WASHINGTON – As the Senate considered an override of President Clinton's veto of S. 1287, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments, Nevada Senator Harry Reid urged his colleagues to sustain the President's veto and turn to more urgent priorities such as improving schools, providing a prescription drug benefit for seniors and paying down the debt. Senator Reid's floor statement follows:

Priorities -- Why Again? -- Why Now?

Mr. President, I am troubled that we turn to consideration of S. 1287 a truly unnecessary bill -- in fact a harmful bill -- when we have many important issues to address and less than 40 legislative days left this Congress. I am concerned by the substance of S. 1287 just as I was when we first began consideration of the bill. But I would also like to consider the question: Why now? Do we have a nuclear waste emergency on our hands? No. But S. 1287 would create a nuclear nightmare for the estimated 50 million Americans who live within a mile of proposed nuclear truck and train routes in 43 states different states. Does S. 1287 really address the number one challenge facing the United States Congress? Absolutely not. Given our short legislative calendar, it is worth discussing Congressional priorities.

Improving Public Schools: Does nuclear waste legislation, tailor-made for the benefit of toxic waste producing utilities, really rank above improving our nation's schools? I would hope not. But the fact we are spending time on S. 1287 proves that some Republicans place a patently unnecessary nuclear waste bill ahead of improving our public schools.

Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit: Should the Senate work on nuclear waste legislation before we work out a plan for making sure that Americans have access to affordable prescription drugs? I would hope not. But the Republican leadership apparently wants the Senate to swallow the nuclear industry's favorite poison pill before we work to ensure that more Americans have important Medicare prescription drug benefits. As a result, while nuclear trucks and trains are crossing our nation in unprecedented numbers, America's seniors will continue to travel to Canada and Mexico to get the medicine they need at prices they can afford.

Modernizing Medicare: Should the Senate focus its time and energy on medicating the nuclear industry with taxpayer dollars? I would hope not. But we should be working to modernize Medicare so that the government does not jeopardize the health of America's seniors.

Paying Down the Debt: Is balancing the nuclear industry's books more important than balancing America's books. I would hope not. But by attempting to pass S. 1287 [again], the Senate Republicans place the nuclear utilities bottom line ahead of reducing the U.S. debt. Patients' Bill of Rights: Should the nuclear utilities favorite piece of legislation precede the consideration of a real Patient's Bill of Rights on the Senate Calendar? I would hope not. But it looks like the Republicans feel that saddling the Senate with this bill is more important than reigning in the HMOs and improving our nation's health care system.

Saving Social Security: Should we really burn precious Senate time helping the nuclear industry burn the American taxpayer? Or should we invest that time to ensure that we pay back the hard-working Americans who paid into Social Security? Personally, I would much prefer to save the Social Security trust fund rather than the nuclear industry's bottom line. But apparently the Republican leadership ranks needless nuclear waste legislation ahead of saving Social Security.

Juvenile Justice: Should the Senate place a higher priority on trucking thousands of tons of high level radioactive waste past our children's schools than we do on protecting all Americans including our children from gun violence? I would hope not. But by putting this nuclear nightmare ahead of the Juvenile Justice bill, the Republican leadership puts nuclear industry profitability ahead of every American parent's peace of mind and every child's safety.

Mr. President, I do not believe that the Majority would publicly admit to placing a higher priority on a nuclear industry sweetheart deal than on health care, education, or Social Security. Nuclear waste poses many scientific and engineering issues that merit further study; but these issues do not necessitate a hasty pay off to the nuclear utilities. I ask my colleagues to join with me to uphold President Clinton's veto of S. 1287 so we can turn our attention to doing good things for all Americans.