John Shimkus

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, I would ask my colleague to look at the 11 additional changes that have been made in this bill versus the last bill and realize how much we have moved in the direction that he speaks of. I now yield 7 minutes to the author of the legislation from West Virginia (Mr. McKinley).

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, I remind my colleagues that the administration has not issued a veto threat on this bill. I now yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, let me remind my colleagues of some of the special interests: United Mine Workers of America, Building and Construction Trades, and the Transportation Workers of America. I yield 2 minutes to the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton).

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, the President's health care law is unworkable. Hardworking Americans know it, and, unfortunately, they're going to see their premiums skyrocket. Small business owners know it. They're going to have to scale back hiring and maybe even let some people go. People in the President's own party know it. Senator Baucus from Montana, a key author of the legislation, called it a ``train wreck'' not long ago. And now, the administration has admitted it themselves. They decided to delay the employer mandate for a year. Why? Because, despite the President saying that it's working the way it's supposed to, we know it's not working at all. That's why yesterday, on this floor, we voted to not just delay the employer mandate, but the individual mandate as well. Everyone, not just businesses, deserve protection from this unworkable law.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Chaplain Howard Bell who led us in the opening prayer. The tradition of the opening prayer began with the Continental Congress in 1774 when Reverend Jacob Duche of Philadelphia offered a prayer at its start. Since that time, the House has enjoyed over 200 years of service from the Chaplaincy of the House and our guest chaplains. Chaplain Bell has faithfully served in churches in Missouri and Illinois since 1988. While serving his church, Chaplain Bell was commissioned a chaplain captain in the United States Air Force Reserves in 2002 and was assigned as an Individual Mobilization Augmentation to the 375th Air Wing at Scott Air Force Base. In 2008, he was deployed to Afghanistan and assigned to the 455th Air Expeditionary Force at Bagram Airfield as the hospital chaplain, where he received the Army Commendation Medal. Since then, he has received the Air Force Commendation Medal, the International Security Assistance Force Medal, and the Afghanistan Enduring Freedom Medal. Chaplain Bell was also appointed wing chaplain of the 932nd Airlift Wing, where he supervises the ministry for nearly 1,200 airmen in the wing. He is married to Reverend Penelope Barber and has two children, David and Rachel. Currently, he is the pastor of the Farina United Methodist Church in Farina, Illinois, and of the Louisville United Methodist Church in Louisville, Illinois. It is my honor to welcome a man who encompasses so many of the wonderful qualities of the people of Illinois, and I would like to personally thank Chaplain Bell for offering this morning's prayer.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. First of all, I want to say nice job to Chuck Fleischmann for his comments on his father. Then, before my colleague from Maryland leaves, I want to make sure that he understands that we understand the history of this whole budget process. The Nation is $16 trillion in debt. It was the President's proposal to sequester; and it was his vote, along with my vote, that passed the Budget Control Act that enacted sequester. So, many of us are not just going to come to the floor and get lectured to on this process of how do you eventually get control of this national debt. Sequester is a tough process. It's a tough pill to take. It's the first time we've ever cut real dollars. As I tell my colleagues, in the big picture of a $16 trillion debt, it's pocket lint. It's such a small percentage of our future obligations, and that's where the debate on entitlement programs has to go. It's Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and the interest payment on our debt that, if we don't get control actuarially in the out-years, we will continue to have to cut the discretionary budget, which is damaging to all of those things my colleague mentioned. Yet for him to come down