{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-cosponsors-bipartisan-legislation-to-advance-responsible-international-nuclear-energy-cooperation", "Heinrich Cosponsors Bipartisan Legislation to Advance Responsible, International Nuclear Energy Cooperation", "2026-08-25", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "NM", "Martin Heinrich", "H001046", "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "heinrich", "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, along with Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.), introduced the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) Act to codify the U.S. State Department\u2019s FIRST program advocating for the responsible deployment of civil nuclear energy around the world.\n\n\u201cNuclear energy is an important part of our clean energy future, and the United States should lead in advancing its safe and responsible deployment around the world. By working with our allies and partners through the FIRST program, we can strengthen energy security, support American innovation, and promote the highest standards for nuclear safety and nonproliferation,\u201d said Heinrich.\n\n\u201cNuclear energy is a source of clean and abundant power, and its growth in the U.S. and around the world will lower costs for consumers and combat climate change,\u201d said Coons. \u201cRight now, too many nations that want to embrace nuclear power need to buy Chinese and Russian technology at huge cost, trapping them in debt. The United States should offer an alternative that keeps us on the cutting edge, strengthens our relationships around the world and keeps Americans safe.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe responsible development of civil nuclear energy, on an international scale, contributes to U.S. national security and bolsters our economy. The FIRST program has been a productive way for our nation to partner with good-faith actors who are building their nuclear arsenals, and continuing to leverage these public and private partnerships will help us advance our own energy dominance. Since North Carolina is a leader in next-generation nuclear technology, I am proud to partner with Senator Coons to bring this bipartisan solution forward and codify this program that will expand markets for our great innovators into law,\u201d said Budd.\n\nLaunched in 2019, the FIRST program has worked to leverage U.S. public-private partnerships and expand our nuclear energy programs to bolster the United States\u2019 position as a nuclear energy industry leader with partner countries. Currently, the State Department\u2019s FIRST program partners with over 50 countries that are working towards exploring civil nuclear energy solutions and looking to achieve energy security through small modular reactors. The program also helps establish sustainable financial partnerships that support reactor financing to avoid debt-trap influence. This bill will solidify the goals of the FIRST program as a priority for the Department of State to build a better, safer, and cleaner infrastructure for nuclear energy.\n\nThe FIRST ACT would:\n\nPromote responsible deployment of civil nuclear energy internationally\n\nAdvocate bilateral and multilateral diplomatic engagements and forums for civil nuclear energy projects\n\nEngage in diplomacy with partner governments prioritizing the highest safety, security, and nonproliferation standards\n\nProvide consultation to partner countries regarding best practices of licensing, legal, and regulatory frameworks\n\nSupply early-stage commercial project development support critical to launching United States commercial civil nuclear projects abroad\n\nCooperate with partner countries in the areas of training programs, technical resource sharing, and potential coordination of codes and standards\n\nThe legislation is led by U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.). Alongside Heinrich, the bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.).\n\nThe FIRST Act is endorsed by the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), ClearPath, Breakthrough Institute (BTI), and Third Way.\n\nThe full text of the bill here.\n\nAdditional Background on Heinrich\u2019s Efforts to Develop Nuclear Energy Responsibly:\n\nHeinrich has long championed policies that develop nuclear energy responsibly, modernize and improve facilities that handle nuclear waste, and provide compensation and support for communities and workers harmed by radiation exposure.\n\nIn April, Heinrich pressed National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) officials on addressing the housing shortage around Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), accelerating cleanup of the hexavalent chromium plume near the Lab, strengthening public-private partnerships to advance America's fusion capabilities, and modernizing critical nuclear security infrastructure at Sandia National Laboratories.\n\nIn April, Heinrich cosponsored legislation to amend the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act to ensure sustained, inflation-adjusted funding for New Mexico communities to maintain vital infrastructure projects, such as road maintenance and repairs, for the duration of WIPP\u2019s operation.\n\nIn January, Heinrich secured $10 million in the FY2026 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill to improve roads leading to and from WIPP through recommended payments from the DOE to the State of New Mexico. This investment was the first time that funds had been appropriated for this purpose since 2014.\n\nLast November, Heinrich introduced the No Nuclear Testing Without Approval Act, legislation to ensure that no president can unilaterally resume explosive nuclear testing in response to President Trump announcing that the United States would resume testing nuclear weapons, a practice that the U.S. abandoned in 1992.\n\nLast November, Heinrich and U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) led Senate Democrats in urging President Trump to reverse course on resuming explosive nuclear weapons testing, warning that restarting tests would endanger public health, undermine global nonproliferation efforts, and needlessly increase national security risks.\n\nAfter more than a decade of advocacy, Heinrich helped secure the expansion of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) into law last July, finally providing compensation to New Mexico's Trinity Downwinders, uranium workers, and other communities harmed by radiation exposure. Heinrich reintroduced legislation to extend and expand RECA since his first Senate term, starting in 2013.", 1, "2026-08-26T05:33:32Z", "2026-08-26T05:34:56Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-cosponsors-bipartisan-legislation-to-advance-responsible-international-nuclear-energy-cooperation"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.779105979949236, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}