by Since January 2017, the Trump Administration has been in negotiations to allow a sale of two nuclear reactors designed by American companies to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This is troubling for at least two reasons. First, nuclear reactors may provide the Saudis with a backdoor to a nuclear bomb. Second, a February 19 interim report from the new Democratic majority on the House Oversight and Reform Committee alleges that the sale may involve conflicts of interest and other violations of federal law by Trump cronies inside and outside the Administration. Reckless, corrupt, and illegal: the transaction is the quintessence of Trump. Only a super-salesman can convince Americans that the proposed deal is a good idea and not just a means to enrich Trump associates. Fortunately, the negotiations with the Saudis are being led by a man who describes himself as “America’s number one energy salesman”: US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. “Of all the recent secretaries of energy, Perry knows the least about nuclear energy [and] nonproliferation policy,” observes Joe Cirincione, President of the nuclear watchdog Ploughshares Fund. Before he became secretary of energy, Perry didn’t even know that the Department of Energy (DOE) is in charge of the US nuclear stockpile. Perry forgot the name of the DOE during the 2016 Republican presidential primary debates while he was trying to list the three cabinet departments he would eliminate as president. Who cares? Perry’s job is selling. To a super-salesman like Perry, whathe’s selling—used cars or nuclear bombs—doesn’t matter. Secretary Perry was in Houston last week at the CERAWeek energy conference. (The acronym stands for Cambridge Energy Research Associates.) CERAWeek is an annual gathering of energy industry bigwigs and the politicians who love them (and who hope one day to become energy lobbyists, much as the lowly caterpillar aspires to become a beautiful butterfly). Perry shared his arguments for giving nuclear tech to the Saudis. Perry enthused over the environmental benefits of zero-emissions nuclear power. According to the London Financial Times, which spoke to Secretary Perry during the conference: Mr. Perry said the administration’s support for nuclear exports was part of its strategy of encouraging sales of US technology and commodities that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “You really can’t be serious about the climate and be against nuclear power,” [Secretary Perry] said. Secretary Perry appears to be a recent enlistee in the fight against climate change. As recently as last year, Perry said that giving up fossil fuels would be “immoral.” This is a favorite argument of conservatives. The upshot is that restricting use of oil, coal, and natural gas will prevent millions of people in the developing countries from climbing out of poverty. That’s just one of the many good things for which we can thank fossil fuels. Another benefit Perry has shared is that use of fossil fuels may cut down on sexual assault. (Don’t even ask.) [1] If the Trump Administration has a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this is the first time I’ve heard of it. I’ve heard other things, though, like President Trump’s dismissal of climate change as a “hoax” dreamed up by the Chinese. I’ve also heard about Trump taking the US out of the Paris Climate Accord. Most recently, I’ve heard Trump proposing to slash the EPA budget by 31%. Proliferation Fears and the Revenge of “Little Marco” The Saudi deal was in trouble even before the release of the House interim report on February 19. Obstacles to the sale are due partly to backlash following the murder in October of US resident and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. There are also worries in Congress that a reactor deal with the Saudis could lead to a Saudi nuclear bomb. On October 31, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and four of his Republican colleagues sent a letter to the president. The letter makes two points. First, Trump should suspend the nuclear talks with the Saudis. Second, the signers will oppose any deal which allows Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium or reprocess plutonium. Similarly, the bipartisan No Nuclear Weapons for Saudi Arabia Act, introduced in both chambers in December also mandates the so-called “Gold Standard” (i.e., an agreement which prohibits enrichment and reprocessing), as does a non-binding resolution introduced in the Senate on February 12, 2019. Then, on March 15, Senator Rubio and Democratic Senator Bob Menendez from New Jersey, asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the proposed sale. Trump may be regretting his “little Marco” crack from the 2016 presidential campaign. The London Guardian correctly calls enrichment and reprocessing “established pathways to the bomb.” Enriched to 4%, uranium can power a nuclear reactor. Enriched to 90%, uranium can be used to make a nuclear bomb. It was Saudi intransigence over enrichment and reprocessing that doomed a nuclear cooperation agreement under the Obama Administration. Disturbingly, the Saudis still insist on the right to enrich and reprocess fissionable material. There are fears that Trump might cave on the Gold Standard if it would prevent the sale. Trump has promised to “revive and expand [the US] nuclear energy sector.” A US sale would make millions for associates of the president. Statements from Administration officials about the Gold Standard have been inconsistent. