The Appropriations Committee’s first and foremost priority is oversight.  As Chairman of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, it is my responsibility to hold hearings related to the programs and agencies funded in the Energy and Water appropriations bill.  During these hearings, I question heads of departments and agencies about how they had spent money appropriated by the subcommittee in previous years in order to hold them accountable and carefully examined spending proposals included in the President’s budget request.

In addition to the oversight hearings I chaired during the Fiscal Year 2019 process, I also participated in oversight hearings in my role as a member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee and the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.