Public Administration Case Studies

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This case was prepared by Richard F. Elmore while on the faculty of the University of Washington’s Graduate School of Public Affairs. The dialogue is based on the transcripts of a legislative hearing but has been disguised in the interests of confidentiality. The Electronic Hallway is administered by the University of Washington's Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs. This material may not be altered or copied without written permission from The Electronic Hallway. For permission, email [email protected], or phone (206) 616-8777. Electronic Hallway members are granted copy permission for educational purposes per the Member’s Agreement (www.hallway.org).

Copyright 2000 The Electronic Hallway

THE COMMITTEE CHAIR, THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY, AND

BUREAU CHIEF The following dialogue occurred in the course of a legislative hearing. The Assistant Secretary is a political appointee in charge of the budget in a large agency. The Bureau Chief is a career official who runs a bureau within the agency; the Bureau Chief's responsibilities include, among other things, the management of the Indian Health Program. The Committee Chair is of the opposite political party from the Assistant Secretary and has chaired the committee with jurisdiction over the Commissioner's Bureau for about ten years. The Ranking Minority Member is of the same political party as the Assistant Secretary. Committee Chair: I've been concerned for some time that the administration is growing increasingly out of touch with the needs of certain of our less-privileged citizens. I've communicated that to you, Mr. Assistant Secretary, on several occasions. Now, I'm frankly quite distressed about what the administration is apparently proposing to do to the Indian Health Program. You are responsible, are you not, Mr. Assistant Secretary, for preparing your agency's budget submissions for the next fiscal year? Assistant Secretary: This is more or less correct. The various operating programs submit their budget requests to my office, we evaluate them according to the Secretary's and the administration's policies, and then the Secretary submits them to the Office of Management and Budget for final approval before the administration's budget is presented. Committee Chair: Last year, you requested large reductions in funding for the Indian Health Program, did you not? They were on the order of 40%, as I recall. I was successful in reversing that request, over strenuous opposition from you and other representatives of the administration. I would like to know whether you will be renewing that request in this year's budget.

The Committee Chair, the Assistant Secretary, and Bureau Chief

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Assistant Secretary: I'm afraid I can't say, since the administration's budget is still being prepared. Committee Chair: Mr. [Bureau Chief], will you tell the committee, please, what level of funding you have requested for the Indian Health Program in next year's budget? Bureau Chief: I'm sure you understand, Madame Chair, that we are not allowed to discuss internal budget requests. The administration's official request will be forwarded with the budget. Committee Chair: I find both your answers unresponsive; but I must say I'm not surprised. The Administration has been singularly uncooperative on most matters relating to this Committee's jurisdiction. In last year's budget submission, you will recall, the administration justified its decision to cut the program with the assertion -- and here I quote from the budget narrative -- that "there is no tangible evidence showing the Indian Health Program has aided its clients any more than they would be helped by other programs that assist the medically needy. We find, then, that there is not rationale for a specially-targeted program, and that the needs of Indians can be met through other mechanisms." You will recall that we had a major disagreement about the truth of that assertion last year. The committee heard extensive testimony from experts in the field that clearly refuted that assertion. I then asked, both in committee hearings and in a letter to the Secretary, that the administration produce the evidence it used to back its assertion. The response I received simply restated the administration's position and did not produce new evidence. Will you please tell me, Mr. Assistant Secretary, whether you have additional evidence to present this year and whether your position on the program will be the same? Assistant Secretary: I can't say what our position will be, but I can say that, as far as I'm concerned, the evidence supports the position we took last year. Committee Chair: Mr. [Bureau Chief], will you tell the committee whether you agree with the Assistant Secretary's verdict on your program? Bureau Chief: My position is in accord with the administration's. Committee Chair: Let me see if I've got this right. You, Mr. [Bureau Chief], are unwilling to defend this program against the administration's attacks, despite evidence from experts in your own field that the program serves a much-needed purpose? To refresh your memory, let me read from a letter you received two weeks ago from the Conference of Indian Health Administrators. It says, "We believe the enclosed report on the

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Indian Health Program provides strong evidence that the program meets its objectives and meets the needs of its clients in ways that cannot be met by other programs." They enclosed a lengthy study. With consent of the committee, I request that the full report be included in the record of this hearing. Now, Mr. Bureau Chief, let me ask again whether you agree with the administration's verdict on your program. Bureau Chief: My opinion on the program's effectiveness is independent of my agreement with the administration's budget priorities. We've had to make some difficult budget choices, and I think the administration's budget reflects the correct ordering of the Bureau's priorities. Committee Chair: Has the bureau done any studies, within the past year, to document the effectiveness of the Indian Health Program? Bureau Chief: Beyond the usual collection of information on how the funds were spent, we have not done research on the effectiveness of the program. Committee Chair: Doesn't it strike you as odd that the administration would argue one year that there is no evidence the program is working, and then fail to compile evidence the following year? Bureau Chief: Objective evidence is very difficult to gather for programs of this sort. Committee Chair: I don't know what you mean by "objective evidence," but I see enough evidence to justify the program. I think you're using a perceived lack of evidence to conceal a callous disregard for the needs of disadvantaged people. Ranking Minority Member: With your permission, Madame Chair, I object to this line of questioning. As a committee, we are not entitled to question the administration on its budget requests until after they've been submitted. It is a waste of the committee's time to argue this issue. I suggest we move on. Committee Chair: The point I was leading to is beyond the budget, per se. I would like to put the administration on notice that, if they intend to pursue their opposition to the Indian Health Program, I will propose that the bureau be required to conduct a study in the next year on the effectiveness of the program and to present that study with next year's budget request. I think my proposal will gain the support of this committee and of the full House. I would like the Assistant Secretary and the Bureau Chief to respond in writing, within two weeks, to this proposal.

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Questions 1. What is the Committee Chair trying to accomplish with this line of questioning? 2. Did the Assistant Secretary and the Bureau Chief handle the hearing well? 3. How should the Assistant Secretary and the Bureau Chief respond to the Chair's

request? 4. What would your strategy be if you were the Bureau Chief?