mr. speaker , i appreciate the gentleman continuing to yield . 
the gentleman has touched on many points . 
i am advised , and i stand to be corrected , but having served on the committee on appropriations , the rules allow that once we pass the april 15 deadline for having a budget , the committee on appropriations is allowed to start their work without a budget . 
i am advised also by the gentleman from california ( chairman lewis ) of the committee on appropriations , who is walking in front of me right now and hopefully will correct me if i am wrong , that the gentleman from california ( chairman lewis ) has begun the appropriations process in earnest and he has a very ambitious schedule . 
in fact , i am told that we will have the opportunity to schedule appropriations bills for the floor by the middle of may , and i anticipate , not anticipate , we have set as a schedule , another way of putting it , we have turned over the schedule to the committee on appropriations to get their work done . 
it will be a very ambitious appropriations schedule starting the middle of may . 
