Dear Senator:
Next week, the Senate will consider a short term continuing resolution (CR) to fund government operations after the fiscal year ends on Friday. We urge you to include the following critical items in this must-pass bill:
First, we urge you to include common sense permitting reform. Permitting of critical energy projects can and should be sped up without sacrificing environmental integrity or diminishing public input. The reforms proposed by Senator Manchin and included in this bill are in our national interest because they will accelerate clean energy projects, emissions reductions, climate resilience and job creation.
Additional funding for the Social Security Administration (SSA) is also essential. Despite the increased demand for service—since the pandemic, almost a million disability claims are backlogged— SSA is at its lowest staffing level in 25 years. The tens of millions of Social Security beneficiaries who have paid into the system deserve no less than first rate service, and the additional funds would allow SSA to begin to address its staffing losses and fund the overtime needed to process its huge workload. We urge you to support this additional funding in the CR to prevent further deterioration of the important service SSA provides and on which so many of your constituents rely.
We also urge Congress to include $1.5 billion in supplemental funding for low-enriched uranium (LEU) and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU). These two nuclear fuels are critical to keeping the current nuclear fleet on-line and developing advanced nuclear reactors in the future. For decades, one of the largest sources for LEU fuel for U.S. nuclear reactors has been Russia—and this critical fuel source could be cut off at any time by the Russian government. The nuclear industry is one of the most unionized industries in the power sector, employing tens of thousands of organized workers.
Finally, we urge you to include an extension of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). TAA is an important lifeline for workers whose jobs have been outsourced through no fault of their own. TAA is especially important to America’s workers in providing assistance when corporations decide to outsource jobs in order to exploit the low wages and poor workplace conditions in other countries. Continuing TAA will ensure that workers who are terminated through no fault of their own have additional tools and support as they navigate re-employment.
We urge you to support the inclusion of all of the above-listed items in the CR, and we look forward to working with you to ensure adequate funding for FY 2023 appropriations bills to meet our nation’s needs.
Thank you for your consideration of our views.
Sincerely,
William Samuel
Director, Government Affairs