[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 11385-11386]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        TRIBUTE TO THE EMPLOYEES OF THE BABCOCK & WILCOX COMPANY

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. MAC THORNBERRY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 8, 2014

  Mr. THORNBERRY. Mr. Speaker, nothing is more important to our 
Nation's security than its nuclear deterrent. And yet, most of us give 
little thought to the care, attention, and expertise required to keep 
these aging machines safe, secure, and reliable.
  It is my honor to represent a substantial number of the people who 
make sure that our nuclear deterrent can be trusted. Those who work at 
the Pantex Plant near Amarillo cannot talk much about their work 
because it is classified, but every day they do extraordinary work that 
is central to keeping our country safe.
  For the last 13 years, the management team at the Pantex Plant, as 
well as the Y-12 facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has been led by the 
Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) Company. In my view--and it is proven by their 
record--B&W has done an outstanding job of managing these very 
important facilities under quite difficult circumstances.
  With tight or declining budgets and constant demands to find ways to 
cut costs yet having no room for error in carrying out the mission, B&W 
has helped ensure that workers were safe, that the weapons and material 
were secure, and that our Nation's security was protected. At Pantex, 
they received a number of awards for worker safety, security 
certification, and outstanding performance.

[[Page 11386]]

  All along, B&W also supported the community by donating more than 
half a million dollars annually to worthwhile charities and causes.
  Usually, when we hear about government contractors, it is when 
something has gone wrong. Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to take 
a moment to recognize more than a decade of contributions to our 
Nation's security at these key facilities.

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