Daschle pressed again for Yucca vote, but refuses to set timeline

Benjamin Grove

Wednesday, June 26, 2002 | 9:52 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Senate advocates of Yucca Mountain on Tuesday again pressed Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., for a vote on the nuclear waste dump. But Daschle, who sets the Senate agenda, refused to set a specific timeline for a vote and reiterated his personal opposition to the project.

"I would urge my colleagues to oppose it as well," Daschle said. "I know we have a large majority of our colleagues on this side of the aisle who oppose it."

The comments came as Daschle sparred briefly with several GOP leaders on the Senate floor over Yucca.

Republican leaders in recent days have been prodding Daschle to call for debate and a vote on Yucca Mountain. GOP Yucca advocates say it is Daschle's job to call for action on the measure.

But Daschle, closely allied with his top deputy, Majority Whip Harry Reid, D-Nev., won't do it. Under a unique provision in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, any senator is allowed to call for a vote on Yucca at any time, and Daschle is determined to force a Republican to do it.

Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., seemed to serve notice that a GOP senator would call for a vote the week of July 8, when Congress returns from an Independence Day holiday. The Senate this week is debating an important Defense Department spending bill, and even Yucca backers are reluctant to interrupt that with 10 hours of debate on Yucca.

"By going to this issue the first week we're back, everybody will know when to expect it to come up, and there will be an assurety we'll get it done before the expiration date of July 27," Lott said. He was referring to a vote deadline outlined in the nuclear waste act that requires Senate action on Yucca.

"It's time we make a decision and move forward with this repository," Lott said.

Long-time Yucca advocate Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, echoed Lott.

"I would urge the two leaders to proceed," Murkowski said. "We have to bring this matter to a vote."

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., thanked Democratic leader Daschle for his Yucca opposition, then rebuked his GOP colleagues. Ensign said that no Republican should call for a vote because it would be a direct challenge the will of the Senate majority leader.