KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) told federal contractors and industry members here that he still expects the Energy and Water Development bill for fiscal 2027 to pass before Dec. 11.
Fleischmann, who wrote the most recent energy and water appropriations bill, doubled down on his predicted passage of the bill Wednesday after he told the Nuclear Cleanup Workshop attendees in Arlington, Va. last month. Fleischmann previously said the bill would pass during the ‘lame duck’ session.
Dec.11 is the expiration date for the current continuing resolution or stopgap spending measure, which for the most part keeps spending at fiscal 2026 levels.
Congress easily passed the continuing resolution in early September to avoid a government shutdown when fiscal 2027 ended on Sept. 30.
“I’m looking forward to conferencing that [bill] with the Senate, and hopefully we will get a bill done by December 11th,” Fleischmann said.
The Energy and Water Development bill passed out of the House Appropriations Committee in a 34 – 25 vote in May. However, the bill has not hit the full House of Representatives for a vote.
The Energy and Water Development bill funds the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. A large portion of DOE funding is centered around DOE’s semi-autonomous agency National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Nuclear cleanup, overseen by the Office of Environmental Management, also accounts for about 15% to 17% of DOE’s budget.
During the question and answers portion, Fleischmann acknowledged the possibilities of Republicans losing the House as a result of the midterm elections. Regardless of the results, Fleischmann will continue to be the Republican point man for the nuclear enterprise on the committee.
“Now, are we going to get everything we want? Absolutely not,” Fleischmann said. “But rest assured, as long as I have a voice and a vote, I will continue to work hard to make sure that America is energy dominant, that nuclear continues to move forward, and that Oak Ridge in our great state continues to be number one to attract that.”
