At annual industry show, House appropriator says election may affect budget, Y-12, UPF come December

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) told the Monitor here Tuesday that “regardless” of what happens election night Congress needs to get the budget done by Dec. 20.

“It’s my hope that we can conference our appropriations bills with the Senate and get a budget passed by Dec. 20,” Fleischmann told the Monitor. “I think that’s the best thing for the country. Obviously, what happens on Nov. 5 may affect that, but regardless I would like to get the budget done.”

Fleischmann spoke with the Monitor after his opening remarks at the Energy Technology and Environmental Business Association’s ribbon cutting ceremony on the first day of the 25th annual Business Opportunities and Technical Conference in Knoxville, Tenn.

Fleischmann chairs the House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee, and his district neighbors the Y-12 National Security Complex and the construction of the Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) in Oak Ridge, Tenn. He said that while the continuing resolution and election would not affect the schedules for either project much, it will still affect both in totality.

“I did such a robust job writing the energy and water bill for the House for fiscal 25 with very robust budgets for everything, for cleanup, for Y-12 and UPF, for the labs,” Fleischmann said, “so the longer you go into the fiscal year without a budget, it’s detrimental to those facilities.”

Fleischmann, a seemingly safe incumbent, is up for re-election next week for Tennessee’s third district.