 Skymaster, to its largest, the C-5 Galaxy. During this conversion, he oversaw the largest military construction program in the history of the reserve forces as he literally rebuilt Stewart Air National Guard Base. As the Air National Guard's director, General Weaver's accomplishments are also noteworthy. He has dedicated each year of his term to a different theme: transition, the enlisted forces, the family, employers, and thereby providing focus and enhancement to each of these four crucial areas. In addition, Paul Weaver's modernization, readiness, people and infrastructure initiatives have enabled a fuller partnership role in the Air Force's expeditionary aerospace force. The Air Guard achieved all its domestic and global taskings and requirements with a force that is also smaller in size. Under General Weaver's leadership, the Air National Guard is even more relevant, ready and responsive and accessible than it has ever been. I would be remiss, Mr. Speaker, if I did not also mention that the Air National Guard is also fortunate to have another Weaver contributing to its success. Besides fully supporting his chosen profession, Paul's wife Cathylee Weaver has had a major impact on the Air Guard's family enrichment programs. With dignity and grace, she has dedicated time and attention to Air National Guard families which led to her recently being voted as Volunteer of the Year for Family Programs. Clearly, the Air National Guard will lose not only one but two exceptional people. Let me close, Mr. Speaker, by saying that as both its deputy director and director, General Weaver has made the Air National Guard a stronger and more capable partner for the Air Force. His distinguished and faithful service has provided significant and lasting contributions to our Nation's security. I know my colleagues will join me in paying tribute to this outstanding citizen-airman and true patriot upon his retirement from the Air National Guard. We all thank General Weaver and wish him, Cathylee and the entire Weaver family much health, great happiness and Godspeed.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Madam Speaker, currently, nuclear security requirements at licensed nuclear facilities do not reflect the risk of terrorism that they face in the post September 11, 2001-world. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has recognized that the containment buildings housing nuclear reactors are not designed to withstand an attack of September 11 proportions. An even more vulnerable target includes spent nuclear fuel pools which contain more radioactivity than a reactor core and are located outside of the containment structure. Unfortunately, H.R. 2983 contains specific provisions intended to facilitate the construction of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR), a design that does not include a protective containment structure. The blanket indemnities granted to Department of Energy contractors by the Price-Anderson Act, even in cases of willful misconduct and gross negligence, runs counter to the goal of comprehensive security at licensed nuclear facilities. Unfortunately, America knows far too well the effects of willful misconduct on buildings and locations that do not house radioactive waste. Exposing facilities that do is an egregious violation of public trust and safety. As a Congress, we should not provide disincentives to ensuring public safety. If we pass H.R. 2983, we will be doing just that. Besides worrying about terrorist attacks on nuclear reactors, nuclear waste transports, or nuclear waste storage sites, taxpayers are concerned abut having to foot the bill in cases of disaster. Americans are expected to purchase their own insurance, yet the nuclear industry asks Americans to pay for theirs. The Price-Anderson Act limits the financial responsibility of the nuclear industry by awarding special protections that no other industry has received. This limitation not only insulates the industry from financial risks but creates an inherent subsidy by relieving the costs of fully insuring against the risk of an accident. All other businesses insure to a reasonable limit against potential liabilities and risk loss of assets if the level of insurance is inadequate. This insurance is a normal cost of doing business, which is then reflected in the price of the product or service provided by that business. The Price-Anderson Act gives the nuclear industry an unfair business advantage. By eliminating the cost of purchasing adequate insurance, the Act makes nuclear power appear cheaper to consume than it truly is. Madam Speaker, I do not support the Federal Government being used as an insurance provider of this magnitude. The nuclear industry should be required to purchase insurance like everyone else is expected to-- through the private market. I do not support H.R. 2983 and urge my colleagues to reconsider its placement on the suspension of the rules calendar.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, since September 11, we have been focused on fighting terrorism across this Nation. However, this Congress has not failed to address its other priorities among the American people. One of them is to reform our election laws after last year's election chaos. What I rise today to do is to congratulate the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) of the Committee on House Administration for their hard work in creating a bipartisan piece of legislation which addresses campaign finance reform, and it does it in three critical ways: First, this piece of legislation tells Congress that it must resist the urge to federalize what is constitutionally preferred by States and localities. The primacy of States and localities in the area of elections must be respected. Congress should seek to empower the duly elected State and local officials, not dictate to them. Secondly, Congress must examine ways to eliminate fraud. Inaccuracies in voter rolls lead to all sorts of problems nationwide, including fraud. The days of the ``cemetery vote'' and other ``ghost'' voting must come to a rapid close everywhere. Finally, Congress must address disenfranchisement, whether intentional or unintentional. One person, one vote is a principle that crosses all party lines.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Nuclear Regulatory Commission joined the Department of Energy in what appears to be a collusion to ignore public safety. An NRC statement said that it believes that the Department of Energy has done all the work necessary for approval to license Yucca Mountain. Earlier this week, the Yucca project chief for the DOE said that the analysis for terrorist threats would not, I repeat, would not, be included in a final report to the Secretary of Energy. Well, Mr. Speaker, the last time I checked, we were at war with terrorism; and it seems to me that a giant mountain filled with 77,000 tons of nuclear material located near Las Vegas, Nevada, makes an unfortunate, yet attractive, target for these evil terrorists. It is simply reckless and irresponsible for the DOE and the NRC to ignore the threat of terrorism. It is obvious that the DOE and NRC are on a mission to store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain at any price. Unfortunately, that price may be the safety of the American people.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday President Bush decided to refill our national strategic petroleum reserves to full capacity. This is very critical and very important and I applaud his decision. During this time of war, the last thing that our Nation needs to worry about is its energy supply. Obviously our President has the foresight to try to prevent a domestic energy shortage as we saw last year, and so did this Chamber and this House when we passed the Energy Security Act months ago. Yet the Democratic leadership in that other body refuses to act on this critical issue. A majority of our energy supply comes from one world region, the Middle East. According to the Energy Department, the United States increased its oil imports between 1973 and 1996 by 40 percent. During these times of war, concentrating oil imports from any one region places America's energy and economic security at great risk. It is time to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. It is time for the Democratic leadership in the other body to act and pass the Energy Security Act so it can be signed into law.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, 3 months ago this House passed the Energy Security Act to increase and diversify our energy production. Only last month we passed an economic stimulus package to keep Americans working and our businesses open. Yet the Democratic leadership in the other body has refused to act on either of these two crucial measures which are so critically linked together. It is time we ensure the economic prosperity of this Nation by ensuring our own domestic energy supply. Energy and other products produced from fossil fuels and minerals create the standard of living that every American enjoys and relies upon. Obviously, an uninterrupted supply of energy, including crude oil and natural gas, are vital to the economy and security of the United States; and it is time for the Democratic leadership in the other body to meet the needs of the American people by securing our energy needs, thereby ensuring our economic prosperity. For the sake of this Nation and all Americans, I hope the Democratic leadership will act sooner rather than later.

Mr. GIBBONS

Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.