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on May 24, 2018, that the US had told the Saudis that “we want a gold-standard Section 123 Agreement from them, which would not permit them to enrich.”[2] (Of course, “we want” is not the same as “we won’t accept anything less.”) In his interview with the Financial Times, Perry said that the US would insist on the same terms from Saudi Arabia as it had in its 2009 nuclear cooperation agreement with the UAE, i.e., the Gold Standard. However, according to the New York Times, in early 2018, Secretary Perry was considering an agreement which would allow the Saudis to enrich uranium and reprocess plutonium after 10 to 15 years.<doc-sep>Addressing the policy debate surrounding America’s energy, environmental and economic future, Rick Perry on Friday declared the United States both a global leader in fossil fuels and an environmental superpower. But first the energy secretary had to explain why his agency granted six authorizations enabling private companies to sell nuclear power technology to Saudi Arabia, and why it did so in secret. The administration quietly pursued the deal with Saudi Arabia as that Middle Eastern power prepares to build two nuclear power plants, Reuters reported Wednesday. Senate lawmakers grilled Perry about the technology transfer Thursday, and he explained the rational further at an event – dubbed “Powering the Grid: Access, Affordability and Fuel Diversity” -- hosted by RealClearPolitics Friday morning in Washington. The action was legal, Perry said, and done in accordance with what is called a Part 810 Authorization. The export of unclassified civil nuclear technology was kept quiet, he continued, to assure industry that the federal government would protect their trade secrets: “We aren’t going to give your business plan or your business proprietary information to the public.” Though Saudi Arabia sits on vast oil reserves and has not yet agreed to anti-proliferation requirements, the kingdom has entertained bids for nuclear power from both South Korea and Russia. The United States, however, is expected to close the deal. This is just fine with Perry. It means money, and it means investment for future development, the 2012 presidential candidate insisted. “You betcha -- do I want the countries around the world that are going to build a civil nuclear [program] to be using American companies? Absolutely,” he said. One of those companies, Westinghouse, makes the best reactors in the world, Perry said. Even when constructed abroad, such projects strengthen the supply chain in the U.S. while investing in “the intellectual capital that comes with keeping a strong civil nuclear program in place.” He was also excited about nuclear development stateside. A week earlier, the DOE issued a $3.7 billion federally guaranteed loan to continue construction of the Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia. Those funds come on top of $8.3 billion in guarantees awarded by the Obama administration, and are part of the current administration’s larger overall effort to decrease carbon emissions through what Perry described as an “all-of-the-above strategy.” “It is pretty hard to argue that if you care about the climate, if you care about the environment, [and] this globe around it,” Perry said, “that you are against nuclear power, zero-emissions. That just doesn’t jive for me.” Environmentalists, including those who protested briefly outside the event before calling it quits, are skeptical of energy policy under Perry’s stewardship. His boss has relaxed Obama-era rules on auto emissions, ended the so-called “war on coal,” and pulled out of the Paris Climate Accords. But while this country has become the leading global exporter of oil under his watch, Perry maintains that this White House is also serious about emissions and committed to utilizing all sectors of energy production. “I hope no one gets confused that this administration is not for all of those forms of energy. We are. We are going to need it all,” he said. “When you think about the potential growth in Africa, when you look at India and China, the demand for energy is literally through the roof. We want it to be American innovation. We want it to be clean energy. And we can do that. But we can’t throttle this country, because we truly are leading the world.” The “foundational energy sources,” Perry said, will be nuclear and coal. And the former governor of the oil-rich state of Texas added that renewables are also a key part of the mix. He bragged that the solar industry has grown “by 90 percent in the last two years” and noted that the U.S. has cut emissions under the last three presidents by “14 percent.” That’s part of what Perry calls the “great story to tell,” and it is one he tried out while travelling abroad. European leaders lecture him in public, the secretary said, usually about leaving the Paris accords. In private, he said they ask how they can increase imports of liquefied natural gas. “The reason that liquefied natural gas is desired in Europe is not only because it will help lower emissions but it will also free them from the dependence on Russian gas,” Perry said. “I will suggest to you that the Europeans are pretty wise about having alternative sources