[Policy] Dear Tammy Duckworth
It is now time for my first Humanities Action Project of the term! This term, our Humanities course is called Policy and we have delved into the history of American Laws and Wars. This first unit has been about the Legislative branch of the government, including the House of Representatives and the Senate. We created a timeline where we point out some of the most significant legislative decisions in the nation's history, such as declarations of war, the homestead act, and others. We have learned a lot about the structure of Congress, including the lengthy process for a bill to become a law, and how the House and Senate are different. For this Action Project, we have been tasked with picking out a pending piece of legislation to research and then either endorse or disapprove it to one of our representatives. For this project, I have chosen the Nuclear Fuel Security Act of 2023, a bill pending in the Senate, and Tammy Duckworth, one of the Illinois Senators. Here is my letter!
May 18, 2023
L.A.H.
GCE Lab School
9 West Washington
Chicago, IL 60602
Dear Senator Duckworth,
Illinois is the largest generator of nuclear power in the country, generating almost 99,000 gigawatt-hours in 2022. While not renewable, nuclear power is quite clean, safe, and efficient. There is a recent bill that has come before the Senate, titled the Nuclear Fuel Security Act of 2023. Senator Duckworth, you must put your support behind this bill.
As previously stated, Illinois is the largest generator of nuclear fuel in the US, and because of this roughly 50% of the state’s energy comes from nuclear power plants. This bill seeks to ensure security in the nuclear field by increasing the domestic production of uranium, something that is crucial during this time. The US imports about 14% of its uranium from Russia. Obviously, current relations with Russia lead to reliance on it to be undesirable. Should Russia choose to cease exporting uranium to the US, there would be a struggle to replace it. The US only generates 5% of its Uranium domestically. Even without considering international relations, it is easy to see why it would be a cause for concern to rely this much on other states–in Illinois especially.
Climate change is the number one issue my generation faces in the future. A very large part of climate change is all of the fossil fuels being used. Of course, there are renewable energy sources as an option, although those are often difficult logistically to implement. Nuclear fuel provides a good stepping stone on the road to solving climate change. Climate change threatens my life, and I am very passionate about solving it.
The US has generally good relations with foreign powers as of now. This leads to us being able to import the vast majority of our uranium without worrying too much about it. Despite this, relying so much on other nations is extremely concerning. If our allies suddenly decided to stop selling to the US, something that could very easily happen, half of Illinois would suddenly lose power. An energy crisis is the last thing we need. Additionally, calling Russia an ally is so much of a stretch it’s about to break under the stress. Russia is one of the closest things we have to an enemy right now and so relying on them is terrifying. They could just choose to make us scramble for uranium without us being able to do anything about it. We as a nation should not be living in fear of our electricity disappearing.
I am a resident of Chicago and I have been for my whole life. Throughout my whole life, I have taken an interest in nuclear physics. I have researched a lot and I have read up on Fermilab and other places important to nuclear power. Because of this, I am quite passionate about this bill. I go to Global Citizenship Experience Lab School. At GCE, we have a specific focus on global issues and I believe this is a big one. I am a big supporter of you, Senator Duckworth, and I hope to be able to vote for you in the next election. Voting yes to this bill would ensure in my mind that you are the right choice.
A large concern about this bill might be the amount of waste that nuclear power creates. As you most likely know, the waste created by nuclear energy is nothing compared to that of fossil fuels and the US is more than capable of dealing with it. Additionally, this bill does not even aim to shift more of our energy creation to nuclear, just to make it more secure. Because of this, this bill should not be held up on the basis of nuclear waste.
The Nuclear Fuel Security Act is a bipartisan bill that would have no downsides if it were passed. As a resident of Illinois, I implore you to support this bill and try to get it passed. You are a representative of Illinois and the country and to ensure the future of the country and the state, you must pass this bill.
Thank you so much for reading,
L.A.H.
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