II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 63 

To implement the recommendations of the Joint Select Committee on Budget 

and Appropriations Process Reform. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 9, 2019 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself and Mr. BLUNT) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget 

A BILL 

To implement the recommendations of the Joint Select 

Committee on Budget and Appropriations Process Reform. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Bipartisan Budget and Appropriations Reform Act of 

6 2019’’. 

7 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

8 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

TITLE I—BIENNIAL BUDGET RESOLUTIONS 

Sec. 101. Purposes. 


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Sec. 102. Definitions. 

Sec. 103. Revision of timetable. 

Sec. 104. Biennial concurrent resolutions on the budget. 

Sec. 105. Committee allocations. 

Sec. 106. Revision of biennial budget. 

Sec. 107. Additional amendments to the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to 

effectuate biennial budgeting. 

Sec. 108. Reconciliation process. 

Sec. 109. Bipartisan budget resolution. 

TITLE II—OTHER MATTERS 

Sec. 201. Views and estimates of committees. 

Sec. 202. Annual supplemental budget submission by the President. 

Sec. 203. Hearing on the fiscal state of the Nation. 

Sec. 204. Reform of Senate Budget Committee. 

1 TITLE I—BIENNIAL BUDGET 

2 RESOLUTIONS 

3 SEC. 101. PURPOSES. 

4 Paragraph (2) of section 2 of the Congressional 

5 Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is amend6 ed to read as follows: 

7 ‘‘(2) to facilitate the determination biennially of 

8 the appropriate level of Federal revenues and ex9 penditures by the Congress;’’. 

10 SEC. 102. DEFINITIONS. 

11 Section 3 of the Congressional Budget and Impound12 ment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 622) is amended— 

13 (1) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘for a fiscal 

14 year’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘for a bi15 ennium’’; and 

16 (2) by adding at the end the following new 

17 paragraphs: 


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1 ‘‘(12) The term ‘direct spending’ has the mean2 ing given to such term in section 250(c)(8) of the 

3 Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control 

4 Act of 1985. 

5 ‘‘(13) The term ‘biennium’ means any period of 

6 2 consecutive fiscal years beginning with an even7 numbered fiscal year. 

8 ‘‘(14) The term ‘budget year’ has the meaning 

9 given that term in section 250(c)(12) of the Bal10 anced Budget and Emergency Control Act of 

11 1985.’’. 

12 SEC. 103. REVISION OF TIMETABLE. 

13 Section 300 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 

14 (2 U.S.C. 631) is amended to read as follows: 

15 ‘‘TIMETABLE

16 ‘‘SEC. 300. The timetable with respect to the congres17 sional budget process for any Congress is as follows: 

‘‘First Session 

On or before: Action to be completed: 

February 15 ............................... Congressional Budget Office submits report 

to Budget Committees. 

March 1 .................................... Committees submit views and estimates to 

Budget Committees. 

April 1 ....................................... Senate Budget Committee reports biennial 

budget. 

May 1 ......................................... Congress completes action on the biennial 

budget. 

May 15 ....................................... Appropriation bills may be considered in the 

House of Representatives. 

June 10 ...................................... House Appropriations Committee reports last 

annual appropriation bill. 

October 1 ................................... First fiscal year of the biennium begins. 


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‘‘Second Session 

On or before: Action to be completed: 

February 15 ............................... Congressional Budget Office submits report 

to Budget Committees. 

June 10 ...................................... House Appropriations Committee reports last 

annual appropriation bill. 

October 1 ................................... Second fiscal year of the biennium begins.’’. 

