mr. chairman , i rise this morning in opposition to the udall amendment . 
the udall amendment will strike section 631 , which provides r & amp ; d funding for environmentally sensitive uranium mining and reclamation . 
nuclear power is an important part of our domestic fuel mix . 
it is an emission-free source of electricity that powers our homes and businesses . 
today , nuclear power provides 20 percent of power in the united states . 
as our economy continues to grow , we will consume more electricity . 
i think we can all agree that a healthy , robust economy is a desirable thing . 
clean air is also desirable . 
nuclear power will help provide the electricity that our growing economy needs without increasing emissions . 
this is truly an environmentally responsible source of energy . 
section 631 will encourage improvements to uranium mining practices to make them more environmentally friendly . 
it encourages new environmental clean-up technologies as well . 
nuclear power is here to stay , and we need to support a strong domestic uranium industry . 
we are at a point in our nation 's history where we can not afford to turn our back on any reasonable power source to meet our nation 's energy needs . 
i urge my colleagues to vote against the udall amendment . 
