Y 4.AP 6/1: L11/2003/PT.2/NO. I FED-DOCS DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND RALPH REGULA, Ohio, Chairman C. W. BILL YOUNG, Florida ERNEST J. ISTOOK, JR., Oklahoma DAN MILLER, Florida ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi ANNE M. NORTHUP, Kentucky RANDY "DUKE” CUNNINGHAM, California KAY GRANGER, Texas JOHN E. PETERSON, Pennsylvania DON SHERWOOD, Pennsylvania DAVID R. OBEY, Wisconsin NOTE: Under Committee Rules, Mr. Young, as Chairman of the Full Committee, and Mr. Obey, as Ranking CRAIG HIGGINS, SUSAN QUANTIUS, SUSAN ROSS FIRTH, MEG SNYDER, DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND NOTE: Under Committee Rules, Mr. Young, as Chairman of the Full Committee, and Mr. Obey, as Ranking CRAIG HIGGINS, SUSAN QUANTIUS, SUSAN ROSS FIRTH, MEG SNYDER, AM KOLEE Anaca SONNY CALLAHAN AMatema JAMES Y WALSH New York CHARLES H TAYLOR North Camilla ERNEST & STOOK Jk Okaboma HENKY BONILLA Texas JOE KNOLLENBERG Mecr.gan JACK KINGSTON, Geoza RODNEY P. FEELINGHUYSEN New Jersey ROGER F WICKER M...ppt GEORGE B NETHERCUTT, JR., Washington HANDY "DUKE“ CUNNINGHAM, California TODD TIAHRT, Kansas ZACH WAMP Tennessee TOM LATHAM, Iowa ANNE M NORTHUP, Kentucky JOHN E SUNUNU, New Hampshire JOHN E PETERSON, Pennsylvania JOHN E SWEENEY, New York VIRGIL H GOODE, JR., Virginia DANT & DEET Wiscons STENT E BITER MATVIETAL ALAN B MCLEAN Test Tra NAVIT PELOS CLÁTIE PETER I VISTLOSET Incen NITA M. LOWEY New York CARRIE P. MEEK, Florida DAVID E PRICE. North Carolina ROBERT E “BUD CRAMER, JR., Alabama JAMES E CLYBURN, South Carolina JESSE L. JACKSON, JR., Illinois CHAKA FATTAH, Pennsylvania JAMES W. DYER, Clerk and Staff Director DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2002. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES WITNESS HON. TOMMY G. THOMPSON, SECRETARY, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT Mr. REGULA. I think we will get started. I hear there may be a series of votes this morning and it will be disruptive to the Committee hearing, but we will do as well as we can. We are happy to welcome you, Mr. Secretary, and look forward to your testimony. You have a lot of challenges, and we are anxious to hear the solutions. One question I can discard is, what are we doing about an NIH director. Overnight took care of that one. But just in the interest of time, I am not going to do any opening statement. Mr. Obey? Mr. OBEY. Go right ahead. Mr. REGULA. Okay, well, Mr. Secretary, we will look forward to your testimony, and I know we will have some questions. SECRETARY'S STATEMENT Secretary THOMPSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, members of the Subcommittee. It is an honor to come before you to discuss the President's fiscal year 2003 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services. Mr. Chairman, your support over the past year has been tremendous. On behalf of the President and myself, let me thank you for all your help. Congressman Obey, it is good to see you, and thank you for your good work over the many years, and thank you for your friendship. Mr. Chairman, the past 13 months have witnessed some significant achievements at the Department of Health and Human Services. I will detail some of these accomplishments in my testimony. But at the outset, let me note that we are making good on our promise to bring greater efficiencies to the way that we run the Department. The President's budget will reduce the number of HHS personnel offices from 46 to 4. We are realigning and consolidating throughout the Department, bringing better stewardship to our use |