And after what has happened in Japan I believe the Republicans need to take another look at these cuts. Personally I do not want our Country's Nuclear position or safety changed or reduced until we know that all our plants are safe and have the necessary safety guards in operation.
H.R. 1, the continuing resolution (CR) passed by the House in February that would
cut some $61 billion from FY 2010 levels for the remainder of FY 2011 is no friend of nuclear safety. A
rundown of the bill reveals the following cuts:
Cuts to Nuclear-Related Agencies and Programs in HR 1
(millions of dollars) |
| Office of Nuclear Energy | 131.8 |
| Uranium Enrichment Decontamination & Decommissioning Fund | 70.0 |
| Nuclear Waste Disposal | 2.8 |
| Nuclear Nonproliferation | 97.7 |
| Domestic Nuclear Detection Office | 32.5 |
In addition to these, NationalJournal.com
notes ($) that the House CR would also cut $1.4 billion from first responder training resulting in a reduction of 46,000 emergency personnel trained in nuclear emergencies. The authors of bill, in their zeal to cut cut cut failed to consider if the funding levels at the various nuclear-related agencies and programs are sufficient. However, the
ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan is
forcing policy makers in the U.S. to evaluate the status of nuclear safety at home. Yet, funding for dozens of other programs are on the chopping block but will receive little if any scrutiny because there is no equivalent crisis.
Continuing Resolution (CR)
The federal government is currently operating under a two-week continuing resolution, the details of which are not widely known. This marks the current fiscal year's fifth continuing resolution (CR). There is little expectation of compromise on the budget for the remainder of the fiscal year, leaving funding for agencies and government programs in limbo.
In the
early hours of Feb. 19, the House passed a continuing resolution (CR) that is intended to keep government running for the remainder of the fiscal year. The bill contains not only drastic spending cuts, but would also implement a series of funding restrictions that would block the federal government from carrying out certain policies. While President Obama has said he will veto the legislation if it reaches his desk, it sets an unconstructive tone for Congress with provisions that would adversely impact people in need, undermine job growth, and seriously impair the ability of government to protect the public.
The major piece of unfinished business from the last session of Congress is the fiscal year (FY) 2011 budget. Even though FY 2011 started on Oct. 1, 2010, the federal government still does not have a budget and has been funded through a series of
temporary continuing resolutions (CR) since last fall. It remains to be seen if both the Senate and hard-line fiscal conservatives in the House will sign off on a budget for the remainder of the fiscal year, once again raising the specter of a government shutdown.
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