"With the passage of this bill, millions of Americans who have paid federally-mandated fees into the Nuclear Waste Fund will see that their money is finally paying for what was intended -- safe disposal of spent nuclear fuel." Said CCAGW President Thomas Schatz. "This legislation is the next logical step in fostering a safe nuclear energy industry. With foreign oil prices on the rise, it's absolutely essential that alternative sources of energy be encouraged."

Since 1983, consumers of nuclear energy have paid $16 billion into this fund. Nuclear power supplies 51 percent of the electricity generated in Illinois, whose citizens have paid more than $2.1 billion into the fund. The President's veto of S. 1287 keeps those funds from being used for their intended purpose of disposing of nuclear waste in a central location, leaving spent nuclear material in temporary storage around the country. There are 5,336 metric tons of nuclear fuel being stored in Illinois.

"By voting to override the President's ill-advised veto of S. 1287, Sen. Durbin will help improve the safe storage of nuclear waste, fulfilling the federal government's promise to the nuclear energy consumers who have already paid millions to make this happen," Schatz continued. "I would hope that Sen. Durbin joins with the majority of both houses of Congress in moving forward on this issue., and moving the waste out of her state."

CCAGW is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.