Congress is beginning the preliminary stages of its appropriations process for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, and a special supplemental spending request is expected soon from the White House to cover costs of any war with Iraq and continuing antiterror activities.
But behind the scenes, staff members and senior law makers on the House and Senate appropriations committees are in the preliminary stages of figuring out precisely how a $33 billion cut would be spread across federal agencies over the balance of the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
The proposal from the House appropriations committee, which is only a preliminary plan subject to change as it moves through Congress, would most likely prompt layoffs at the agency.
Of six Congressional incumbents defeated in preliminary contests so far this year, four were veteran members of the appropriations panel who found themselves on the defensive.
Testifying before the House appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, Koplan said a preliminary inquiry has confirmed the allegation.
Offered preliminary support for so-called Gang of Six plan to cut $1.4 trillion from discretionary appropriations, including military spending.
Five weeks later, after a preliminary investigation suggested that the Bureau of Reclamation had built the dam on a geologically suspect site, Congress approved a $200 million appropriation to satisfy claims.
In the preliminary stages of preparing for war, a Chief's most valuable asset is a knack of getting along with legislators in order to secure appropriations.
The appropriations bill does that.
It's Pentagon appropriations season.
