The vote was 88-2. Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) opposed the measure.
While a White House spokesperson did not respond to questions about whether Biden will sign the bill, national climate adviser Ali Zaidi appeared to post on the social platform X in support of the legislation Tuesday.
“Really appreciate the bipartisan efforts on advanced nuclear,” he wrote, along with a video of a speech by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) in favor of the bill.
The nuclear package was combined with another bill that reauthorizes the U.S. Fire Administration and grant programs for firefighters, which will also go to the president’s desk.
However, the legislation also has critics.
“The new language attempts to water down the duties of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, it puts communities on the backburner and it dilutes existing protocols that keeps our nation safe from the threat of nuclear war,” Markey said in a Tuesday floor speech.
“It puts promotion over protection and corporate profits over community cleanup,” he added, noting that previously considered provisions that would have provided funds to clean up contaminated communities were stripped following negotiations with the House.
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.