1 SEC. 104. BIENNIAL CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS ON THE 

2 BUDGET. 

3 (a) CONTENTS OF RESOLUTION.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 301(a) of the Con5 gressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632(a)) is 

6 amended— 

7 (A) by striking the matter preceding para8 graph (1) beginning with ‘‘On or before April 

9 15’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘On or before 

10 May 1 of each odd-numbered calendar year, the 

11 Congress shall complete action on a concurrent 

12 resolution on the budget for the biennium be13 ginning on October 1 of that calendar year. The 

14 concurrent resolution shall set forth appropriate 

15 levels for each fiscal year in the biennium and 

16 for at least each fiscal year in the next 2 

17 bienniums for the following—’’; 

18 (B) in paragraph (6)— 

19 (i) by striking ‘‘for the fiscal year’’ 

20 and inserting ‘‘for each fiscal year in the 

21 biennium’’; and 

22 (ii) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 


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1 (C) in paragraph (7)— 

2 (i) by striking ‘‘for the fiscal year’’ 

3 and inserting ‘‘for each fiscal year in the 

4 biennium’’; and 

5 (ii) by striking the period at the end 

6 and inserting ‘‘; and’’; 

7 (D) by adding after paragraph (7) the fol8 lowing: 

9 ‘‘(8) subtotals of new budget authority and out10 lays for nondefense discretionary spending; defense 

11 discretionary spending; direct spending; and net in12 terest.’’; and 

13 (E) by adding at the end of the matter fol14 lowing paragraph (8) (as added by subpara15 graph (D)) the following: ‘‘The concurrent reso16 lution on the budget for a biennium shall in17 clude procedures for adjusting spending and 

18 revenue levels, committee allocations, and other 

19 amounts in the resolution during the second 

20 session of a Congress to reflect an updated 

21 baseline that will be used for scoring pur22 poses.’’. 

23 (b) ADDITIONAL MATTERS IN CONCURRENT RESO24 LUTION.—Section 301(b) of the Congressional Budget Act 

25 of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632(b)) is amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘for such fis2 cal year’’ and inserting ‘‘for either fiscal year in 

3 such biennium’’; 

4 (2) in paragraph (8), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

5 end; 

6 (3) in paragraph (9), by striking the period at 

7 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

8 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(10) include total combined outlays and reve10 nues for tax expenditures.’’. 

11 (c) HEARINGS AND REPORT.—Section 301(e)(1) of 

12 the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632(e)) 

13 is amended by striking ‘‘fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘bien14 nium’’. 

15 (d) GOALS FOR REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT.—Sec16 tion 301(f) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 

17 U.S.C. 632(f)) is amended by striking ‘‘fiscal year’’ each 

18 place it appears and inserting ‘‘biennium’’. 

19 (e) ECONOMIC ASSUMPTIONS.—Section 301(g) of the 

20 Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632(g)) is 

21 amended by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘for 

22 a biennium’’. 

23 (f) SECTION HEADING.—The section heading of sec24 tion 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 


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1 U.S.C. 632) is amended by striking ‘‘ANNUAL ADOPTION

2 OF’’ and inserting ‘‘ADOPTION OF BIENNIAL’’. 

3 SEC. 105. COMMITTEE ALLOCATIONS. 

4 Section 302 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 

5 (2 U.S.C. 633) is amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (a)(1)— 

7 (A) by striking ‘‘for that period of fiscal 

8 years’’ and inserting ‘‘for all fiscal years cov9 ered by the resolution’’; and 

10 (B) by striking ‘‘only for the fiscal year of 

11 that resolution’’ and inserting ‘‘only for each 

12 fiscal year of the biennium’’; 

13 (2) in subsection (c)— 

14 (A) by striking ‘‘subsection (a)’’ and in15 serting ‘‘subsection (a)(1)’’; 

16 (B) by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’ and in17 serting ‘‘for a budget year’’; and 

18 (C) by striking ‘‘for that fiscal year’’ and 

19 inserting ‘‘for that budget year’’; 

20 (3) in subsection (f)(1)— 

21 (A) by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’; and 

22 (B) by striking ‘‘the first fiscal year’’ and 

23 inserting ‘‘either fiscal year of the biennium of 

24 that resolution’’; and 

25 (4) in subsection (f)(2)(A), by— 


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1 (A) striking ‘‘first fiscal year’’ and insert2 ing ‘‘either fiscal year of the biennium of that 

3 resolution’’; and 

4 (B) striking ‘‘the total of fiscal years’’ and 

5 inserting ‘‘the total of all fiscal years covered by 

6 the resolution’’. 

