dr. horrell and his colleagues are valuable assets for the entire country on the nuclear issue. as we consider nuclear issues, i consider all of my colleagues to reach out to both sandea and los alamos for objective, reliable information. the second i want to emphasize this is an extremely important hearing. the senate appropriations committee has already approved legislation on the interim nuclear waste storage. it is my understanding that provision is within the jurisdiction of this subcommittee and this committee like many of the blue ribbon commission recommendations. we are trying to start over with a clean slate. so i think we should proceed with a regular order whenever possible. i know the senate energy committee also has a strong interest and i believe we should work cooperatively with them. nuclear waste policy has a poor history in congress as evidenced by congress cutting short the site selection process and what goes around, comes around. as new mexico's attorney general, i had a similar experience having to litigate against the department of energy over the waste i

dr. horrel will talk about this when he hits the testimony. so there were some important lessons i think were learned. i've gone on way too long and i really only asked one question and you see how hard it is to get to the bottom of that crucial question. and i hope senator alexander will focus in on this too. he wants to protect tennessee, i know -- of getting a nuclear site. >> it may have only been one question, but it was a pretty good one. >> thank you. >> senator alexander, let me say something. kind of thinking out loud here about the role that the senator played in this as an authorizer and appropriator. and i think pete who was a former colleague for many years may have seen, in fact, use the words of albert einstein in adversity lies opportunity, but also the potential for real economic opportunity for the people of new mexico if they figured out and played their cards right. and i think arguably they've done that pretty well. senator alexander? >> thanks, mr. chairman. as i said in my opening remarks, whether you're for yucca mounta