Congressman and UT Alumnus Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN 3rd District) was appointed yesterday to several critical House Appropriations subcommittees for the 113th Congress. His appointments, made by Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY), include positions on the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee, and the Homeland Security Subcommittee.
Rep. Fleischmann’s district includes a key UT interest, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The University of Tennessee manages and operates ORNL through UT-Battelle with enthusiastic and substantial support from the State of Tennessee. The contract to manage the National Laboratory is granted by the U.S. Department of Energy, whose funding is overseen by the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee to which Rep. Fleischmann has just been appointed. The University’s venture with ORNL produces world-leading expertise in the areas of high-performance computing, materials research, and nanotechnology, and pays enormous economic dividends to the region.
Similarly important to the University is Rep. Fleischmann’s appointment to the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. This subcommittee oversees funding for the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Labor. These Departments administer programs critical to higher education, such as federal financial aid and direct student loans, and numerous research grants. Fleischmann’s appointment to the Appropriations Committee occurred in November. For more information on this important appointment, click here.
Tags: ORNL, U.S. House Appropriations Committee, UT-Battelle