7 SEC. 106. REVISION OF BIENNIAL BUDGET. 

8 Section 304 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 

9 (2 U.S.C. 635) is amended to read as follows: 

10 ‘‘PERMISSIBLE REVISIONS OF CONCURRENT

11 RESOLUTIONS ON THE BUDGET

12 ‘‘SEC. 304. At any time after the concurrent resolu13 tion on the budget has been agreed to pursuant to section 

14 301 and before the end of the biennium, the two Houses 

15 may adopt a concurrent resolution that revises or reaf16 firms the most recently agreed to concurrent resolution 

17 on the budget. Any concurrent resolution that revises or 

18 reaffirms the most recently agreed to concurrent resolu19 tion on the budget shall be considered under the proce20 dures set forth in section 305.’’. 

21 SEC. 107. ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS TO THE CONGRES22 SIONAL BUDGET ACT OF 1974 TO EFFEC23 TUATE BIENNIAL BUDGETING. 

24 (a) ENFORCEMENT OF SECTION 303.—Section 303 

25 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 634) 

26 is amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (a)— 

2 (A) by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’ and in3 serting ‘‘for a biennium’’; and 

4 (B) by striking ‘‘the first fiscal year cov5 ered by that resolution’’ and inserting ‘‘either 

6 fiscal year of that biennium’’; 

7 (2) in subsection (b)(1)(B), by striking ‘‘the fis8 cal year’’ and inserting ‘‘the biennium’’; and 

9 (3) in subsection (c)— 

10 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

11 (i) by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’ and 

12 inserting ‘‘for a biennium’’; and 

13 (ii) by striking ‘‘for that year’’ in each 

14 instance and inserting ‘‘for each year of 

15 that biennium’’; and 

16 (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘after 

17 the year the allocation referred to in that para18 graph is made’’ and inserting ‘‘after the years 

19 the allocations referred to in that paragraph are 

20 made’’. 

21 (b) SECTION 305.—Subsections (a)(3) and (b)(3) of 

22 section 305 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 

23 U.S.C. 636) are amended by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’. 

24 (c) SECTION 311 POINT OF ORDER.— 


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1 (1) IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.— 

2 Section 311(a)(1) of the Congressional Budget Act 

3 of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 642(a)) is amended— 

4 (A) by striking ‘‘for a fiscal year’’; 

5 (B) by striking ‘‘the first fiscal year’’ each 

6 place it appears and inserting ‘‘either of the 

7 first two fiscal years covered by such resolu8 tion’’; and 

9 (C) by striking ‘‘that first fiscal year’’ and 

10 inserting ‘‘either of the first two fiscal years’’. 

11 (2) IN THE SENATE.—Section 311(a)(2) of the 

12 Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 

13 642(a)(2)) is amended— 

14 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘for 

15 the first fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘for either 

16 of the first two fiscal years’’; and 

17 (B) in subparagraph (B)— 

18 (i) by striking ‘‘that first fiscal year’’ 

19 the first place it appears and inserting ‘‘ei20 ther of the first two fiscal years’’; and 

21 (ii) by striking ‘‘that first fiscal year 

22 and the ensuing fiscal years’’ and inserting 

23 ‘‘all fiscal years’’. 


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1 (3) SOCIAL SECURITY LEVELS.—Section 

2 311(a)(3) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 

3 (2 U.S.C. 642(a)(2)) is amended by— 

4 (A) striking ‘‘for the first fiscal year’’ and 

5 inserting ‘‘for either of the first two fiscal 

6 years’’; and 

7 (B) striking ‘‘that fiscal year and the ensu8 ing fiscal years’’ and inserting ‘‘all fiscal 

9 years’’. 

10 SEC. 108. RECONCILIATION PROCESS. 

11 Section 310(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 

12 1974 (2 U.S.C. 641(a)) is amended— 

13 (1) in the matter before paragraph (1), by 

14 striking ‘‘A concurrent’’ and all that follows through 

15 ‘‘shall’’ and inserting ‘‘A concurrent resolution on 

16 the budget for a biennium shall, for each fiscal year 

17 of the biennium’’; 

18 (2) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ‘‘for such 

19 fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘for each fiscal year of the 

20 biennium’’; 

21 (3) in paragraph (1)(C), by striking ‘‘such fis22 cal year’’ and inserting ‘‘each fiscal year of the bien23 nium’’; and 


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1 (4) in paragraph (1)(D), by striking ‘‘such fis2 cal year’’ and inserting ‘‘each fiscal year of the bien3 nium’’. 

