Window on Washington: Hearing Them Out

This article originally appeared in the Second Quarter 2016 issue of Benedict’s Maritime Bulletin. Reprinted with permission. Any opinions in this article are not those of Winston & Strawn or its clients; the opinions in this article are the author’s opinions only.

Spring is in the air, and congressional hearing season is here. Although it seems likely that hopeful appeals for the return of ‘‘regular order’’ in which appropriations bills make their way up from committee into law ‘‘the way they are supposed to’’ will again founder upon the rocks and shoals of a sharply divided Congress, key maritime committees are nevertheless making their way forward with hearings on important maritime issues and budgets for maritime agencies.