Nuke-waste fight unites state's four in 106th Congress

WASHINGTON -- Distracted but not deterred by President Clinton's impeachment trial, Nevada lawmakers are drafting their legislative game plans for the 106th Congress.

To no one's surprise, topping this year's list are efforts to prevent high-level nuclear waste from being stored temporarily at the Nevada Test Site until the Department of Energy locates a permanent repository. The only permanent location under consideration by the DOE is Yucca Mountain, within the Test Site.

House members supporting interim storage already have introduced legislation this year to make the Nevada Test Site the temporary storage facility for the nation's nuclear waste. A Senate version is expected to be introduced later this year.

The four lawmakers said they are already working to derail pro-dump efforts.

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said it will "be an uphill fight" to stop the waste from being placed in Nevada but pledged to "fight it from the committee all the way to the House floor."

Gibbons already has met with groups that oppose the interim storage, and Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said she is educating her fellow House freshmen about the dangers of placing nuclear waste near Las Vegas.

Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Whip Harry Reid, D-Nev., have held meetings with other senators to make sure they are able to maintain the 34 votes needed to sustain President Clinton's pledge to veto any interim dump legislation. Last week, Reid said he thinks they will be able to retain the 34 votes.

But nuclear waste and impeachment are not the only subjects consuming the congressional delegation's time. Nevada lawmakers are crafting a variety of legislative initiatives for the new Congress ranging from environmental issues to banking reform.

Reid and Bryan expressed interest in obtaining federal help to restore wetlands destroyed by flooding in Las Vegas Wash. Reid describes the wetlands destruction as an "environmental disaster."

Gibbons, a former mining and exploration geologist, said he wants the federal government to provide a fair process for miners to "make a living" off the state's natural resources. Gibbons said he is trying to have the federal government repeal its bonding fees that have put many small mom-and-pop mining operations out of business.

Berkley, with only a few weeks of congressional experience under her belt, has already struck up a dialogue with Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who leads the Livable Communities Task Force. The task force helps educate Congress about how to be a better partner with local communities, especially those experiencing tremendous growth.

"Quality-of-life issues are very important to this area," Berkley said. "I believe in partnerships between businesses and the environment. You don't have to sacrifice one for the other."

All four Nevada lawmakers said they want to enhance Medicare coverage for the elderly and preserve Social Security.

Bryan will work with Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., to find a way to provide prescription coverage to Medicare beneficiaries. Under current Medicare rules, if a prescription is related to hospitalization, then it is covered. But generally there is no Medicare benefit for prescription drugs.

Reid sent a letter to Sen. John Breaux, D-La., last week advocating prescription drug coverage for Medicare recipients. Breaux leads a congressional task force investigating Medicare reform.

Gibbons hopes to make it easier for health care providers to work within the Medicare system. He said it is disturbing to see so many doctors refusing to accept Medicare because of the red tape and harassment they face from the Health Care Financing Administration when errors are made during billing.

"We should be trying to make it easier for health care plans to participate in Medicare," Gibbons said.

The Health Care Financing Administration "needs to get away from a punitive attitude," he said.

Gibbons will also push to modernize the Social Security Trust Fund so the highest rate of return is received. Gibbons said he does not advocate its privatization, but he wants to prevent the federal government from borrowing from it.

"We need to keep the federal government's sticky fingers out of the trust fund," Gibbons said. "We need to normalize the rate of return."

Berkley, who has been appointed to the President's Commission on Social Security, will have a hand in any changes to the system.

Berkley, a former gaming executive, said she will join her fellow Nevada lawmakers to oppose any anti-gaming legislation.

archive