and profess outrage over a proposal that the President presented to this body and then to profess outrage when he voted for the bill, I think it's just the height of hypocrisy. That's not what I came down to the floor to talk about, but this gives us an opportunity to respond. I did want to talk about the recent occurrences in Egypt which identify persecution. The Middle East is a continually changing region. We have had citizens protesting their nondemocratic governments numerous times in calling for change and freedom across the region. In 2012, the world would watch incredible change in Egypt following the election of Mohamed Morsi, when he became the President. This country continues to struggle in instituting a democratic government. However, the work of the Morsi government is not met without opposition, and attacks on minority groups are still an ongoing issue. In the recent past, Coptic Christians have been persecuted; and on Sunday, June 23, Shiite Muslims were attacked by a mob of Sunni Muslims in the village of Zawyat Abu Musalam. Four Shiites died in this attack, and many others were injured. Shiite Muslims make up roughly 2 percent of the Egyptian population of 80 million people. While President Morsi has condemned these attacks, further steps need to be taken to address the ongoing persecutions of Egypt's religious minorities. Persecution will continue if sentiments towards minorities are not changed. For Egypt to have a successful, lasting democratic government, people of all religions will need to be included. The United States was created on the principle that all people should have the right to practice their religions freely and openly and without fear of persecution. As a Christian and as a Member of the House of Representatives, which is composed of a vast array of Members with different beliefs, it is my hope that this country will continue to be an example that Egypt can look to. I urge the Egyptian Government and the people to continue to condemn these religious-based attacks and to take positive steps towards religious freedom. I will continue to keep the country of Egypt and their religious minorities in my prayers, and I ask my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of baseball's greatest heroes of all time, St. Louis' Stan Musial. Stan the Man was an unblemished icon both on and off the field. Musial's historic numbers over his 22 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals make him one of the greatest to ever play the game. With 3,630 hits, 475 home runs, 1,951 RBIs, and a lifetime .331 batting average, he was one of the most consistent hitters of his era. Musial's performance on the field earned him 24 All-Star appearances, three National League MVP awards, seven National League batting titles, a rightful place in the Hall of Fame, and three World Series championships for Cardinals Nation. Stan the Man was immortalized in the hearts of Cardinals fans when his No. 6 was retired and his statue was erected outside Busch Stadium with a fitting quote from Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick: ``Here stands baseball's perfect warrior. Here stands baseball's perfect knight.'' But Stan Musial was more than just an example of baseball excellence; he epitomized modest Midwestern values and a devout faith rarely found in today's age of fame and record contracts. When fellow baseball great Ty Cobb compared Musial to other greats and said he was better than Joe DiMaggio, Musial humbly replied: ``Cobb is baseball's greatest. I don't want to contradict him, but I can't say that I was ever as good as Joe DiMaggio.'' Stan Musial lived his faith through his life as a devout Catholic, his charitable work and his devotion to his family, with nearly 72 years of marriage and four children. For his lifetime of work and service, Stan Musial earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, as Lacy so aptly identified. It is fitting, as we name the I-70 bridge the ``Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge,'' to remember his service to our Nation as well as that of countless other veterans in the St. Louis area and Cardinals Nation. Like so many other young men and women of his generation, Stan Musial put aside his career when he was drafted into the United States Navy during World War II. With the passing of Stan Musial, we lost a beacon of our community and our team, but this legislation is a fitting tribute to a player who will always be remembered in the hearts of Cardinals fans as ``the Man.''

