Subject: Jeffords-Wellstone Amendment

From: Tom Gray <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 4 Apr 1995 15:00:40 GMT

JEFFORDS AND WELLSTONE WILL OFFER AMENDMENT
TO SHIFT FUNDS FROM NUCLEAR FISSION TO RENEWABLES

The U.S. Senate is currently debating a "rescission" (pronounced like
"recision") bill, which would cut current year spending (that is, funds
previously approved by Congress) for a number of government programs.

The bill proposes to cut renewable energy research and development (R&D)
funding by $35 million, while making smaller cuts in fossil and nuclear
fusion R&D and no reductions at all in nuclear fission R&D.

We expect an amendment to be offered by Senators Jeffords (R-VT) and
Wellstone (D-MN) that would shift $14 million from nuclear fission R&D
to renewable energy programs.  This would result in the final Senate
rescissions package containing the following funding levels (all numbers
in millions) for the current year, which is called Fiscal Year 1995 or
FY '95 in government lingo):

                             Proposed
                    FY'95   Rescission   Amendment     %Cut
                                                    (If Amended)
Renewable Energy    $417.8    -$35        +$14         5.0%
Energy Efficiency   $770.8    -$49                     6.4%
Fossil Energy       $441.8    -$21                     4.8%
Nuclear Fusion      $368.4    -$15                     4.1%
Nuclear Fission     $811.4    -$0         -$14         1.7%

The Jeffords-Wellstone amendment has attracted a number of cosponsors,
including Senators Campbell (R-CO), Chafee (R-RI), Daschle (D-SD),
Harkin (D-IA), Kerry (D-MA), Kohl (D-WI), Leahy (D-VT) and Roth (R-DE).
If your Senator is among this list, please call and thank them for
cosponsoring the amendment.

Please call your Senators as soon as possible at (202) 224-3121 and urge
them to vote YES on the Jeffords-Wellstone Renewable Energy Amendment to
shift $14 million from nuclear fission to renewable energy.

Possible talking points:

- The renewable energy industries are new and very small.  Government
funding for research is more justifiable than for the nuclear industry,
which is large and mature.

- If government spending has to be reduced, the renewable energy
industries are willing to take their share of cuts along with everyone
else.  As the table above shows, even if the Jeffords-Wellstone
amendment is passed, renewables will be suffer a larger percentage
reduction than nuclear.

For more information, contact Jared Barlage at (202) 383-2507 or Michael
Marvin at (202) 383-2506.

Jeffords-Wellstone Amendment