Senate Votes to End Bidding War for $4.4-Billion Nuclear Project

The Senate, after a debate that cut sharply along state lines, voted Wednesday night to end the bidding war for the nation’s single largest public works project, the $4.4-billion superconducting super-collider.

By voice vote, the Senate approved an amendment by Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.), stating that the federal government should determine the location of the huge nuclear research project based on the quality of the site.

“It ought to be on the best site in the country . . . and not on what a state offers as financial compensation,” Domenici said.

Small-state lawmakers won the amendment over the objections of those from big states like Texas and Illinois.

Largest States Win

“The largest and the most wealthy states are the only ones that can win” under the current Department of Energy policy, which takes into account state and local contributions, said Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.).

But Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Tex.), whose state is spending lavishly to attract the project, said such competition is the best policy.

“If people are willing to put their own money on the line, what better indication than that is there of local support?” said Gramm, adding that that would also keep down federal costs.

There are probably many suitable sites, he said, and even unlikely locations could be made fit if states wanted to pay for the work. No matter where it’s built, he said, “the same atoms will be smashed, the same scientific information will be gained.”

Bentsen Tells Opposition

Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Tex.) said after the vote that he plans to fight the provisions when the bill goes to a House-Senate conference committee.

The Domenici amendment came as the Senate resumed consideration of a bill providing $9.4 billion in additional spending for the remainder of fiscal 1987.

The measure had been delayed because it adds further to outlays that are already above the budget. Final Senate action was in doubt because lawmakers must first vote to waive the budget, and a previous attempt failed.

More than two-thirds of the bill was earmarked for farmers’ subsidies by the Commodity Credit Corp. Other major items include this year’s federal pay raise and pension improvements and extra defense and foreign aid spending.

Gramm, who successfully fought the bill earlier and indicated he may fight a budget waiver again, said the Senate should make cuts elsewhere to offset the new spending. He questioned whether federal money is so urgently needed for some of the items, such as an archeological dig in Nevada and work on new grain-milling techniques at North Dakota State University.