Central Wyoming News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, today announced the enactment of H.R. 1042, a legislation to ban Russian uranium imports into the United States.

“Today, we officially ended Russia’s chokehold on America’s uranium supply,” said Senator Barrasso. “I want to thank Chair Rodgers for her leadership in getting this critical bill signed into law. Banning imports of Russian uranium will jumpstart America’s nuclear fuel industry, further defund Russia’s war machine, and help revive American uranium production for decades to come. As our nation’s leading uranium producer, Wyoming is ready to do our part to power American reactors with American nuclear fuel. Russia’s dominance of the world’s nuclear fuel supply chain is coming to an end.”

Chair Rodgers echoed these sentiments, stating that it was time for America to end its over-reliance on Russia's uranium supply which has stunted domestic nuclear fuel infrastructure and posed a risk to energy and national security. She commended Senator John Barrasso for his leadership in guiding this important bill through the Senate, which she believes will ban fuel imports from Russia and help restore American nuclear leadership and fuel security for decades to come.

H.R. 1042 was introduced by Cathy McMorris Rodgers on February 14, 2023, while companion legislation S. 763 was introduced by Senator John Barrasso on March 9, 2023. ENR adopted S.763 as an amendment to S. 452 - the Nuclear Fuel Security Act - by voice vote and voted to report the Nuclear Fuel Security Act as amended on May 17, 2023.

The House passed H.R. 1042 by voice vote on December 11, 2023, and the Senate passed it by unanimous consent on April 30, 2024. H.R. 1042 complements the Nuclear Fuel Security Act, a legislation aimed at revitalizing the nation’s nuclear fuel industry. The Nuclear Fuel Security Act was included as part of the National Defense Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2024.