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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies, expressed frustration that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary is refusing to testify on the HHS Fiscal Year 2015 budget request. This Subcommittee is holding this HHS budget hearing tomorrow morning. 

“The Department of Health and Human Services requested nearly $70 billion in taxpayer money for Fiscal Year 2015, and I would expect the head of any U.S. Department to justify their budget request before the Senate Appropriations Committee. This Administration vowed to be transparent and work with Congress to establish regular order for appropriations bills, and defending their budget request is part of that pledge.”

Highlights from Sen. Moran’s remarks may be found below, along with links to the video download:

(0:07) “Secretary Sebelius was scheduled to testify. We changed the date to allow her schedule to be accommodated, and as you may know she announced that she will not appear before our subcommittee.

(0:22) “From the knowledge of the people who have been here longer than I have, no one can remember a cabinet secretary refusing to appear before the subcommittee related to their appropriations request.

(0:33) “The appropriations process doesn’t work very well around here. One thing we should expect is the ability to question, to raise issues, and to get answers from the cabinet secretaries that prepare and develop the agenda for their department.”

FTP LINK: Click here to download his remarks. (Save to your desktop.)

YOUTUBE: Click here to watch his remarks on YouTube.

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