With Passage of Funding Bill, Rep. Susie Lee Successfully Blocks Funding for Yucca Mountain, Secures Language Directing DOE to Pursue Consent-Based Solutions

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Susie Lee, a member of the Appropriations Committee, and a member of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, voted for final passage of seven funding bills, including the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies funding bill.

"When I was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee, I knew I needed to sit on the Energy and Water subcommittee to ensure that Yucca Mountain would never become the nation's dumping ground for nuclear waste," said Rep. Lee. "I'm so proud to have voted to pass this bill with zero funding for Yucca Mountain, and I will never stop fighting to keep the nation's nuclear waste out of Nevada. I look forward to continuing to work with leadership and Energy Secretary Granholm to pursue consent-based solutions to this issue."

Since Rep. Lee's appointment to the Energy and Water Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, she has fought tirelessly to block funding for Yucca Mountain. She met with other members of the Appropriations Committee, urging them to join her in supporting consent-based solutions for nuclear waste, and earlier this month, the Appropriations Committee passed a bill with no funding for Yucca Mountain. During a hearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies, Rep. Lee questioned Energy Secretary Granholm over policy failures at the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository, and Sec. Granholm committed to pursuing consent-based alternatives to Yucca Mountain.