Ensign vows action to kill nuke waste bill

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 1998 | 10:03 a.m.

Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev., vowed to use a rare congressional tactic to kill a temporary nuclear waste storage bill.

Two separate versions of a bill to ship 30,000 tons of nuclear waste to the Nevada Test Site are awaiting action from a joint congressional conference committee.

The congressman said he could move as soon as this week.

Ensign said he is continuing to negotiate with House leaders on a plan to stop the bill's progress through a privileged resolution, commonly known as a blue-slip resolution.

"A privileged resolution is a very serious procedure in the House, but I promised the people of Nevada I'd explore any opportunity to kill this bill and that's what I'm doing," Ensign said.

"Killing this bill is the top priority for our state and I don't want to waste any time getting back to work on that effort."

Such a resolution is "quite an unusual measure," said Ted Jelen, chair of the UNLV political science department.

By bringing this resolution to the House, it stops all normal business, Jelen said. "In effect, he's requesting to break into the orderly calendar," he said.

Ensign, who said he had been formulating the plan behind the scenes for more than two months, explained that the House would exert jurisdiction over the bill.

Using a constitutional mandate that only the House can approve a tax bill, the move would kill the Senate version of the bill.

That would force the Senate to start the process over and set the stage for a filibuster. The legislative clock could run out of time this year.

Members of the House do not have an option to filibuster.

The resolution is as rare as a motion to adjourn or a motion to impeach.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., who Ensign is challenging, said any little bit helps.

"Everybody in the delegation is working as hard as possible to stop this bill, but every little bit helps," Reid said. "Senator (Richard) Bryan (D-Nev.) and I have secured the votes necessary to protect the president's veto."

Reid also gave Gov. Bob Miller and Rep. Jim Gibbons credit for support and help.

"Now Rep. Ensign is proposing this, and we are hopeful that he will be successful," he said through spokeswoman Jenny Backus. "As long as the nuclear dump is stopped, there's credit to go around to everybody."

Bryan's press secretary, Karen Kirchgasser, said: "Delay, delay, that's what we've always said,"

There are so few days this session for Congress to do business that any delay is to Nevada's advantage, she said.