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor The Village of Okawville on its 175th Anniversary. The village will celebrate this special jubilee on June 28 and 29, 2013, with a variety of community events, including a soapbox derby, children's parade, live music, and fireworks with the theme, ``Celebrate Okawville.'' The Village of Okawville was founded in 1838 as the Village of Bridgeport and was renamed Okawville in 1870 by a wave of German immigrants. The village became popular for its mineral springs, where many visitors would come to relieve their ailments in the therapeutic waters. The village is now home to 1,400 residents and still boasts a strong German heritage. Besides the Original Springs Hotel, which offers spa services, the village also is home to the Heritage House Museum sites, which draw tourists to the area today. I extend my congratulations to The Village of Okawville upon this special occasion. It is my prayer that the Lord blesses them with many more years of extending hospitality.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Pain- Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. As modern science advances, we are gaining a better understanding of childhood development from conception to birth. While decades ago doctors believed a pre-natal child's central nervous system was too under-developed to experience pain, scientists are now finding that by 20 weeks after conception babies have an ``increase in stress hormones in response to painful experiences.'' In essence, by month 5, children can experience pain. Many of the abortions conducted by Dr. Gosnell were near and even after the 20th week where the child could feel the pain of what was being done. I stand by the millions of Americans who are deeply shocked and emotionally horrified by the actions of Dr. Kermit Gosnell--the crimes for which he was convicted are too many to mention and too disturbing to describe. While our hearts go out to Dr. Gosnell's victims, we must also act to prevent future Gosnell's from having the ease and opportunity to perform abortions as he did. That is why I support The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. This bill provides national protection to unborn children who are capable of feeling pain by penalizing any doctor who provides a Gosnell-style abortion with up to 5 years in prison and/or up to a $250,000 fine. Dr. Gosnell's trial and new scientific evidence around pre-natal childhood development has compelled us to re-examine how late-term abortions are conducted and the impact on the unborn child. This legislation will help further reduce the pain and anguish that abortions can cause.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, it is great to come down on the floor to just take a few minutes to talk about energy policy in this country. Republicans on this side and many of my friends across the aisle, we do believe and speak about an all-of-the-above energy strategy. That means ``all of the above.'' First, and the Speaker would not be surprised that I would come down and talk about nuclear power and how that, in the whole line of the processing of the fuel to the electricity production, they are good- paying jobs. There are challenges we have to overcome, which is the high level of nuclear waste, the spent nuclear fuel, and the location for that, because that is a cost burden on the industry until we get that solved as we promised. Another major important energy production for us is coal. I come from southern Illinois. There are a lot of coal mines there, and electricity is generated by coal. It is low-cost fuel, and it provides great jobs for our coal miners, and it also creates high-paying jobs in rural America for the power plants in remote locations. The Governor of the State of Illinois just signed what they're claiming to be the most intense and precise fracking bill in the Nation, which will allow us to look for, locate, and recover, through the fracking process, we believe, crude oil to the extent of which we haven't seen since World War II, which also will ease our reliance on imported crude oil. Also part of this debate is the renewal portfolio debate, and some of that would be wind and solar. But don't forget the agriculture input through the RFS, which would be biodiesel, whether that is by soybeans or by reformulated cooking oil or beef tallow, or the ethanol debate, whether that is a cellulosic, the future generation of ethanol production, or the corn-based ethanol production as it is. It's a great time in the energy debate in this country because we're now at a point where we are demanding less and producing more, which would allow us then to at least stabilize and hopefully lower our prices while we then continue to become, now, an energy exporter. We're in a hearing today in the Energy and Power Subcommittee to talk about exporting coal and exporting liquified natural gas. That will be revenue and jobs to this great country. For many of us, we haven't seen times like this in a long time, and it's up to us in the public policy arena to make sure that we don't mess it up by increasing regulatory demands and other hurdles which will inhibit the entrepreneurs and the risk-takers from taking advantage of this great opportunity.