Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies (114th Congress)
[[{"fid":"64","view_mode":"full","fields":{"format":"full","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Rep. Marcy Kaptur","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Rep. Marcy Kaptur"},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"full","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Rep. Marcy Kaptur","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Rep. Marcy Kaptur"}},"link_text":null,"attributes":{"alt":"Rep. Marcy Kaptur","title":"Rep. Marcy Kaptur","height":"320","width":"205","style":"float: left;","class":"media-element file-full","data-delta":"1"}}]]Marcy Kaptur (OH), Ranking Member
Pete Visclosky (IN)
José Serrano (NY)
Jurisdiction
Department of Energy
Department of Defense-Civil; Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers-Civil
Department of the Interior; Bureau of Reclamation; Central Utah Project
Related Agencies
Appalachian Regional Commission
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
Delta Regional Authority
Denali Commission
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
Tennessee Valley Authority
I want to thank Chairman Simpson for his bipartisan approach in preparing this bill. I also thank Chairman Hal Rogers and Ranking Member Nita Lowey for their efforts throughout.
To our dedicated staff--Donna Shahbaz and Taunja Berquam, the Republican and Democratic clerks, as well as the rest of the committee staff: Matt Anderson, Angie Giancarlo, Loraine Heckenberg, and Perry Yates--their countless long hours, late nights, weekends, and thoughtful insight are so critical to helping America prepare this legislation.
2017 mark: $37.444 billion
2017 budget request: $37.185 billion
2016 enacted: $37.276 billion
The Chairman’s mark provides:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you Secretary Moniz, for being here today and for your exemplary leadership. In recognition that this may be your last appearance at this hearing—although no matter who wins in November I think they would be very well-served by keeping you on—I’d like to recognize the exceptional job you and the Department of Energy have done in service to our country. It has been a pleasure to work with you. Too few Americans realize just what an enormous energy revolution is happening around our world. But it is a credit to your work and concerted effort at the Department including those who filled your position before you going all the way back to President Carter who created your Department. These Americans saw the need to end America’s energy dependence, and what could happen if we failed to supply energy fundamentals to our people.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and good morning, Chairman Burns and Commissioners Svinicki, Ostendorff, and Baran. Thank you for being here today to talk about the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s 2017 budget.
Nuclear energy is critical component of our nation’s energy mix. As a source of electricity which does not contribute to climate change, it will be particularly important as we strive to meet the targets of the Clean Power Plan and to deliver on the commitments we made to reduce our carbon emissions at COP 21 in Paris.
As part of meeting these targets, we currently rely on an aging fleet of nuclear power generation facilities—with an average age of 35 years, many have already outlived their initial 40 year licenses while others are quickly approaching it.
Mr. Chairman, please let me recognize you for the hard effort and collegiality required to prepare this Fiscal Year 2016 Energy and Water bill. Special gratitude is extended as well to Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Lowey, and the dedicated members of our Subcommittee for their diligence and good attendance. Finally, to our exceptional subcommittee professional staff—Donna Shahbaz on the Republican side and Taunja Berquam on the Democratic side—all of us appreciate your indefatigable work ethic and very long hours devoted to this bill, largely unrecognized.