Carper last month. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Senate EPW Chair Tom Carper is in talks with leadership about getting his final nuclear licensing package across the finish line, Nick writes.
Why it matters: The bipartisan ADVANCE Act is as close as it's been to becoming law, but much depends on Senate floor time and possible unanimous consent objections.
Driving the news: Carper told Axios that he spoke with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer last week about getting the bill through the Senate.
- ADVANCE passed the House by a wide margin this month, attached to an unrelated fire safety bill.
Between the lines: The easiest path here would be to pass it via a unanimous consent request. We could see that soon, but three progressive senators — Bernie Sanders, Ed Markey and Jeff Merkley — voted against the original bill in committee.
- Carper said he didn't know yet whether any of them would hold up a UC on the House-passed ADVANCE-fire safety combo.
- "We just have to get really serious about moving, and I'm trying to convey that sense of urgency," he said.
- Barring a UC, committee leaders will likely make another attempt at attaching ADVANCE to the annual defense authorization.