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the sesquicentennial of the Centralia Sentinel. For 150 years, the newspaper has chronicled events large and small in and around the southern Illinois town of Centralia. It holds a special place in my heart, as the hometown paper of my namesake and grandfather, John Shimkus. His clothing store advertised for years in the Sentinel. History tells us that the regional term ``Little Egypt'' arose from the poor harvest of the 1830s. Citizens of the North had to travel south to buy grain, reminiscent of the Biblical story of Joseph being brought ``down to Egypt.'' A visitor walking into the reception area of the Sentinel is greeted with hieroglyphics on the wall, evoking images of an Egyptian tomb. However, those who have worked there know that the Sentinel is anything but tomb-like, frequently noting the family atmosphere, something long promoted by the newspaper's leadership. I would like to congratulate owner Judith Joy, Publisher and co- owner John Perrine, Associate Publisher Thomas Joy, General Manager Dan Nichols, Senior Editor LuAnn Droege, Lifestyles Editor Michelle Pennington, Sports Editor Mike McManus, Office Manager Julie Copple, Circulation Director Ray Albert, Prepress Supervisor Terri Kelly, Mailroom Manager Cindy Estes, Pressroom Manager Mike Bell, and all associated with the Sentinel now and over the last 15 decades. Mr. Speaker, I salute the Centralia Sentinel and offer my best wishes for the next 150 years.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Lieutenant Colonel Peter Ford for his extraordinary service to the Nation while serving in the United States Army Reserves and National Guard for the past 32 years. Lieutenant Colonel Ford started his military career in 1981 as an enlisted Soldier--an infantryman--in the Virginia National Guard. After graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College, where he was the only ROTC Cadet at Gustavus, Lieutenant Colonel Ford was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Ordinance Corps. After the Officer Basic Course, Lieutenant Colonel Ford in his civilian capacity was sworn in as a Special Agent with the State Department Diplomatic Security Service. While serving as the Regional Security Officer (RSO) at the embassy in Switzerland, Lieutenant Colonel Ford was assigned as a Military Intelligence Officer at the Military Intelligence Group at the 7th Army Reserve Command in Germany. In 1997, he was called up to support the war in Bosnia. Upon his return to the United States, he joined the Office, Chief of the Army Reserves, as a Reserve Congressional Liaison Officer and also served as a Reservist with the 157th Individual Mobilization Augmentee Detachment. In 2003, Lieutenant Colonel Ford was assigned as a Congressional Detailee to the Homeland Security Committee and was named Executive Officer of the 157th that same year. After serving as RSO in Armenia, he was detailed to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. In the fall of 2007, at the beginning of the ``surge'' in Iraq, Lieutenant Colonel Ford volunteered to serve as an Army Reservist in Iraq. He was attached to the American Embassy in Baghdad and, as the Director of the Office of Hostage Affairs, was responsible for resolving U.S. kidnapping cases in Iraq. Following the completion of his military tour, Peter continued his service in Iraq. For an additional year, he worked as a DSS Agent with the State Department in the same position. Returning to the U.S., Peter obtained a Masters Degree from the National Defense Intelligence College and joined Prisoner of War/ Missing in Action Affairs as a drilling Reservist. He was subsequently assigned to the Diplomatic Security's Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC). In October 2011, Lieutenant Colonel Ford took command of the 157th Individual Mobilization Augmentee Detachment. During his military and civilian careers, Lieutenant Ford has worked in over 110 countries. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the grateful Nation, I join my colleagues today in saying thank you to Lieutenant Colonel Peter Ford for his extraordinary dedication to duty and service to the country throughout his distinguished career in the United States Army.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, to my colleague who just spoke, I say she's going to have an opportunity with voting on the Keystone XL bill to address the jobs issue this week. But let me talk about this most recent IRS scandal. I have a local, well-respected attorney named Tad Armstrong in my district, who founded the Constitution study group called Earn It, Learn It or Lose It. He applied for a tax-exempt status in August of 2010. In October of 2010, Cincinnati headquarters called with a lot of questions. It wasn't until October of 2011 that he received an 11-page rejection letter. He hired an accountant to try to appeal. He told the accountant that his appeal was probably denied because he was teaching about the Constitution. She laughed at that. But after this most recent IRS story broke, she called back and said, ``My goodness, you are right.'' I quote Tad in saying: ``Here you have Jay Carney saying the President is a staunch defender of the First Amendment. I can't help but be reminded several times the President saying the Constitution is outdated and gets in his way.''

