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Floor Speech

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Mr. BROWN. I reserve the right to object.

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Mr. BROWN. Madam President, I agree with my colleagues Senator Manchin, Senator Barrasso, and Senator Risch. We need energy independence, whether it is West Virginia natural gas, Wyoming coal, Ohio solar, or whatever you do in Idaho.

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Mr. BROWN. OK. It means stopping Russian uranium imports into the United States. It means expanding our domestic enrichment capabilities. We need to do both. It is a matter of national security. It is a matter of economic security.

There are Ohioans doing important work with companies like Centrus and Oklo in Piketon in Southern Ohio. In an industry like this, they need the support to get off the ground and be successful--not far from Senator Manchin's home State.

If we do this right, it will mean good jobs in the energy industry in Appalachia, where union workers have powered our economy for generations.

To do that, we have to pair these policies together: stopping Russian imports and--and--investing in the domestic enrichment industry and all the jobs and opportunities that come with it.

My question is--and I will then drop my objection, of course--to ensure the action we take today is successful, Senator Barrasso and Senator Manchin, do I have your commitment to work together to pass real resources to strengthen our domestic supply chain?

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Mr. BROWN. Thank you.

With your leadership, we took an important step forward in the National Defense Authorization Act we passed last night. I thank Senator Risch for his work on that. We need to finish this job.

I want to see American companies--in Ohio--enriching uranium in the United States, creating jobs, supporting communities like Piketon, Waverly, Pike County, making our energy supply more secure.

I withdraw my objection.

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