DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS ONE HUNDRED FOURTH CONGRESS NOTE: Under Committee Rules, Mr. Livingston, as Chairman of the Full Committee, and Mr. Obey, as Ranking FRANK M. CUSHING, PAUL E. THOMSON, TIMOTHY L. PETERSON, and JON E. GAUTHIER, For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402 KFan ・A6466 1995 PT.2 COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS BOB LIVINGSTON, Louisiana, Chairman JOSEPH M. McDADE, Pennsylvania C. W. BILL YOUNG, Florida JOHN EDWARD PORTER, Illinois JIM KOLBE, Arizona BARBARA F. VUCANOVICH, Nevada JIM LIGHTFOOT, Iowa RON PACKARD, California CHARLES H. TAYLOR, North Carolina ERNEST J. ISTOOK, JR., Oklahoma JOE KNOLLENBERG, Michigan JAY DICKEY, Arkansas JACK KINGSTON, Georgia FRANK RIGGS, California RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN, New Jersey ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi MICHAEL P. FORBES, New York GEORGE R. NETHERCUTT, JR., Washington JIM BUNN, Oregon MARK W. NEUMANN, Wisconsin DAVID R. OBEY, Wisconsin JOHN P. MURTHA, Pennsylvania VIC FAZIO, California W. G. (BILL) HEFNER, North Carolina RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois ALAN B. MOLLOHAN, West Virginia MARCY KAPTUR, Ohio DAVID E. SKAGGS, Colorado NANCY PELOSI, California PETER J. VISCLOSKY, Indiana THOMAS M. FOGLIETTA, Pennsylvania ESTEBAN EDWARD TORRES, California NITA M. LOWEY, New York RAY THORNTON, Arkansas JAMES W. DYER, Clerk and Staff Director (II) DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1996 THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1995. U.S. COURT OF VETERANS APPEALS WITNESSES FRANK Q. NEBEKER, CHIEF JUDGE DAVID B. ISBELL, ESQ., CHAIRMAN, ADVISORY COMMITTEE, PRO BONO REPRESENTATION PROGRAM ROBERT F. COMEAU, ESQ., CLERK OF THE COURT JAMES L. CALDWELL, JR., CHIEF DEPUTY CLERK ANN B. OLSON, BUDGET OFFICER INTRODUCTORY REMARKS Mr. LEWIS. Judge Nebeker, we will call the meeting to order. I want to welcome the witnesses. This is the sixth appearance of the United States Court of Veterans Appeals and we have the Chief Judge, Honorable Frank Nebeker, presenting their budget. I would prefer that you and you obviously are prepared for this, make comments for the record that you think are appropriate. If you want to add anything to the record, that is appropriate as well. From there, we will have some questions and, hopefully, this hearing will be reasonably brief. Judge NEBEKER. My statement will be quite brief, Mr. Chairman. I thank the committee for the opportunity to appear here. I would like to discuss the aspects of the Court's budget in two facets. First is the operating expenses of the Court itself and the second, the so-called Pro Bono Program. OPERATING BUDGET We are quite aware of the appetite to cut government spending. I must say from a personal standpoint, I share it. Our budget is effectively cut despite a modest figure increase. And the reason I say that is because that increase represents an unavoidable 8 percent salary raise and an interesting facet also, the staff of the Court has, in a larger extent than we ever anticipated, opted into the so-called Thrifts Savings Plan program and so that is responsible for the modest increase in our budget from last year. (1) |