After secret plutonium shipment to Nevada, Senate Democrat puts hold on Energy Department nominees

Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is going to do her best to get in the way after the Department of Energy secretly shipped a half-ton of weapons-grade plutonium to her state. 

Cortez Masto, a Democrat, told the Nevada Independent that “I will be shining a bright light on the Department of Energy’s secret shipment of weapons-grade plutonium to Nevada,” and to do that, “Until I’ve gotten commitment from [Energy] Secretary [Rick] Perry that his agency will stop any further shipment and set a date for the removal of the plutonium already in the state, I will be putting a hold on all DOE nominees.”

Since Republicans have enough votes to confirm nominees without Democrats, Cortez Masto can’t entirely block them. But she can make the process take longer by forcing roll call votes. While she does that, Nevada has sued to block any more plutonium shipments. 

from Daily Kos https://ift.tt/2CdgpuY