8/6/2019 Business Association Letter to Congress Opposing HR
1280 (Amends Atomic Energy Act of 1954)
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May 13, 2011
The Honorable John Boehner The Honorable Nancy PelosiSpeaker
Minority Leader
United States House of Representatives United States House of
Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Eric Cantor The Honorable Steny HoyerMajority
Leader Minority WhipUnited States House of Representatives United
States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington,
D.C. 20515
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy The Honorable James ClyburnMajority
Whip Assistant Minority Leader
United States House of Representatives United States House of
Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Cantor, Majority Whip
McCarthy, Minority LeaderPelosi, Minority Whip Hoyer, and Assistant
Minority Leader Clyburn:
On behalf of our member companies, including hundreds of U.S.
businesses engaged in thedesign, manufacture and supply of nuclear
energy technology, components, fuel, andservices, we respectfully
request that you oppose H.R. 1280, which would amend the Atomic
Energy Act of 1954 to require congressional approval of
agreements for peaceful nuclearcooperation with foreign countries,
among other significant changes. This legislation wouldeliminate
U.S. companies access to important global markets, jeopardizing
many thousandsof American jobs and billions of dollars in U.S.
exports. Although we support thelegislations stated aim to mitigate
nuclear nonproliferation risksH.R. 1280 would havethe unintended
effect of reducing U.S. influence in global nuclear
nonproliferation and safetymatters.
The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates the global commercial
nuclear opportunity at$500-740 billion over the next decade, and
U.S. suppliers are ready to compete and win in
this market. Our companies offer the world the most advanced
commercial nucleartechnologies; the full range of components,
equipment, fuel and services; and an industryculture that is second
to none in its vigilance over nuclear nonproliferation and safety.
Butwithout bilateral agreements for cooperation in peaceful nuclear
energy pursuant to Section123 of the Atomic Energy Act, U.S.
suppliers will be shut out of key existing and
emergingmarkets.Provisions in H.R. 1280 would impose new terms for
nuclear cooperation that few, if any,prospective partner countries
would accept. In todays competitive global marketplace,
8/6/2019 Business Association Letter to Congress Opposing HR
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countries developing commercial nuclear power have multiple
alternatives to U.S. suppliers.If the U.S. insists on conditions
for a Section 123 agreement that potential customercountries will
not accept, they will partner with non-U.S. supplier nations, which
may notplace the same high value on nuclear security, safety, and
non-proliferation that the U.S.does. Other supplier nations do not
demand in their bilateral agreements the new terms
required in H.R. 1280.
The Bill would also encumber congressional approval of Section
123 agreements byreversing the longstanding process for
congressional review. The process as laid out in theAtomic Energy
Act enables timely approval of agreements that conform to an
extensive listof requirements stipulated by Congress, while
providing Congress an opportunity to holdhearings and disapprove
any agreement it opposes. This Bill would upset the careful
balanceand subject important future agreements to uncertainty and
delay.
When U.S. suppliers can engage in global markets under Section
123 agreements, the United
States maintains its influence over nuclear nonproliferation and
safety practices. Long-termU.S. commercial nuclear supply contracts
knit partner countries into the U.S. export controlregime,
establish reliance upon the U.S. for supply of spare parts, and
disseminate U.S.industry practices on safety and nonproliferation
for decades to come. Without the Section123 agreement, there are no
contracts, no export licensing, no supply relationships, andwaning
U.S. influence on global nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear
safety matters.
H.R. 1280 would threaten many thousands of American jobs and
billions of dollars in U.S.exports, while significantly reducing
U.S. influence in global nuclear safety andnonproliferation
matters. On behalf of our member companies, we respectfully request
you
oppose the legislation.
Sincerely,
Nuclear Energy Institute
American Association of
Exporters and Importers
American Council for
Engineering Companies
Coalition for Employment
through Exports
Emergency Committee for
American Trade
National Association of
Manufacturers
National Council on
International Trade
Development
National Foreign Trade
Council
National Mining Association
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
U.S.-Bahrain Business Council
U.S.-China Business Council
U.S.-India Business Council
U.S.-Korea Business Council
U.S. Council for International
Business