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, there's good news in our pursuit of a repository to hold our Nation's spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste, although it went largely unreported. Officials from both the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have publicly admitted that neither agency has identified any technical issues that would prevent us from being able to develop a safe repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. This admission came during a recent hearing before the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee in response to a question from my friend and colleague, Mr. Frelinghuysen, the subcommittee chairman. To stakeholders in the nuclear waste debate, this fact should come as no surprise. Why else would Greg Jaczko, Senator Reid's former staffer, abuse his authority as NRC chairman and deceive his Commission colleagues to scuttle publication of the agency's safety review? If Yucca Mountain were as scientifically flawed as Senator Reid says it is, then he would have benefited by having the agency's conclusions released publicly. Instead, Senator Reid got a promise from President Obama to shut down the program. President Obama obliged, with no basis other than the cryptic statements about Yucca Mountain being ``unworkable.'' Meanwhile, Senator Reid's protege, Mr. Jaczko, made sure the NRC's independent technical conclusions never saw the light of day. These actions have been challenged in court. The State attorneys general for both Washington and South Carolina, together with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, Aiken County, South Carolina, and Nye County, Nevada, have all alleged that the NRC has violated the Nuclear Waste Policy Act by ceasing its review of the Yucca Mountain license application, which is mandated under the law. The case is currently before the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals. When President Obama took office, he said that this administration would ``restore scientific integrity in government decisionmaking.'' Shortly after taking office, he issued a Presidential Memorandum stating: Political officials should not suppress or alter scientific or technological findings and conclusions. If scientific and technological information is developed and used by the Federal Government, it should ordinarily be made available to the public. Except for information that is properly restricted from disclosure, each agency should make available to the public the scientific and technical findings or conclusions considered or relied upon in policy decisions. The public must be confident that public officials will not conceal or distort the scientific findings that are relevant to policy choices. He reaffirmed these statements recently when addressing the National Academies of Science: In all the sciences, we've got to make sure that we are supporting the idea that they're not subject to politics, that they're not skewed by an agenda, that, as I said before, we make sure that we go where the evidence leads us. Mr. Speaker, I find it very difficult to reconcile these pronouncements with the Yucca Mountain situation as it stands today. Electricity consumers and taxpayers have invested $15 billion to find a safe disposal site for our Nation's civilian spent fuel and the nuclear waste left over from the Cold War. After investing 30 years and $15 billion in Yucca Mountain, they deserve, at a minimum, for the independent nuclear safety regulator, the NRC, to release its conclusions on whether the site is safe or not. Given the admissions from these DOE and NRC officials, it appears we have found a safe solution to our Nation's nuclear waste problem: Yucca Mountain. The bad news is that this administration would rather play politics than solve the problem. Transparency and scientific integrity should not be debased into political buzz words easily cast aside for the sake of political favors. Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve better. They deserve to know the truth about Yucca Mountain. It's outrageous that they must go to court to get it.

Mr. SHIMKUS

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

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and accomplishments of Moses Harrison. His judicial successes have been well chronicled, but he got elected to the Illinois Supreme Court in 1992 and served for 8 years before becoming the chief justice. However, there's probably no more credible source than my mom, who says that Moses was a nice, gentle man; everyone who knew him liked him. I also appreciated his support in a letter for me to go to the military academy at West Point. Moses was very involved in local activities and also was involved in the Episcopal Church. Mr. Harrison was preceded in death by his son, Luke. He leaves behind his wife, Sharon; his son, Judge Clarence Harrison and his wife and four grandchildren, who will greatly miss him.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Danville, Illinois upon the 150th Anniversary of the church. The church celebrated this special occasion on April 25, 2013 with a festival divine service and banquet. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded on February 15, 1863 when 14 members signed the constitution which formed the congregation. The first ordained pastor was Gottfried Markworth, who also started Lutheran day school education in Danville, which is celebrating 150 years as well. The congregation moved to the current building on Main Street on April 25, 1915. Today, the church has 727 baptized members and the Pastor is Kent Tibben. I extend my congratulations to Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church upon this special occasion. It is my prayer that the Lord blesses them with many more years of service.