WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) went to the Senate floor to speak in support of the American Energy Innovation Act and the Idaho National Lab's role in securing the nation's energy future.

"America’s energy landscape has changed dramatically since the last major energy bill was enacted by Congress more than a decade ago. It's time to update our outdated energy policy to reflect today’s realities, goals and challenges in the energy sector," said Risch. "The American Energy Innovation Act - the business before the Senate today - is the culmination of more than a year of hearings, business meetings and negotiations in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. I commend Chairman Murkowski and Ranking Member Manchin for their leadership of all of us on the committee in bringing this strong, bipartisan, all-of-the-above energy package to the floor."

Risch then went on to discuss the Idaho National Lab's significance to our national energy strategy, saying, "I represent not just one of the Department of Energy's national laboratories, but the nation's flagship nuclear energy laboratory - the Idaho National Lab."