Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, criticized House Republicans for failing to support vital nuclear safety protections.  House Republicans rejected, by a vote of 176 to 243, Nadler’s amendment to H.R. 4078 to exempt nuclear safety from House Republicans’ wholesale gutting of regulatory safeguards under the pretext of curbing excessive bureaucracy.  The amendment would have ensured that Americans who live in close proximity to nuclear reactors are protected in the event of a catastrophic meltdown.  In the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi meltdown in Japan, it is critical to ensure the safe operation of all nuclear reactors.

“There is no evidence to support the position that overregulation is the cause of our slow economic growth and high unemployment rate,” said Nadler.  “My amendment was designed to make this Frankenstein bill slightly less of a horror show by exempting the issue of nuclear power plant safety from the bill….One accident – which could be caused by the power of nature, the negligence of man, or the evil of terrorism – could doom millions of people.  Because of the almost unimaginable disaster that could happen at a nuclear power plant, regulations to prevent accidents or meltdowns in advance are critically important.”

The following is the text of Nadler’s floor statement on H.R. 4078 and his amendment, as prepared:

“I rise in support of my amendment, which would exempt rules to protect nuclear power plant safety from Titles I, III, and V of H.R. 4078. 

“Mr. Chairman, it is rare that the premise of an entire week of legislative work on the House Floor is wrong.  But, here we are. 

“We are told this is ‘regulatory week,’ during which House Republicans are supposedly working to see that the yoke of oppressive government regulation is thrown off and the American entrepreneur is freed to grow his or her business and increase jobs.  In thinking about this view, I am reminded of a famous line in Shakespeare’s Macbeth – ‘it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.’

“We have heard and will continue to hear a lot of sound and fury this week on the House Floor, but just like all of the other regulatory bills the House has passed this year, what we pass this week will die in the Senate as well.  So, all of that talk will signify nothing.  Like health care repeal, on which we took 33 votes, this too is a tremendous waste of time.

“More importantly, as I said on the House Floor last December when we debated a similar bill, there is no evidence to support the position that overregulation is the cause of our slow economic growth and high unemployment rate.  According to the Economic Policy Institute, ‘economy-wide studies do not find a significant decline in employment from regulatory policies.’

“The real culprit of our slow growth and high unemployment is reduced aggregate demand.  Do not just take my word for it – this is what economists and business are saying.  The Wall Street Journal surveyed dozens of economists last July, and it found that the ‘main reason U.S. companies are reluctant to step up hiring is scant demand.’  The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) found that when business owners with declining sales were asked the cause, 45 percent said declining sales.  Only 10 percent said higher taxes and regulations.

“If all of this is true, why are we here making it harder for the government to enact protective rules and regulations?  Bruce Bartlett, a senior policy analyst in the Reagan and George H.W.  Bush Administrations, suggests an answer.  He has said that ‘regulatory uncertainty is a canard invented by Republicans that allows them to use current economic problems to pursue an agenda supported by the business community year in and year out.  In other words, it is a simple case of political opportunism, not a serious effort to deal with high unemployment.’

“Let us look at what the bill that this canard has brought us, H.R. 4078, would do.  To me it seems like Frankenstein – it is put together from various different pieces that do not fit together and it is very frightening. 

“For example, the underlying bill would block any and all major efforts to protect public health, safety, the environment, and so on, until the unemployment rate falls below the arbitrary figure of six percent.  This blanket and arbitrary ban on potentially critical rules only would serve to help put profits ahead of people.  This bill also would put profits ahead of the environment by mandating construction projects go ahead after a certain period, regardless of the environmental impact.  And, the bill would impose needless costs on the government and make protecting public health and welfare that much more difficult by putting impediments to agreeing to consent decrees and settlements.

“What all of this means is that for the most potentially dangerous industries, like nuclear power, the safety of the American public would be put at serious risk by this bill.  My amendment would attempt to make this Frankenstein bill slightly less of a horror show by exempting the issue of nuclear power plant safety from these sections of the bill – Titles I, III, and V. 

“The dangers of nuclear power are well known.  One accident – which could be caused by the power of nature, the negligence of man, or the evil of terrorism – could doom millions of people.  Because of the almost unimaginable disaster that could happen at a nuclear power plant, regulations to prevent accidents or meltdowns in advance are critically important.  The underlying bill would make it harder for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to adopt such rules or policies, thereby putting millions of lives at risk. 

“Nuclear safety is of particular concern to me and the people I represent.  Millions of my constituents live near an old nuclear power plant, Indian Point.  It sits near two fault lines and, according to the NRC, is the most likely nuclear power plant in the country to experience core damage due to an earthquake.  Hampering the ability of the NRC to require safety measures, like preventing a meltdown in the event of an earthquake, could be devastating.  My amendment would free the NRC from the burdens of this bill and allow it to help keep us safe.

“I urge all Members to support my amendment and I yield back the balance of my time.”

###