Nuke industry gave $18,000 to Murkowski

Friday, Feb. 11, 2000 | 11:19 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, the chief sponsor of a Senate bill that allows for shipment of nuclear waste to Nevada, received $18,013 from the nuclear power industry in 1999, an analysis shows.

Sens. Richard Bryan and Harry Reid, both D-Nev., received no money from nuclear power plant operators or their lobbyists.

The campaign money data was provided by the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks campaign contributions, and analyzed by Public Citizen, a liberal citizens advocate group.

The study revealed the nuclear industry handed about $475,000 to 48 senators last year.

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott received the most, $58,233, followed by Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M. with $26,689; Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., with $26,000; Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., with $25,750; Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., with $24,229; Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, R-Ill., with $22,688; Rod Grams, R-Minn., with $21,968; and Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., with $18,933.

Seven of those eight senators supported the nuclear industry-backed bill approved by the Senate Thursday.

Bingaman, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Energy Committee where the nuclear waste bill originated, voted against the bill.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., also voted against the bill, although the nuclear industry contributed $18,000 to her campaign coffers.

Of the 48 senators who received money from the nuclear industry, 37 voted for the bill.