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Shutdown ends: Oak Ridgers relieved, but frustrated with Congress

Posted at 11:32 am October 21, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Dean's Restaurant and Bakery

Dean Russell, co-owner of Dean’s Restaurant and Bakery in Jackson Square, has put up a sign expressing frustration with Congress over the government shutdown. Pictured above are restaurant servers Cassandra Prater, right, and Andy Tatum.

The end of the government shutdown last week brought relief to Oak Ridge, especially at the Y-12 National Security Complex, where up to about 3,600 workers were expected to be furloughed starting last Thursday unless a deal was reached.

Chuck Spencer, general manager of B&W Y-12, which manages and operates Y-12, told workers on Thursday that a shutdown to minimum staffing had been averted and the furloughs would no longer be necessary. There had been reports that only about 900 workers might have remained starting today.

Spencer said the nuclear weapons plant, which started an orderly shutdown two weeks ago on Monday, Oct. 7, will begin planning to resume normal operations.

Normal operations resumed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Thursday, Director Thom Mason said in a message to staff. ORNL had enough funding to continue operating through October and into November, but officials had started preparing for a possible temporary shutdown and unpaid furloughs in case the shutdown continued.

Oak Ridge residents remained frustrated even after Congress and the White House reached a last-minute, short-term spending agreement late Wednesday night that averted the shutdowns and furloughs, just hours before a deadline to raise the nation’s debt ceiling and after some local businesses had already reported that the shutdown had affected their operations. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Federal, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Affordable Care Act, B&W Y-12, Barack Obama, Bob Corker, Chuck Fleischmann, Chuck Spencer, Congress, Dean Russell, Dean's Restaurant and Bakery, debt ceiling, Democrats, DOE, federal government, funding, furloughs, government shutdown, health care law, IIa, Information International Associates, John J. Duncan Jr., Kelly Callison, Lamar Alexander, Lynn Randolph, medical device tax, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Obamacare, orderly shutdown, ORNL, Republicans, Scott DesJarlais, shutdown, spending, Thom Mason, Tom Beehan, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, White House, workers, Y-12 National Security Complex

Congressman: House votes to fully fund Y-12 during government shutdown

Posted at 12:09 pm October 11, 2013
By John Huotari 3 Comments

U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann

Chuck Fleischmann

Note: This story was last updated at 5:22 p.m.

The federal government remains shut down over a funding dispute, but the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Friday morning that would fully fund the Y-12 National Security Complex and other security functions, Congressman Chuck Fleischmann said.

Fleischmann, a Tennessee Republican whose district includes Oak Ridge, called it a matter of national security. Y-12 is one of the nation’s nuclear weapons plants, but it started an “orderly shutdown” on Monday because Congress has failed to pass a spending bill in the fiscal year that started Oct. 1.

Fleischmann expressed concern about the shutdown in a speech on the House floor. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Top Stories, Y-12 National Security Complex Tagged With: Affordable Care Act, B&W Y-12, Barack Obama, Chuck Fleischmann, Chuck Spencer, Congress, Democrats, federal government, funding, furloughs, individual mandate, medical device tax, National Nuclear Security Administration, nuclear weapons, Obamacare, Republicans, Senate, shutdown, U.S. House of Representatives, Y-12 National Security Complex

Federal contractors, agencies consider shutdowns, furloughs as funding dispute drags on

Posted at 10:42 am October 9, 2013
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Joe L. Evins Federal Building

The U.S. Department of Energy will soon start shutting down nonessential operations, resulting in employee and contractor furloughs, unless Congress passes a spending bill. Pictured above is DOE’s Oak Ridge Office at the Joe L. Evins Federal Building.

Furloughs possible at DOE, UCOR, other federal contractors; some SAIC employees on leave

The government shutdown is now in its second week, and the U.S. Department of Energy could start shutting down nonessential operations soon—resulting in employee and contractor furloughs—unless Congress quickly approves a spending bill, officials said Tuesday.

Federal contractors with operations in Oak Ridge are also considering possible shutdowns and furloughs because congressional Democrats and Republicans have failed to reach an agreement on a spending bill to keep the government operating in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

In a Tuesday message to employees, UCOR President Leo Sain said the company, the government’s cleanup contractor in Oak Ridge, has not been told to shut down yet. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Federal, Government, Oak Ridge, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: Affordable Care Act, American Centrifuge, appropriations, Babcock and Wilcox Co., Barack Obama, centrifuges, Congress, contractors, debt limit, Democrats, DOE, employees, fiscal year, funding dispute, furloughs, government shutdown, individual mandate, Lauren Darson, Leo Sain, medical device tax, nonessential operations, Obamacare, Paul Jacobson, Republicans, SAIC, shutdown, spending, spending bill, subcontractor, U.S. Department of Energy, UCOR, uranium enrichment, uranium fuel, USEC

During fiscal showdown, three Tennessee legislators support delay in health care law

Posted at 8:28 pm September 30, 2013
By John Huotari 11 Comments

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander

Lamar Alexander

U.S. Senator Bob Corker

Bob Corker

Three U.S. legislators from Tennessee said they want to keep the government open but want to either delay the individual mandate in the new health care law or not fund it.

The federal fiscal year ends at midnight Monday, and the Affordable Care Act takes effect Tuesday. Critics call the controversial health care law “Obamacare,” and it’s at the heart of the federal fiscal feud.

House Republicans have proposed delaying the law’s individual mandate for one year, repealing a medical device tax that would help pay for the law, and keeping the government open. But Senate Democrats and President Barack Obama have rejected attempts to tie the government spending measure to attempts to change the health care law. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Federal, Government, Top Stories Tagged With: Affordable Care Act, Barack Obama, Bob Corker, Chuck Fleischmann, Congress, Democrats, fiscal feud, fiscal year, government shutdown, health care law, House, individual mandate, Lamar Alexander, medical device tax, Obamacare, Republicans, Senate

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Classifieds

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

Public notice: Draft environmental assessment for Y-12 Development Organization at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

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