Political Quotes

“today, I rise in support of Worker and Community Transition Program language contained in the en bloc amendment. The amendment would change the language pertaining to the Worker and Community Transition program in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 1998. The amendment restores $44 million to this program, keeping a commitment to help the workers and communities who sacrificed to produce our nuclear arsenal during the cold war. Mr. Chairman, the Worker and Community Transition Program, commonly called 3161, provides former Department of Energy nuclear weapons production workers preference for new Department of Energy cleanup jobs. It is important to recognize the contribution that these workers have made in defeating our enemies during the cold war and provide them with job preference protection during the transition of the Department of Energy mission from bomb-making to nuclear waste cleanup. Over the last 5 years, the Department of Energy has reduced its prime contractor work force by more than 40,000 employees, from about 150,000 to less than 110,000. These reductions save taxpayers approximately $2.5 billion each year. While this is good, we must not forget the human impact that restructuring is having on real people. The Worker and Community Transition Program has assisted approximately 15,000 workers directly affected by changes in the nuclear weapons production mission.”