Statement on Budget

November 9, 2005

Brookhaven National Laboratory faces a shortfall in its 2006 federal budget. Earlier this year, funding was restored to both the House and Senate appropriations bills. In the conference negotiations that were completed yesterday, however, that money was reallocated to "member items" — money earmarked for the needs of individual House and Senate members.

While the conference bill must still go before the full Congress for an up or down vote, that vote is expected as early as today. One possibility is that Congress will give DOE the authorization to reprogram funds within DOE, which could help the Laboratory.

Based on the information at this time, however, Brookhaven Lab is facing a budget deficit for fiscal year 2006 that potentially exceeds $20 million. The impact on the Laboratory will be immediate: significant layoffs and serious curtailment of operating time for Brookhaven's Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider.

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