ARLINGTON, Va. – Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) told the National Cleanup Workshop here on Wednesday he expects the Energy & Water Development bill for fiscal 2027 to pass during the so-called “lame duck” session after Congress returns following the November election.
Fleischmann, a member of the House Appropriation Committee, chairs the Energy & Water subcommittee and writes the appropriations bill for the Department of Energy and related agencies.
While a continuing resolution or stopgap spending measure has easily passed the House and Senate and will keep the government open through Dec. 11, Fleischmann thinks a full-year appropriations bill will be approved after the election.
The fiscal 2027 Energy & Water Appropriations bill was written in the House, Fleischmann said. “But I see the potential for getting in the lame duck session the Energy and Water Bill Conference” concluded with the Senate. He added he did not know if all the appropriations bills be done in the post-election session.
Legacy nuclear cleanup at DOE sites such as Oak Ridge and elsewhere is a federal responsibility, Fleischmann said, adding “we will have decades of work ahead of us.”
The congressman said nuclear remediation is vital for reindustrialization at DOE sites and cleanup milestones at Oak Ridge have helped ensure “the great state of Tennessee is ranked No.1 in new nuclear.”
Companies such as OKLO, Orano and BWX Technologies are investing heavily in the region around Oak Ridge, Fleischmann said. “Our state is recruiting companies that are in fuel, that are in reactor design, that are in cleanup, all of the above.”
Hitting a political note, Fleischmann reminded the hundreds of federal government and contractor representatives here that even if the GOP loses the election, he would be the “ranking member” or the top member of the minority party. Being “ranking member” is sometimes seen as “honorable mention,” he said, drawing laughter.
“But having said that, because I play well with others,” Fleischmann said, “we will be okay.”
“Let’s face it. I am a Republican,” Fleischmann said. “I have that ethos. I have that mindset. But it is wonderful when we can sit down with somebody from the other party or from your party and say “Hey, what can we work on together.’” Often that’s legacy cleanup, he added.