4 SEC. 109. BIPARTISAN BUDGET RESOLUTION. 

5 (a) DEFINITION.—Section 3 of the Congressional 

6 Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 

7 622), as amended by section 102, is further amended by 

8 adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(15) The term ‘bipartisan budget resolution’ 

10 means a concurrent resolution on the budget for a 

11 biennium— 

12 ‘‘(A) ordered reported to the Senate by the 

13 Committee on the Budget of the Senate by an 

14 affirmative vote of not less than half of the 

15 Senators that are members of the majority 

16 party in the Senate and not less than half of 

17 the Senators that are members of the minority 

18 party in the Senate; 

19 ‘‘(B) that establishes— 

20 ‘‘(i) a target for the ratio of the public 

21 debt to the gross domestic product as of 

22 the end of the period covered by the con23 current resolution or a later date; and 

24 ‘‘(ii) for each fiscal year covered by 

25 the concurrent resolution, targets for— 


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1 ‘‘(I) the ratio of the public debt 

2 to the gross domestic product; 

3 ‘‘(II) the amount of health care 

4 spending by the Government; 

5 ‘‘(III) the amount of tax expendi6 tures; 

7 ‘‘(IV) the amount of discre8 tionary appropriations (as defined in 

9 section 250 of the Balanced Budget 

10 and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 

11 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900)); and 

12 ‘‘(V) the amount of revenues; and 

13 ‘‘(C) which may include other economic or 

14 policy targets.’’. 

15 (b) CONSIDERATION OF BIPARTISAN BUDGET RESO16 LUTIONS.—Section 305 of the Congressional Budget and 

17 Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 636) is 

18 amended by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(e) PROCEDURES IN THE SENATE FOR BIPARTISAN

20 BUDGET RESOLUTIONS.— 

21 ‘‘(1) OTHER EXPEDITED PROCESS.—In the 

22 Senate, upon the agreement of the majority leader 

23 and the minority leader, additional procedures to ex24 pedite consideration of a bipartisan budget resolu25 tion (which may include limiting the number of 


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1 amendments upon which the Senate shall vote) shall 

2 apply to consideration of the bipartisan budget reso3 lution. The majority leader shall submit a written 

4 statement for the Congressional Record reflecting 

5 any agreement described in this paragraph. 

6 ‘‘(2) PASSAGE.—In the Senate, a bipartisan 

7 budget resolution shall be agreed to only upon the 

8 affirmative vote of not less than— 

9 ‘‘(A) three-fifths of the Members, duly cho10 sen and sworn; and 

11 ‘‘(B) 15 Members that are members of the 

12 minority party in the Senate. 

13 ‘‘(3) AMENDMENTS BETWEEN THE HOUSES

14 AND CONFERENCE REPORTS.—To be considered a 

15 bipartisan budget resolution, a conference report or 

16 an amendment between the Houses on a concurrent 

17 resolution on the budget shall— 

18 ‘‘(A) comply with section 3(15)(B); and 

19 ‘‘(B) be agreed to in the Senate by an af20 firmative vote of not less than— 

21 ‘‘(i) three-fifths of the Members, duly 

22 chosen and sworn; and 

23 ‘‘(ii) 15 Members that are members of 

24 the minority party in the Senate.’’. 


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1 (c) RECONCILIATION UNDER BIPARTISAN BUDGET

2 RESOLUTIONS.—Section 310(e)(2) of the Congressional 

3 Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 

4 641(e)(2)) is amended— 

5 (1) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ before ‘‘Debate’’; and 

6 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(B) In the Senate, a reconciliation bill re8 ported under subsection (b) pursuant to reconcili9 ation instructions in a bipartisan budget resolution, 

10 a House amendment thereto, and a conference re11 port thereon shall be agreed to only upon the affirm12 ative vote of not less than— 

13 ‘‘(i) a majority of the Members voting, a 

14 quorum being present; and 

15 ‘‘(ii) 15 Members that are members of the 

16 minority party in the Senate.’’. 

