House Republicans hope to use money from the Nuclear Waste Fund to revitalize the Bush administration’s plan to deposit nuclear waste at Nevada’s Yucca Mountain.

Joe L. Barton (R-Texas), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is sponsoring a bill that would authorize the use of $749 million from the fund in fiscal 2005. The Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality plans to mark up the bill on Wednesday. Due to strong opposition from Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada), this legislation is not likely to get enacted.

Last week the House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee endorsed legislation providing only $131 million of the $880 million request for this project. The full Appropriations Committee will consider the bill Wednesday. Barton’s bill, even if it does not make it to the floor itself, may have laid the foundation for an amendment to the House energy and water bill.