New DOE pension policy could be blocked
According to an Oak Ridger article, The Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee passed a bill Thursday that would block the Department of Energy's new Contractor Employee Pension and Medical Benefits Policy if approved by the full committee.
Quoting from the article in the Oak Ridger:
The Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee's bill states, "None of the funds made available in Title 3 of this act shall be used for implementation of DOE Order 351.1 or any similar DOE order modifying the Contractor Employee Pension and Medical Benefits Policy."
"We're using congressional influence to try to keep in check the executive branch's efforts to withhold payments to contractors for certain pension benefits, which is what the order originally said," U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Third District, said Thursday."
Further quote from Rep. Wamp: "Congress is trying to exert pressure to protect retirement benefits of workers, and at the same time, there's a great effort in Congress to get increased compensation for our retirees. It's a difficult process because the contractors, NNSA and DOE, are unified in their concern about out-year capabilities to honor needed increases and pensions.
"But this demonstrates Congress is putting pressure on the administration to side with retirees."
End of Quotes from the Oak Ridger—-
Note– This is a step in the right direction to persuade DOE and the administration to start considering improvements to pensions of Oak Ridge retirees. It is good to see the Congress asserting itself on this general issue. The vote of the full committee is coming up this week- on Tuesday, according to the Oak Ridger.