U.S. House approves additional $7 billion in new reactor loan guarantees

Retiring House Appropriations Committee Chair Dave Obey, Democrat from Wisconsin, led House floor approval of $7 billion in additional nuclear loan guarantees.The U.S. House of Representatives, by the narrow margin of 212 to 206, today passed a 423 page long "Continuing Resolution" (CR) bill, H.R. 3082, including $7 billion in additional nuclear power loan guarantees for the building of new atomic reactors, as well as an additional $3 billion in loan guarantees for "fossil energy technologies." Retiring House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey, Democrat from Wisconsin, served as the primary sponsor for the legislation; his committee website has posted a summary of the bill, the bill's full text, as well as Rep. Obey's floor statement. Although there are numerous factors which undoubtedly determined each House Member's final decision on whether or not to vote for or against the CR, it is still valuable to thank those who voted against, while expressing disappointment to those who voted for, these $10 billion in dirty, dangerous, and expensive nuclear and fossil energy loan guarantees. Check the roll call vote lists for your U.S. Representative. Thank them if they voted against the CR and its nuclear loan guarantees; "spank" them if they voted for the CR and its nuclear loan guarantees. You can call your U.S. Representative's office via the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Or, you can visit your House Member's website, in order to send a fax, letter, or email. Now consideration of the CR, or alternatively an Omnibus spending bill, and debate over such matters as nuclear loan guarantees, shifts to the U.S. Senate. It's vital that you call your two U.S. Senators via the Capitol Switchboard, or visit their websites in order to fax, write or email them. Urge them to block any CR or Omnibus that contains additional nuclear loan guarantees. Also contact the White House, and urge President Obama to stop subsidizing new atomic reactors -- a violation of a presidential campaign pledge he made in 2007-2008. The White House comment line can be reached at 202-456-1111; you can send a fax at  202-456-2461; you can fill out the webform at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact; or you can send a snail mail letter to President Obama at The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500.