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January 24, 2000 Budget Analyst Opinion: Appropriations hearings started
 | The appropriations hearings process has started. Appropriations hearings are being
scheduled. Some already have dates, times, and places set:
 | The first agency on seems to be the Department of Health and Human Services:
 | The Senate does not have much scheduled yet, but it gets the award for being the
earliest: On January 25, 2000, at 9:30 AM in Room SD-192, HHS will testify on
Medical Errors and Patient Safety. Seems to be a good candidate for
headlines and "waste" inquiries. |
| The House is starting its HHS hearings on February 8, 2000. |
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| The House Transportation subcommittee has announced hearings starting on February 10 and
ending March 22. The public is the first one to be heard from at this subcommittee. |
| Interior subcommittee has scheduled a February 15 start, with oversight
hearings. |
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| Obviously, the budget season is started. Those with early hearings face a
compressed workload, which is exacerbated by the Congressional leadership's intent to
complete business early this year. This intent will translate into an
accelerated pace for all involved in the budget process. You should watch
for upcoming hearings, which may be scheduled with short
notice and which may be changed on short notice.
| You can also expect that the materials for the record will be required on an expedited
schedule. (If this schedule is not expedited, the leadership's goal
of early completion of business will not be achieved.) |
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| I hope you all take in stride the beginnings of the hearing and political posturing
process, compounded by election year considerations. But there may be a silver
lining - the 1997 caps may go away, and there will be fewer tricks. And I will start
to assess the situation for the BudCast™. |
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