Daschle not as confident on Yucca

Benjamin Grove

Wednesday, March 20, 2002 | 11:13 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle 10 months ago said the Yucca Mountain project was "dead" as long as he and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., were in charge, but today Daschle said that may not be the case.

Daschle said that specific federal laws on nuclear waste will not allow him to block a vote on the issue.

"I was not aware that this legislation when we drafted it decades ago is under an expedited procedure," Daschle said. "Anybody can be majority leader when this comes to the floor. That is, anybody can call it to the floor after the requisite time that is required here for consideration of the recommendation made by the president."

In May at a Las Vegas fund-raiser, Daschle declared Yucca Mountain dead.

"As long as we're in the majority, it's dead," he said.

He said he then believed he could keep the issue from the Senate floor for a vote, which the majority leader is traditionally allowed to do.

Today he said the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, originally drafted in 1982, allows for any senator to call for a vote.

The political fate of Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is expected to be decided by Congress later this year. President Bush approved the site Feb. 15, leaving Gov. Kenny Guinn to officially veto the decision, which likely will happen next month. After that, Congress has 90 days to vote to override Guinn's objection, effectively giving the Yucca project a green light.

Nevada Sens. Democrat Harry Reid and Republican John Ensign are scrambling to round up 49 other senators to vote against the Yucca project.

Reid spokesman Nathan Naylor today said Reid is counting on Ensign -- and high-profile GOP lobbyist Ken Duberstein -- to round up at least 15 Republicans.

So far, the only Republican who has agreed to vote with the Nevada lawmakers is Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo., Ensign said. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., also may vote with the Nevadans, Ensign said.

Just as Reid is relying on Ensign, Ensign today continued to pressure Daschle to refuse to call for a vote on Guinn's objection. The Senate majority leader by Senate tradition calls for votes.

"The majority leader is the only person who can bring an issue to the floor for an up-or-down vote," Ensign insisted.

Daschle today said he wanted to set the record straight on the Yucca comments he made at the Las Vegas fund-raiser May 31. Daschle was also responding to comments made by Ensign Tuesday, he said.

"I know that Sen. Ensign yesterday said I can stop (the vote)," Daschle told reporters. "Well, the expedited procedure precludes me from keeping it from coming to the floor."

Ensign is pressuring Daschle much like Reid pressured Bush not to approve the Yucca site. Ensign today said he continues to work closely with Reid, and that no tension has developed between them despite the political crossfire.

"I understand what he did, and he understands what I'm doing," Ensign said. "I wish President Bush had not made that decision, just like Sen. Reid hopes Sen. Daschle won't let this come to the floor."

Daschle spokeswoman Ranit Schmelzer today said Daschle was "absolutely" committed to helping Reid round up votes against the Yucca project, even if he couldn't block it. She said Daschle would help Reid lobby their Senate colleagues up until the minute before the vote, if necessary.

The vote count has been the subject of much speculation among Yucca project observers, many of whom still say it is difficult to predict where the votes will fall. Nuclear industry lobbyists, as well as environmental groups, are said to have their own predictions about where senators are lining up on the issue.

"Those things aren't accurate because everybody fudges them to scare the other side," Ensign said. "It's impossible to say for certain this far out," where votes line up, he said.

One Capitol Hill newsletter, CongressDaily, sought to count votes but got responses from only 71 of the 100 senators, with 36 who now intend to vote in favor of the project, 14 against and 21 undecided.

Ensign said several of the Republicans listed by the publication as favoring Yucca had told him they were undecided.