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, the Federal budget is approximately $3.6 trillion; $2.4 trillion is what we call ``mandatory spending.'' That's Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and interest payments on the debt. Approximately $1.2 trillion is the discretionary budget, and we sit here and moan about $85 billion in sequester. Businesses have had the sequester over the past 3 to 4 years. Not-for-profits have had the sequester for the past 3 or 4 years. It's about time that the Federal Government sequestered also. I want to thank the President for addressing the mandatory-spending program. With his chained CPI address on Social Security, he recognizes the fact that, if we want to stop sequestration from occurring, mandatory programs have to be reformed.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the recent actions taken by the President of the Ukraine, Mr. Yanukovych. On April 7, President Yanukovych pardoned former Interior Minister Lutsenko, former Environmental Minister Filipchuk, and four others. These pardons demonstrate Ukraine's desire to integrate democratic policies and reform their justice system as the expanding Eastern European nation continues its transition towards democracy. This action is a concrete step in the right direction for President Yanukovych's administration, but there remains much to be done in order for Ukraine's judicial system to be considered in line with Western standards. This would include an end to all political persecutions; and, today, I reiterate my call for the release of Ms. Yulia Tymoshenko, the former Prime Minister. I have long been a supporter of our Nation's ability to assist new, emerging democracies as they develop the pillars for building successful and lasting governments. I am encouraged by these recent steps and hope that Ukraine continues on its path towards full European integration. The United States Government welcomes President Yanukovych's decision to pardon Mr. Lutsenko and Mr. Filipchuk and hopes that such actions signal an end to the political persecution of other opposition figures.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the Department of Energy's budget proposal on nuclear waste. It's a joke--but as a representative of nuclear electricity consumers and taxpayers, I don't find it funny. DOE Assistant Secretary Peter Lyons says we should ``cut our losses and move on'' from Yucca Mountain. We've spent $15 billion on Yucca Mountain, but this administration says we should just give up and go try somewhere else, hoping some other State will be a willing host. The DOE budget proposes spending $5.6 billion over the next 10 years to start over and maybe, just maybe, have a permanent repository by 2048. The details provided for this new plan are scant to say the least--14 pages. DOE proposes to abandon $15 billion and 30 years of work, start over, create a new government entity to be responsible, and find willing States to host two interim storage facilities and a repository--all within 14 pages. I consider it brainstorming, not a plan. It's certainly not something that justifies $5.6 billion. In addition, DOE has repeatedly stated the need for Congress to pass legislation, but has yet to propose any. That shows the administration is not trying to solve this problem, just avoid it by pointing the finger at Congress. Nuclear electricity consumers pay for a permanent repository for spent nuclear fuel. What would they get after spending another 10 years and $5.6 billion? A pilot interim storage facility with limited capacity. A pilot facility? Dry cask storage, the same technology that will be used at the interim storage facility, is currently used at 65 locations. As for transportation, the U.S. nuclear industry has completed 3,000 shipments of used nuclear fuel over 1.7 million miles of roads and railroads. What's the purpose of having a pilot facility? The only other pilot facility is the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. I've been there, and it's an impressive facility. But that pilot project became a permanent facility with a 10,000-year environmental standard. Given that backdrop, does DOE really think some unsuspecting State will actually fall for the idea that a pilot interim storage facility will truly be temporary? But $5.6 billion doesn't begin to address the real costs hidden in this proposal. Instead of merely paying for a repository, nuclear electricity consumers will now have to write off the cost of abandoning the Yucca Mountain site where we've spent $15 billion. DOE's previous estimates for transportation were $19 billion; so if DOE is now going to have to transport it twice, once to an interim storage and then later to a repository, ratepayers will be on the hook for an extra $19 billion. All this, plus the $5.6 billion in the budget, equals $39.6 billion. And that's just the bill for nuclear electricity consumers. Taxpayers will continue to pay for the liability costs of DOE's failure to provide disposal. That cost is $2.6 billion so far and projected to be $20 billion by 2020. The Government Accountability Office tells us that it's faster to finish Yucca Mountain than to start over with interim storage. Yet this administration prefers to start over, disregarding the cost to the taxpayer. Electricity consumers and taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for President Obama's campaign promise to Harry Reid, certainly not $39.6 billion worth. Mr. Speaker, DOE's proposal is a boondoggle at a time when our citizens can least afford it. I, for one, am not laughing. Mr. Speaker, as we remember the tragic events of yesterday, we are reminded that there is sin and evil in the world. We pray for Boston, our country, and the world, but the business of the Republic must go on.