LOOKING IN ON: WASHINGTON

Sunday, Sept. 17, 2006 | 7:25 a.m.

Frustrations over Yucca erupt in Congress

WASHINGTON - National security and border security continued to take center stage on Capitol Hill last week, but just outside of the limelight the debate raged over Yucca Mountain.

The House and Senate held back-to-back committee hearings on nuclear energy issues, drawing more than a dozen witnesses and producing inches-thick stacks of expert testimony on the coming nuclear renaissance.

With Yucca Mountain now nearly 20 years behind schedule, frustrations are mounting on Capitol Hill and in the nuclear industry to move forward with the proposed nuclear waste repository or find ways to store spent nuclear fuel at interim sites .

The House committees made it clear they see little support for a vast network of interim sites nationwide, as proposed in the Senate with the backing of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

The debate is complicated by Bush's pursuit of waste recycling, a process halted in this country in the 1970s because of nuclear proliferation concerns, but now enjoying support .

But Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico believes that recycling holds the key to the problem in part because the waste could be reused and made less toxic before it is buried in Yucca Mountain, expanding the repository's capacity.

"Spent fuel rods aren't going to Yucca Mountain," Domenici said following a hearing of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee. "Everybody knows that ."

With just weeks left in the session, and competing bills making their way through Congress, observers are doubtful of a new nuclear-waste policy emerging this year.

Democrats continued their push on national security last week, with Reid maneuvering to get the Real Security Act 2006 considered as an amendment on a port security bill in the Senate.

Reid and fellow Democratic senators introduced the bill last week as part of their strategy to confront Republicans head-on over security issues. Democrats have long been seen as weak on security, but polls this year showed them closing the gap as Americans turned against the war in Iraq.

The bill calls for carrying out recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, beginning a plan to withdraw troops from Iraq and firing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

But Republican senators complained the Democrats' 500-page bill had no business in the port security legislation, and succeeded in keeping it out.

Reid's spokesman said the Real Security Act would have made the port security bill even better.

"There's widespread recognition we need policies that are tough and smart," spokesman Jon Summers said. "The Republicans have talked tough on security, but they haven't really accomplished much."

The bill was shelved, 57-41, with Reid voting for it and fellow Nevada Sen. John Ensign, a Republican, voting against.

Nevada's Democratic House candidates were in Washington last week as part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's efforts to show off its top candidates heading into the midterm elections.

Candidates Tessa Hafen and Jill Derby joined other House hopefuls for a whirlwind trip of meetings and party events. Hafen is challenging Republican Rep. Jon Porter in the state's most contested House race for the 3rd Congressional District that includes Henderson, Boulder City and parts of Las Vegas.

Derby, a university regent, is running against outgoing Secretary of State Dean Heller for the primarily rural 2nd District seat being vacated by Republican Rep. Jim Gibbons, who is running for governor.

Their visit came just as the Republican National Committee announced it no longer believes 14 seats, including Porter's, are as competitive as once thought.

Even though the 3rd District is narrowly split between Republicans and Democrats, the RNC downgraded the race, saying Porter's 3-1 fundraising advantage as well as polling information shows he has the advantage.

Hafen spokesman David Cherry doubted the evidence, and said Hafen's campaign is resonating with voters seeking change.

As for the Republican-heavy northern district, a recent Reno Gazette-Journal poll put Heller eight points ahead of Derby, with 18 percent undecided. The Derby camp celebrated the narrow difference as a sign of her message for change is reaching voters .

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