17 (d) REPORTING.—Section 202 of the Congressional 

18 Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 

19 603) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

20 ‘‘(h) REPORT ON RATIO OF THE PUBLIC DEBT TO

21 THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT.—On and after the date 

22 on which the first bipartisan budget resolution is agreed 

23 to, the Director of the Congressional Budget Office shall 

24 submit to Congress semiannual reports on the ratio of the 

25 public debt to the gross domestic product, which shall 


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1 evaluate whether the targets in the most recently agreed 

2 to bipartisan budget resolution have been met.’’. 

3 TITLE II—OTHER MATTERS 

4 SEC. 201. VIEWS AND ESTIMATES OF COMMITTEES. 

5 Section 301(d) of the Congressional Budget and Im6 poundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632(d)) is 

7 amended to read as follows: 

8 ‘‘(d) VIEWS AND ESTIMATES OF OTHER COMMIT9 TEES.— 

10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than March 1 of 

11 the first session of a Congress, or upon the request 

12 of the Committee on the Budget of the House of 

13 Representatives or the Senate, each committee of 

14 the House of Representatives and the Senate having 

15 legislative jurisdiction shall submit to its respective 

16 Committee on the Budget its views and estimates 

17 (as determined by the committee making such sub18 mission) with respect to the following: 

19 ‘‘(A) Any legislation to be considered dur20 ing that Congress that is a priority for the com21 mittee. 

22 ‘‘(B) Any legislation within the jurisdiction 

23 of the committee that would establish, amend, 

24 or reauthorize any Federal program and likely 

25 have a significant budgetary impact. 


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1 ‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL MATTERS.—Any committee of 

2 the House of Representatives or the Senate and any 

3 joint committee of the Congress may submit to the 

4 appropriate Committees on the Budget its views and 

5 estimates with respect to all matters set forth in 

6 subsections (a) and (b) which relate to matters with7 in its jurisdiction. 

8 ‘‘(3) JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE.—The Joint 

9 Economic Committee shall submit to the Committees 

10 on the Budget of both Houses its recommendations 

11 as to the fiscal policy appropriate to the goals of the 

12 Employment Act of 1946.’’. 

13 SEC. 202. ANNUAL SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET SUBMISSION 

14 BY THE PRESIDENT. 

15 Section 1106 of title 31, United States Code, is 

16 amended by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(d) On or before December 1 of each calendar year, 

18 the President shall submit to Congress an administrative 

19 budget for the fiscal year beginning in the ensuing cal20 endar year, which shall include up-to-date estimates for 

21 current year and prior year data and credit reestimates 

22 for the current year (as included in the Federal credit sup23 plement of such budget).’’. 


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1 SEC. 203. HEARING ON THE FISCAL STATE OF THE NATION. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 45 days (excluding 

3 Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) after the date on which 

4 the Secretary of the Treasury submits to Congress the au5 dited financial statement required under paragraph (1) of 

6 section 331(e) of title 31, United States Code, on a date 

7 agreed upon by the chairs of the Committees on the Budg8 et of the House of Representatives and the Senate and 

9 the Comptroller General of the United States, the chairs 

10 shall conduct a hearing to receive a presentation from the 

11 Comptroller General reviewing the findings of the audit 

12 required under paragraph (2) of such section and pro13 viding, with respect to the information included by the 

14 Secretary in the report accompanying such audited finan15 cial statement, an analysis of the financial position and 

16 condition of the Federal Government, including financial 

17 measures (such as the net operating cost, income, budget 

18 deficits, or budget surpluses) and sustainability measures 

19 (such as the long-term fiscal projection or social insurance 

20 projection) described in such report. 

21 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The requirement under sub22 section (a) shall apply with respect to any audited finan23 cial statement submitted on or after the date of the enact24 ment of this Act. 


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1 SEC. 204. REFORM OF SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE. 

2 In the Senate, the Committee on the Budget shall 

3 include the following: 

4 (1) The Chairman and Ranking Member of the 

5 Committee on Appropriations. 

6 (2) The Chairman and Ranking Member of the 

7 Committee on Finance. 

Æ 


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