CargoAdmin, Bureaucrats, Moderators (CommentStreams), fileuploaders, Interface administrators, newuser, Push subscription managers, Suppressors, Administrators
5,230
edits
External Interactions (2020 DOE transition): Difference between revisions
External Interactions (2020 DOE transition) (view source)
Revision as of 01:38, 21 December 2024
, 21 December 2024no edit summary
(Extracted from files at Transition book#Department of Energy) |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{TB 2020 Book 2}} | {{TB 2020 Book 2}} | ||
DOE’s interactions with Congress, Intergovernmental Partners, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) are key to fulfilling the Department’s mission and implementing the Administration’s priorities. | DOE’s interactions with [[Congress]], Intergovernmental Partners, and the [[Office of Management and Budget]] (OMB) are key to fulfilling the Department’s mission and implementing the Administration’s priorities. | ||
== Summary == | == Summary == | ||
| Line 10: | Line 10: | ||
== Section I: Interactions with Congress == | == Section I: Interactions with Congress == | ||
The Secretary and members of DOE’s legislative leadership team have regular interactions with Authorizing, Oversight, and Appropriations Committee Chairs and Ranking Members, and with individual Members of Congress, throughout the hearing, markup, and conference process. The Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs (CI), assisted by the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (CF) with respect to appropriations and the Office of the General Counsel (GC) with regard to authorization legislation, works with Congressional staff to address Member interests and constituent issues. | The Secretary and members of DOE’s legislative leadership team have regular interactions with Authorizing, Oversight, and Appropriations Committee Chairs and Ranking Members, and with individual Members of Congress, throughout the hearing, markup, and conference process. The [[Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs]] (CI), assisted by the [[Office of the Chief Financial Officer]] (CF) with respect to appropriations and the [[Office of the General Counsel]] (GC) with regard to authorization legislation, works with Congressional staff to address Member interests and constituent issues. | ||
Within the Department, the Assistant Secretary for CI manages overall relations with Members of Congress and supports the Secretary as the chief strategic advisor on all congressional interactions not directly related to the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees. CI prepares Departmental officials for congressional hearings, including confirmation, programmatic, and oversight hearings before authorizing committees. In this capacity, CI manages testimony development, prepares DOE officials for engaging in hearings, and manages responses to questions for the record. GC provides technical drafting assistance to committees and members and prepares the Department’s authorization legislation proposals. The Department’s primary authorizing committees are: Senate Energy and Natural Resources; Senate Armed Services; House Energy and Commerce; House Armed Services; and House Science and Technology. | Within the Department, the Assistant Secretary for CI manages overall relations with Members of Congress and supports the Secretary as the chief strategic advisor on all congressional interactions not directly related to the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees. CI prepares Departmental officials for congressional hearings, including confirmation, programmatic, and oversight hearings before authorizing committees. In this capacity, CI manages testimony development, prepares DOE officials for engaging in hearings, and manages responses to questions for the record. GC provides technical drafting assistance to committees and members and prepares the Department’s authorization legislation proposals. The Department’s primary authorizing committees are: Senate Energy and Natural Resources; Senate Armed Services; House Energy and Commerce; House Armed Services; and House Science and Technology. | ||
| Line 72: | Line 72: | ||
A committee initiates a request to hold a hearing by contacting CI or CF to identify a witness for a hearing under development. This witness may be the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, or other leaders in the Department from relevant Program or Functional Offices. This usually occurs through a formal letter of invitation from the Chairman, and at times CI or CF may receive advance notice from committee staff. CI manages appearances before authorizing committees on authorization- related topics; CF manages appearances before appropriations committees. CI and GC are responsible for Oversight testimony. | A committee initiates a request to hold a hearing by contacting CI or CF to identify a witness for a hearing under development. This witness may be the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, or other leaders in the Department from relevant Program or Functional Offices. This usually occurs through a formal letter of invitation from the Chairman, and at times CI or CF may receive advance notice from committee staff. CI manages appearances before authorizing committees on authorization- related topics; CF manages appearances before appropriations committees. CI and GC are responsible for Oversight testimony. | ||
Once testimony is drafted by the appropriate program office, CI and CF coordinate the draft testimony with relevant program and functional offices and officials for review and clearance, and then with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval. OMB may disseminate the testimony to other agencies or offices for review under this process. The Secretary and functional office witnesses often rely on CI or CF for Member biographies, briefing materials, and hearing preparation meetings, while Program Office witnesses use internal staff to work these tasks. | Once testimony is drafted by the appropriate program office, CI and CF coordinate the draft testimony with relevant program and functional offices and officials for review and clearance, and then with the [[Office of Management and Budget]] (OMB) for approval. OMB may disseminate the testimony to other agencies or offices for review under this process. The Secretary and functional office witnesses often rely on CI or CF for Member biographies, briefing materials, and hearing preparation meetings, while Program Office witnesses use internal staff to work these tasks. | ||
Department witnesses are frequently asked to answer questions posed by Members of Congress after a hearing for the hearing record (Questions for the Record or “QFRs”). Responses to QFRs are prepared and cleared through the same process as testimony before being sent back to the Committee and incorporated in the official hearing record. | Department witnesses are frequently asked to answer questions posed by Members of Congress after a hearing for the hearing record (Questions for the Record or “QFRs”). Responses to QFRs are prepared and cleared through the same process as testimony before being sent back to the Committee and incorporated in the official hearing record. | ||
| Line 81: | Line 81: | ||
===== Congressional Budget Office (CBO) ===== | ===== Congressional Budget Office (CBO) ===== | ||
CBO is a legislative branch agency that produces independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the Congressional budget process. CF staff provide technical assistance to CBO staff on an as-needed basis to explain President’s Budget proposals or the impacts of pending legislation in Congress. | [[CBO]] is a legislative branch agency that produces independent analyses of budgetary and economic issues to support the Congressional budget process. CF staff provide technical assistance to CBO staff on an as-needed basis to explain President’s Budget proposals or the impacts of pending legislation in Congress. | ||
===== Government Accountability Office (GAO) ===== | ===== Government Accountability Office (GAO) ===== | ||
CF leads DOE interactions with the Government Accountability Office, a legislative branch audit agency with statutory authorities to review DOE programs and operations. CF designates lead offices for new audits, assists Program, Functional and Field offices in responding to data requests as needed, provides weekly reports on GAO activity, and tracks and reviews responses to GAO audit reports. As of October 13, 2020, GAO was performing 63 separate audits or assessments affecting DOE. The current number of audits is consistent with recent years. | CF leads DOE interactions with the [[Government Accountability Office]], a legislative branch audit agency with statutory authorities to review DOE programs and operations. CF designates lead offices for new audits, assists Program, Functional and Field offices in responding to data requests as needed, provides weekly reports on GAO activity, and tracks and reviews responses to GAO audit reports. As of October 13, 2020, GAO was performing 63 separate audits or assessments affecting DOE. The current number of audits is consistent with recent years. | ||
== Milestone(s) == | == Milestone(s) == | ||
| Line 99: | Line 99: | ||
* Section 113 - Intelligence authorization extension; and, | * Section 113 - Intelligence authorization extension; and, | ||
* Section 127 - Stops the Western Area Power Administration payment to Treasury. | * Section 127 - Stops the Western Area Power Administration payment to Treasury. | ||