of energy rather than the Russians. “If you don’t believe that,” he quipped, “go ask the Ukrainians.” Overall, the energy secretary is optimistic two years into the leading an agency he urged eliminating while a candidate for the Oval Office. He described the mission of the department as energy and security, and its results in terms of the economy and environment. And though Perry seems more environmentally conscious than before, he is no less bullish: “There is one country leading the charge. There is one country making a difference when it comes to the climate, and that’s America.” The RCP event, which was sponsored by the National Mining Association, also included panel discussions featuring, among others, Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, Reps. David B. McKinley and Larry Bucshon, and carbon management expert Charles D. McConnell.<doc-sep>The Energy Department released a statement in response to Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s claims that Secretary Rick Perry was “confused” about a particular energy law. The Senate Armed Services Committee heard testimony from Perry, the secretary of the Energy Department, on Thursday regarding the Trump administration’s approval of seven applications for the U.S. to sell nuclear power assistance and technology to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. During the hearing, Warren pressed Perry over the legality of the move, saying the Energy Department is required to seek congressional approval. “Do you agree that any agreement to transfer our nuclear materials, facilities or sensitive technology to Saudi Arabia requires congressional review?” the Democratic senator asked Perry. “The law is it requires congressional review. Are we clear on that?” Warren later published a video of the exchange on Twitter, saying Perry seemed “confused” and that she “helped him understand” what the law is. WATCH: The last thing we should be doing is giving Saudi Arabia the tools to make a nuclear bomb. That’s why we have a law that requires Congress to review the sale of nuclear technology to foreign govts. But @SecretaryPerry seemed confused by that law – so I helped him understand it. pic.twitter.com/9t56GYkwDF — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 28, 2019 However, according to a subsequent statement from the Energy Department, Warren was actually conflating two separate processes. “Part 810 authorizations and 123 agreements are two distinct and different processes based on two separate sections of the Atomic Energy Act,” the Thursday statement read. “The authorization process [for 810 authorizations] involves a thorough interagency review that requires the Department of Energy to secure the concurrence of the Department of State, and consult with the Departments of Defense and Commerce, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.” Perry issued seven different 810 authorizations to U.S. companies that allow them to export civil nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia. These authorizations, an Energy Department spokeswoman stipulated, does not enable the transfer of nuclear equipment, material or components to other countries. A 123 agreement, on the other hand, is “the legal mechanism that allows the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to license the export of nuclear material, equipment and components from the U.S.” Unlike 810 authorizations, all 123 agreements “undergo rigorous Congressional review, including 90 days of continuous session review by the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.” (RELATED: The ‘Real’ Green New Deal: Rick Perry’s Plan To Save Nuclear) While the White House has previously held discussions with Saudi Arabia concerning a 123 agreement, the current issue is over the administration’s recent deal to share unclassified civil nuclear technology with their government. Many lawmakers remain concerned over sharing any such information with the Saudi government following the murder of Jamal Kashoggi. Perry responded to Warren on Twitter, linking to the Energy Department statement and saying, “[Warren], no confusion here, we fully understand and comply with the law [at the Energy Department].” Follow Jason on Twitter. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.<doc-sep>U.S. Department Of Energy Secretary Rick Perry gave "six secret authorizations by companies to sell nuclear power technology and assistance to Saudi Arabia," Reuters reports, based on a copy of a document seen by reporters on Wednesday. "Many U.S. lawmakers are concerned that sharing nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia could eventually lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East," Reuters reports: The Trump administration has quietly pursued a wider deal on sharing U.S. nuclear power technology with Saudi Arabia, which aims to build at least two nuclear power plants. Several countries including the United States, South Korea and Russia are in competition for that deal, and the winners are expected to be announced later this year by Saudi Arabia. Perry's approvals, known as Part 810 authorizations, allow companies to do preliminary work on nuclear power ahead of any deal but not ship equipment that would go into a plant, a source with knowledge of the agreements said on condition of anonymity. The approvals were first reported by the Daily Beast. The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said in the document that the companies had requested that the Trump administration keep the approvals secret. "In this case, each of the companies which received a specific authorization for (Saudi Arabia) have provided us written request that their authorization be withheld from public release," the NNSA said in the document. In the past, the Energy Department made previous Part 810 authorizations available for the public to read at its headquarters. A Department of Energy official said the requests contained proprietary information and that the authorizations went through multi-agency approval process.<doc-sep>
