The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Ben Schreiber, bschreiber@foe.org, 202-222-0752
Scott Baumgartner, sbaumgartner@foe.org, 202-222-0751

Nuke Industry Bullies Students, Demands Lunch Money

House Democrats choose pre-emptive bailout for nuclear industry over preventing teacher layoffs

WASHINGTON

This week, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on
supplemental
appropriations for the war in Afghanistan and several domestic programs.
The
domestic program funding preserves $9
billion in loan guarantees
for nuclear reactors, while cutting $13
billion
in funds to prevent teacher layoffs.

Friends
of the Earth's climate and energy tax analyst, Ben Schreiber, had the
following response:

"This
week Congress will vote on whether to take teachers away from students
so that
they can give nuclear reactors a $9 billion pre-emptive bailout. We
continue to
be shocked that Congress brazenly puts the interests of corporations
above the
needs of regular Americans, including teachers and children. This is
further
proof our political system has been corrupted by corporate influence and
special interests.

"President
Obama shoulders the blame for this latest push for a government bailout
of the
nuclear industry. Despite the recent tragedies we've suffered involving
two of the three dangerous pillars of the energy plan that the President
touted
in his State of the Union address (oil and coal), he is still supporting
efforts to hand billions of taxpayer dollars to the third pillar,
nuclear
reactors. Though we are fortunate to not have experienced a significant
nuclear disaster in this country in decades, we continue down a path
that tries
our luck and puts the public at risk.

"New
reactors cannot be built without massive preemptive government bailouts.
It is
telling that the handouts are destined to go to reactors in Majority
Leader
Steny Hoyer's and Democratic Whip James Clyburn's districts as well
as to a reactor in South Texas. These are government handouts for the
well-connected that come at the expense of regular Americans and their
children."

Friends of the Earth fights for a more healthy and just world. Together we speak truth to power and expose those who endanger the health of people and the planet for corporate profit. We organize to build long-term political power and campaign to change the rules of our economic and political systems that create injustice and destroy nature.

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