EM REPROGRAMMING REQUEST CLEARS SENATE E&W PANEL

Lawmakers on the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations subcommittee have approved a reprogramming request for the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management. The measure was approved last week by the House and Senate Armed Services committees, leaving the House Energy and Water Appropriations panel as the lone hurdle in gaining full approval. The reprogramming request aims to realign a total of $273.5 million among projects at defense environmental cleanup sites and to realign $23 million in uranium enrichment D&D funds. The measure is necessary due to budget impacts of the Continuing Resolution currently funding the government combined with the across-the-board sequestration cuts. Swift action from Congress on the reprogramming is needed to avoid further impacts to the workforce at several sites, EM officials have said.