House Sets Shakeup of Spending Panels

The House Appropriations Committee intends to rearrange its structure in a way that will affect the subcommittee that oversees spending for annual federal raises and other monetary benefits, which until now has been called the Transportation-Treasury subcommittee. The committee intends to add responsibility over the Housing and Urban Development department to the panel’s duties and in the process taking the chairmanship away from Rep. Ernest Istook, R-Okla., and giving it to Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Mich., who until now had headed the committee’s military construction subcommittee. However, the Senate at least to date has not indicated it will similarly restructure its Appropriations subcommittees, which could lead to complications and delays in getting spending bills enacted for the upcoming fiscal year. Sen, Richard Shelby, R-Ala., chairs the Senate Transportation-Treasury subcommittee.