Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. TERRY. Madam Chair, I am particularly pleased to see section 401 in this bill, which requires the Chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission--currently Allison Macfarlane--to notify the other members of the Commission and the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, within 1 day after the Chairwoman or Chairman begins using emergency powers.

This provision was included in the last Congress, and I am hopeful that the underlying policy can be put into permanent statute. In fact, over the last 2 years, Madam Chairman--two Congresses--I have had a bill to make these permanent changes. The bill is H.R. 3132.

For example, currently, no definition of an ``emergency'' exists, and no requirement of notice by the Chair to fellow Commissioners or to Congress exists.

That is why this language is so important in this bill, yet the current Chair, Ms. Macfarlane, opposes this language as ``too burdensome.'' This follows on the heels of a former Chair--her immediate past Chair--who declared an emergency without telling anybody and used it for a political purpose.

There is obviously a need for this type of language, and we should make it permanent, instead of having to do this every year on the Energy and Water Appropriations bill.

I am glad to see that the current Commission is more collegial now, but it is incumbent upon us in the House and Senate to make sure that these changes are made permanent, so this abuse of power doesn't occur anymore.

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