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. I thank my colleague. We want to welcome Robin Kelly to the Chamber. You'll find that people are working hard on both sides of the aisle to represent the folks that they are here to represent. The Illinois delegation has a monthly bicameral luncheon, and we look forward to meeting with you there so that those downstaters and those from other districts can understand the concerns of the south side of Chicago, and the like, and you can understand the concerns of real rural, deep southern Illinois. Thank you, and welcome to the Chamber.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise once again today in support of Yucca Mountain in Nye County, Nevada, which, by law, is designated as the site for a permanent geological repository for our Nation's spent nuclear fuel. Last year, the President's Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future issued a report, but barred even evaluating the merits of Yucca Mountain, despite the fact that it has been approved on a bipartisan basis by Congress and signed into law by the President, and actually reaffirmed by signing the law in 2002. The initial law was passed in 1982, and the law was amended in 1987, which, in a bipartisan manner, passed through both Chambers, signed by different Presidents, established that Yucca Mountain would be the repository for our nuclear spent fuel. What the Blue Ribbon Commission did say was any host community should expect incentives. That commitment is no different from Nevada when it comes to Yucca Mountain. And good news: the local county, Nye County, Nevada, is consenting and ready to negotiate with the Department of Energy. In advance of Yucca Mountain even receiving its first delivery, we will work with the State, Nye County, and surrounding communities to provide incentives to benefit the people of Nevada and their communities. We will address infrastructure needs, provide additional ground water monitoring, and build rail spurs, providing benefits outside of the Yucca Mountain project. As we look to make nuclear processing viable in the future, we can establish research dollars to universities in the State to be leaders in this field, and we will work to develop these and other ideas from State and local leaders to best fit their needs. This will mean thousands of direct or indirect jobs across the State of Nevada. Before any of these incentives are even discussed, we know from DOE in the past that the project would yield over 2,500 direct jobs on its own for more than 25 years under the current permit. Even after 50 years, as the project winds down, there would still be more than 500 direct jobs. Construction of a rail spur could require an additional 1,000 workers and 300 permanent jobs for decades to come. All told, with indirect jobs and the project alone, conservative estimates project 7,000 new jobs in Nevada, not even counting those associated with other incentives we in Congress are prepared to work with the State and local communities to pursue. Mr. Speaker, we need to move forward on finishing the licensing application on Yucca Mountain, as required by law. Let the science speak for itself that says Yucca Mountain meets a million-year safety standard so it can serve as a national asset that develops thousands of badly needed jobs in Nevada's struggling economy.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of media coverage on RINs. A RIN is a renewable identification number which is given to refiners upon the purchase of renewable fuels. It is then used by refiners every February to establish that they have met their previous year's obligation under the Renewable Fuels Standard. These recent stories raise a question as to why RINs are being blamed in the increase in gasoline prices. RINs are given away for free by ethanol and other renewable fuel producers to the refiners and only have value in the submission of the reports in February. We are currently in the month of March and soon to be in April. There are questions that need to be asked on why such swift dramatic price shifts are being reported in the market? Are speculators at work? There is an excess of over 2 billion RINs. Why is that not proving and providing stability? I encourage the media to ask these types of questions, but to simply jump on and blame the renewable fuel sector is incorrect.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, this week, the House will consider the Path to Prosperity budget, reaffirming once again that House Republicans are the only ones in Washington offering serious solutions to government spending-driven debt crisis. Americans at home must prepare a balanced budget for themselves and their families. Our plan would bring the same common sense to Washington and balance our budget in 10 years. Our budget is not balanced by raising taxes on hardworking Americans but by responsibly reducing spending on government waste and reforming mandatory spending to ensure that programs Americans rely on remain strong for decades to come. Our budget saves taxpayers $4.6 trillion over 10 years. The Senate Democrat budget calls for $1.5 trillion in new taxes and $7.3 trillion in new debt. Americans deserve better. That is why House Republicans have proposed a Path to Prosperity budget--to get our economy back on track and create more jobs and opportunity for all Americans.