Emails
June 1, 2023
Colleagues,
Last night the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that, if passed by the Senate and signed by the President as we now expect, would resolve the deliberations over the debt ceiling that have led to so much uncertainty over the last several weeks. Final passage is not guaranteed, of course, but yesterday’s progress was a major step toward resolution, and we are hopeful that expedient action by the Senate will conclude this effort within the next few days.
Although it has been difficult preparing for what could have been another significant disruption to our mission, these preparations also have led to valuable business continuity plans that may serve us well should we see a similar situation in the future. Indeed, the bill that is making its way through Congress suspends the debt limit until January 2025, suggesting that we could face a similar situation again.
From power shutdowns to a pandemic, we’ve learned a lot about mission disruptions in the last five years; each time we do this, we’re more ready for the next one. We especially want to thank our teams in Finance, Government Relations, Human Resources, Security & Emergency Services, Strategic Communications, and all the contributors from the Lab’s research areas who have been working since January to help get us ready for a potential debt limit impasse.
Please accept our deep gratitude for your commitment to the Lab’s mission through these challenges.
Michael Witherell
Laboratory Director
Carol Burns
Deputy Lab Director for Research
Chief Research Officer
Michael Brandt
Deputy Lab Director for Operations
Chief Operating Officer
May 26, 2023
Colleagues,
As you know, our nation is facing a great deal of uncertainty while elected officials negotiate a resolution to the federal debt ceiling deliberations. Both the U.S. Treasury and independent financial experts estimate that sometime soon, perhaps as early as the end of next week, the nation’s Treasury could exhaust all available measures to meet the government’s financial obligations. If that happens, and the debt ceiling is still not raised, the federal government would need to reduce the funds it draws from the Treasury. As a federally funded national lab, we draw from Treasury funds daily to pay our bills and remain operational.
Of course, we all hope that Congress and the White House agree on a solution before this happens. Either way, we must prepare, which is difficult given the many unknowns this situation presents. For some time, our teams have been developing plans for a number of scenarios. Our top priority is to minimize potential impacts on our people. We’re awaiting guidance from our federal sponsors on how to handle this situation, and we will continue with business as usual until we hear. Meanwhile, we’re sharing with you some information about the Lab’s preparations; please visit status.lbl.gov for the latest information and resources, including frequently asked questions that are being updated as we learn more.
You might, like us, be anxious in the face of the uncertainty this situation brings. Over the long Memorial Day weekend, much will be said in the news about the debt limit, and a lot of it will be speculative. We urge you to focus on the verifiable facts as they emerge. While we can’t know how this will work out, we are hopeful that next week will bring good news. In the meantime, please take a moment to remember those who have lost their lives in service to our country, and have a safe and restful holiday weekend.
Michael Witherell
Laboratory Director
Carol Burns
Deputy Lab Director for Research
Chief Research Officer
Michael Brandt
Deputy Lab Director for Operations
Chief Operating Officer
May 19, 2023
Colleagues,
We continue to plan for the possibility of the federal debt ceiling being reached, an unprecedented event for the nation and Berkeley Lab. The Lab has several cross-discipline teams working to understand and plan for potential impacts on the Lab’s people, operations, and research. We are sharing the information we currently have in frequently asked questions posted on the Lab's status.lbl.gov website.
We commit to continue communicating with you as any impacts on the Lab become clearer. We will update status.lbl.gov to ensure you have the latest information. Please know that all members of the planning teams and Lab leadership are diligently working to get as much information to you as soon as possible.
Thank you.
Edna Annis
Chief Financial Officer (interim)
May 17, 2023
Colleagues,
Currently, the federal government is discussing raising the debt ceiling, the maximum amount of money that the U.S. Treasury is allowed to borrow to pay for financial obligations that have already been approved. If the debt ceiling is not raised or suspended before the nation reaches its debt limit, the Lab cannot access funds to pay its bills or use its authorized funding. U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen estimates a lack of cash flow to the Treasury as early as June 1. If this occurs, there is a possibility that the Department of Energy may instruct us to limit work to only those tasks needed to keep the Lab at a readiness level known as safe and stable standby. This is similar to the “safe and stable” operational mode we used in the early days of the pandemic.
To be prepared for this possibility, the Lab has several cross-functional teams developing contingency plans to address employee, research, and operational issues. This includes efforts to catalog critical activities that need to continue - and minimal staff needed - to keep the Lab safe and stable. Research and operations leaders are encouraged to take preliminary actions they deem prudent to prepare for a possible shutdown. However, until we receive specific guidance from DOE, there are no changes to Lab operations at this time. Our current plans include the Lab processing payroll for bi-weekly employees through the pay cycle ending May 27 and monthly-paid employees through May 31. This processing also includes employee benefit payments through June 30.
We realize this situation is stressful and commit to continue communicating with you as any impacts on our business become clearer. Research questions should be directed to your division leadership as each area develops a plan tailored to its needs. Additional information will be shared as the Lab receives guidance from DOE.
We will update status.lbl.gov and continue to send emails to ensure you have the latest information. Please know that all members of the planning teams and Lab leadership are diligently working to get as much information to you as soon as possible.
Mike Witherell
Lab Director
Carol Burns
Deputy Lab Director for Research & CRO
Michael Brandt
Deputy Lab Director for Operations & COO