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RELEASE: Fleischmann on FY19 "Mini-Bus" Becoming Law

September 21, 2018

CHATTANOOGA, TN — Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03) issued the following statement in response to President Trump signing H.R. 5895, the FY 2019 "Mini-Bus" Energy and Water, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Legislative Branch Appropriations Conference Committee spending bill into law:

"Today, President Trump signed the first Mini-Bus spending bill into law taking the final step in keeping our promise to the American people to fund the government before the end of the fiscal year," said Congressman Fleischmann. "From supplying the resources necessary for continued progress on the Chickamauga Lock to supporting the missions at Oak Ridge National Lab and the Y-12 National Security Complex, this package is a win for Tennessee's Third District. In my work on the Energy and Water Subcommittee and as a conferee, I fought to ensure that a total of $117.7 million in funding be included for the Chickamauga Lock. Furthermore, this legislation includes the highest dollar amount to date for Oak Ridge National Lab and the Y-12 National Security Complex. I am proud to have the priorities and facilities important to East Tennesseans recognized in this legislation. Moreover, with the signing of this spending package, we are taking the steps necessary to responsibly fund our government by returning to regular order. I thank all members of the committee for their work, and I look forward to building on this momentum with the passage of future funding bills."

Highlights included in H.R. 5895 courtesy House Committee on Appropriations:

Army Corps of Engineers

  • A total of $7 billion for the Army Corps of Engineers; including $3.2 billion for navigation projects and studies;
  • and $2 billion to support public health and safety by funding flood and storm damage reduction activities.

Nuclear Security

  • A total of $15.23 billion for the Department of Energy's nuclear weapons security programs, including $11.1 billion for Weapons Activities;
  • $1.95 billion Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation;
  • and 1.79 billion for Naval Reactors.

Environmental Cleanup

  • A total of $7.2 billion for environmental management activities; including
  • and $6 billion for Defense Environmental Cleanup to safely cleanup sites contaminated by previous nuclear weapons production at Oak Ridge National Lab and other DOE sites.

Science Research

  • A total of $6.6 billion for science research to support the basic energy research, the development of high performance computing systems, and research into the next generation of energy sources.