Image 1 of 2 The Trump administration has approved seven applications for U.S. companies to sell nuclear power technology and assistance to Saudi Arabia, the Energy Department said Thursday. Energy Secretary Rick Perry told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Energy Department has approved 37 nuclear applications since January 2017, including nine in the Middle East. Besides the seven to Saudi Arabia, two were approved for Jordan. Perry said in his testimony that six applications were approved to Saudi Arabia, but a spokeswoman later said he misspoke. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., asked Perry whether the applications were approved after Oct. 2, when Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, lived in Virginia. Perry said he did not know the specific date. "We sign a lot of papers," he said. "I've got a pretty good memory, but to remember every date that I sign a piece of paper might be above my ability to recall." Lawmakers from both parties have expressed concerns that Saudi Arabia could develop nuclear weapons if the U.S. technology is transferred without proper safeguards. Congress is increasingly uneasy with the close relationship between the Trump administration and Saudi Arabia. President Donald Trump has made the kingdom a centerpiece of his foreign policy in the Middle East as he tries to further isolate Iran, a regional rival to the Saudi regime. In the process, Trump has brushed off criticism over the killing of Khashoggi and the Saudis' role in the war in Yemen. The nuclear approvals, known as Part 810 authorizations, allow companies to do preliminary work on nuclear power ahead of any deal to build a nuclear plant. They do not allow transfer of nuclear material, equipment or components. The authorizations were first reported by The Daily Beast before Perry confirmed them in public testimony. Perry disputed media accounts describing the authorizations as secret, saying, "These U.S. companies that are going to be doing this work want to keep that proprietary information from being out in the public domain." But Democrats said nuclear authorizations are normally made public. They accused the Trump administration of trying to conceal its negotiations with Saudi Arabia. "It appears to me that this is an end run around the law in an effort to achieve a policy," Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at a House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday. Pompeo said U.S. officials were "working to ensure that the nuclear power that (the Saudis) get is something we understand and doesn't present that risk" of allowing them to make nuclear weapons. Sherman called the U.S. response to Khashoggi's murder inadequate and said officials must do everything in their power to prevent Saudi Arabia from getting a nuclear weapon. "If you cannot trust a regime with a bone saw, you should not trust them with nuclear weapons," Sherman said, referring to reports from the Turkish government that Saudi agents used a bone saw to dismember Khashoggi after he was killed last year. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a member of the Armed Services Committee, told Perry it was "a bad idea to even consider passing on nuclear technology to the Saudi government," given the possible role of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Khashoggi's murder. "The last thing we should be doing is giving the Saudi government the tools to produce nuclear weapons," said Warren, a Democratic candidate for president. The announcement of the nuclear approvals came as Republican and Democratic senators requested that the Government Accountability Office review the Trump administration's negotiations with Saudi Arabia. Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Bob Menendez, D-N.J., asked the GAO to investigate reports that some negotiations have been conducted without oversight required under the federal Atomic Energy Act. The senators, who both serve on the Foreign Relations Committee, said it was unusual that the Energy Department apparently was leading the negotiations, rather than the State Department. The senators said they were "troubled by the administration's lack of consultations with Congress" and concerned that specific proposals presented by Energy officials may not have been fully vetted with other agencies. The Trump administration had previously opened talks with Riyadh on what's known as a "123 agreement." The name comes from the section of the law that establishes the parameters for major nuclear cooperation between the United States and other countries. Without one, U.S. nuclear energy companies such as Westinghouse would lose out on business opportunities with the Saudis.