[House Document 106-267] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] 106th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - House Document 106-267 REQUEST AND AVAILABILITY OF EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING __________ COMMUNICATION from THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TRANSMITTING THE REQUEST AND AVAILABILITY OF THE FUNDS IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROVISIONS OF DIVISION B OF H.R. 4425, THE EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL ACT, 2000, AND DIVISION C OF H.R. 4425, THE CERRO GRANDE FIRE SUPPLEMENTALJuly 17, 2000.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed The White House, Washington, July 13, 2000. The Speaker of the House of Representatives. Sir: In accordance with provisions of Division B of H.R. 4425, the Emergency Supplemental Act, 2000, and Division C of H.R. 4425, the Cerro Grade Fire Supplemental, I hereby request and make available--with two exceptions--the funds in H.R. 4425 that the Congress has designated as emergency requirements and that I have not designated previously as emergency requirements. The exceptions are $600 million for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program of the Department of Health and Human Services and $50 million for the Wildland Fire Management program of the Department of the Interior. This emergency funding will provide supplemental resources needed to keep the peace and build stability in Kosovo; to bolster democracy and reform elsewhere in Southeast Europe; to support the Colombian government's fight against drug traffickers; to provide further assistance to the victims of Hurricane Floyd and other natural disasters, including the crisis in Mozambique; and, for other purposes. Furthermore, in accordance with provisions of Public Law 106-74, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000, I hereby request and make available appropriations of $621 million for the Disaster Relief Program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These funds will allow FEMA to provide continuing assistance to victims of disasters. Since the beginning of this fiscal year, there have been 36 emergency and disaster declarations in 26 States, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. I hereby designate all of the funds made available today as emergency requirements pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended. The details of these actions are set forth in the enclosed letter from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. I concur with his comments and observations. Sincerely, William J. Clinton. Enclosure. [Estimate No. 15, 106th Cong. 2d Session] Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC, July 13, 2000. The President, The White House. Submitted for your consideration is a request to make available--with two exceptions discussed below--the funds in Division B of H.R. 4425, the Emergency Supplemental Act, 2000, and Division C of H.R. 4425, the Cerro Grande Fire Supplemental, that the Congress has designated as emergency requirements and that you have not designated previously as emergency requirements. H.R. 4425 provides a total of $11.2 billion in emergency funding, contingent upon the President submitting a budget request to the Congress and designating the request as an emergency requirement. This emergency funding will provide supplemental resources needed to keep the peace and build stability in Kosovo; to bolster democracy and reform elsewhere in Southeast Europe; to support the Colombian government's fight against drug traffickers; to provide needed home energy assistance for low-income families; to provide further assistance to the victims of Hurricane Floyd and other natural disasters, including the crisis in Mozambique; and, for other purposes. We are not recommending, at this time, that you designate as emergency requirements $600 million in contingent funding provided to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) of the Department of Health and Human Services and $500 million of the contingent funding provided to the Wildland Fire Management program of the Department of the Interior. These funds could be used to address emergencies that may occur in the coming months. As is traditional practice for these programs, we will present to you, at a later date as appropriate, our recommendations for making the Presidential declaration required to make these funds available. Except for the $650 million in contingent emergency funding for LIHEAP and the Interior Wildland Fire Management program, I recommend that you designate as emergency requirements the funds in H.R. 4425 that the Congress has so designated in accordance with section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended. Also submitted for your consideration is a request to make available emergency appropriations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Your approval of this request would make available previously appropriated funds to address the needs of victims of disasters. P.L. 106-74, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000, provided $2,480.4 million in emergency funding for the Disaster Relief program of FEMA, contingent upon the President submitting a budget request to the Congress and designating the entire amount requested as an emergency requirement. On February 7, 2000, you released $500 million of these funds to address the needs of victims of Hurricane Floyd and other disasters. At the same time, you designated as an emergency requirement $215 million of unobligated balances for hurricane Floyd-related home buyouts, as authorized by P.L. 106-113, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2000. This request would make available $621 million for FEMA to provide continuing assistance to victims of previously declared disasters as well as anticipated disasters. Since the beginning of FY 2000, there have been 36 emergency and disaster declarations in 26 States, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Of these, 22 declarations have been issued since your February release of FEMA disaster relief funds. I recommend that you designate this request for $621 million as an emergency requirement in accordance with section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended. I have carefully reviewed these proposals and, on balance, recommend them at this time. Therefore, I join the heads of the affected Departments and agencies in recommending that you make the requested funds available by signing the enclosed letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. No further congressional action will be required. Sincerely, Jacob J. Lew, Director. Enclosure. Emergency Appropriations: Funds Previously Appropriated Made Available by the President Emergency Supplemental Act, 2000, and the Cerro Grande Fire Supplemental Division B of H.R. 4425, the Emergency Supplemental Act, 2000, and Division C of H.R. 4425, the Cerro Grande Fire Supplemental provide a total of $11.2 billion in emergency funding, contingent upon the President submitting a budget request to the Congress and designating the request as an emergency requirement. With two exceptions, the President has designated as emergency requirements the funds in H.R. 4425 that the Congress has also so designated. The exceptions are $600 million for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program of the Department of Health and Human Services and $50 million for the Wildland Fire Management program of the Department of the Interior. As in the past, this contingent emergency funding for these activities will be made available as specific emergency needs are identified. The emergency funding made available by the President will provide supplemental resources needed to keep the peace and build stability in Kosovo; to bolster democracy and reform elsewhere in Southeast Europe; to support the Colombian government's fight against drug traffickers; to provide further assistance to the victims of Hurricane Floyd and other natural disasters, including the crisis in Mozambique; and, for other purposes. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Disaster relief.............................................. $621,000,000 Title III of P.L. 106-74, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000, provided $2,480.4 million to FEMA contingent upon the President submitting a budget request to the Congress and designating the entire amount requested as an emergency requirement. On February 7, 2000, $500.0 million was released to address the needs of victims of Hurricane Floyd and other disasters. In addition, $215.0 million of unobligated balances was designated as an emergency requirement for Hurricane Floyd-related home buyouts, as authorized by P.L. 106-113, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2000. At this time, an additional $621.0 million in emergency funding is required for FEMA to provide assistance to victims of previously declared disasters, as well as anticipated disasters.