Over half of all witnesses testifying before congressional committees are government-funded; and almost all request more funding

Over half the witnesses testifying before committees of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives [are] funded directly by the federal taxpayer. In 1995, 35 percent of witnesses were federal employees; of the remaining “public” witnesses, one of every three was a government grant recipient. Grant recipients testified during the 104th Congress roughly 6,000 times: 3,000 times a year, or an average of a dozen times every working day.

And the vast majority of witnesses before such committees ask for more government money as the solution to every problem. See here.