[House Document 109-34] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] 109th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 109-34 REQUEST FOR FY 2006 BUDGET AMENDMENTS __________ COMMUNICATION from THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TRANSMITTING A REQUEST FOR A FY 2006 BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATIONJune 15, 2005.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed The White House, Washington, June 13, 2005. Hon. J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Speaker: I ask the Congress to consider the enclosed FY 2006 budget amendments for the Department of Justice and the General Services Administration. In addition, this transmittal contains FY 2006 budget amendments for the Legislative and Judicial Branches. As a matter of comity, appropriations requests of the Legislative and Judicial Branches are commonly transmitted without change. The details of these proposals are set forth in the enclosed letter from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Sincerely, George W. Bush. [Estimate No. 6, 109th Congress, 1st Sess.] Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC, June 13, 2005. The President, The White House. Submitted for your consideration are requests for FY 2006 budget amendments for the Department of Justice and the General Services Administration. FY 2006 discretionary budget authority would not be increased by these requests. This transmittal also contains FY 2006 budget amendments for the Legislative and Judicial Branches. As a matter of comity, appropriations requests for the Legislative and Judicial Branches are commonly transmitted without change. As described below and in more detail in the enclosures, the requests include the following: Department of Justice A request to increase the resources available to the United States Trustee System Fund by $37.2 million to support implementation of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. The funds would be derived from fees authorized by the Act. General Services Administration A proposal for Phase II of the repairs and alterations project for the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The proposal eliminates any delay between the completion of Phase I and the construction start of Phase II, as well as provides additional necessary security features for the building. The proposal also addresses increases in prices for structural steel and other construction materials related to several construction projects. The proposal is fully offset. Legislative and Judicial Branches An amendment for the Legislative Branch's Office of Compliance, which would increase FY 2006 discretionary budget authority by $0.5 million. An amendment for the Judicial Branch's Courts of Appeals for contracted inspection services required by the Congressional Accountability Act, as well as an amendment for one additional court security officer necessary due to new judgeships and security equipment authorized in the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. In total, these requests would increase discretionary budget authority by $14.4 million and mandatory budget authority by $4.1 million in the FY 2006 Budget. Recommendation I have reviewed these proposals and am satisfied it is necessary to transmit them at this time. Therefore, I join the Attorney General and the Administrator of the General Services Administration in recommending that you transmit the proposals to the Congress. Sincerely, Joshua B. Bolten, Director. Enclosures. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Legal Activities and U.S. Marshals UNITED STATES TRUSTEE SYSTEM FUND FY 2006 Budget Appendix Page: 686-687. FY 2006 Pending Request: $185,402,000. Proposed Amendment: $37,175,000 (offset by fees). Revised Request: $222,577,000. (In the appropriations language under the above heading, delete ``$185,402,000'' and substitute $222,577,000 each place it occurs.) This proposal would increase the resources available to the United States Trustee System Fund to support implementation of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005. The funds would be derived from increased fees authorized by the Act. The request would increase FY 2006 outlays by $6 million. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION Real Property Activities FEDERAL BUILDINGS FUND FY 2006 Budget Appendix Pages: 989-990. FY 2006 Pending Request: $7,768,795,000. Proposed Amendment: Language. Revised Request: $7,768,795,000. (In the appropriations language under the above heading immediately after ``in the aggregate amount of $7,768,795,000, of which (1) '', delete ``$640,317,000'' and substitute $708,106,000; Under the heading ``New Construction:'' and immediately before ``Nonprospectus Construction, $9,500,000:'', insert Material Price Increases, Various Projects, $67,789,000.; Immediately after ``(2)'', delete ``$1,029,165,000'' and substitute $961,376,000; Under the heading ``Repairs and Alterations:'' and in the section ``District of Columbia'', immediately after ``Eisenhower Executive Office Building,'' delete ``$15,700,000'' and substitute $133,417,000; and delete ``General Services Administration Headquarters Building, $185,506,000.''.) The proposed General Services Administration (GSA) Headquarters Building repair and alterations project was scheduled for a late FY 2006 award. However, there is a delay in the modernization construction award to early FY 2007. Therefore the funding of $185.5 million for this repairs and alterations project will not be required in FY 2006, but will be required in FY 2007. This amendment accelerates funding for Phase II of the repairs and alterations project to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), which the Administration had anticipated including in its FY 2007 Budget request. GSA is scheduled to complete Phase I (17th Street Wing) in August 2006. The proposed funding is for the design and construction of Phase II renovation (State Place), with design/build award occurring in March 2006. To ensure that the EEOB is completed as soon as possible, this amendment eliminates any delay between completion of Phase I and the construction start of Phase II, as well as provides additional necessary security features for the building (e.g., emergency notification system). Additionally, increases in structural steel and other construction material prices have had a serious impact on GSA's capital construction program. Estimated costs for capital projects scheduled for construction award in calendar year 2006 are higher than originally estimated for a number of construction projects. The projects listed below have each projected significant shortfalls, either through independent estimates or competitive bids, which will require additional funding to deliver the original scope as submitted when authorized for construction. A total of $67.8 million is being requested to fund this shortfall. It is requested that this funding be provided lump sum, to be allocated to the specific projects as needed, in order to protect the integrity of the ongoing procurements of these individual projects: U.S. Mission to the United Nations, NYC, NY; Houston Texas FBI; Del Rio Texas Border Station; Cape Girardeau Missouri Courthouse; El Paso Texas Courthouse; El Paso Texas Border Station; and Las Cruces New Mexico Courthouse. Overall, this amendment would not affect FY 2006 budgetary resources. LEGISLATIVE BRANCH Office of Compliance SALARIES AND EXPENSES FY 2006 Budget Appendix Page: 21. FY 2006 Pending Request: $2,642,000. Proposed Amendment: $470,000. Revised Request: $3,112,000. (In the appropriations language under the above heading, delete ``$2,642,000'' and substitute $3,112,000 and delete ``$310,000'' and substitute $470,000.) This amendment would provide for contracted inspection services required by Section 215 of the Congressional Accountability Act (P.L. 104-1). The additional $470,000 requested would be available until September 30, 2007, and is consistent with the Office of Compliance's budget justification submitted to the Congress. The request would increase FY 2006 outlays by $376,000. JUDICIAL BRANCH Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services SALARIES AND EXPENSES FY 2006 Budget Appendix Page: 53-54. FY 2006 Pending Request: $4,460,939,000. Proposed Amendment: $17,805,000 (discretionary and mandatory resources). Revised Request: $4,478,744,000. This amendment would increase the pending request by $17,805,000, to provide for 28 new temporary Bankruptcy judgeships, including the salaries and benefits of the judges, their support staff, and data collection and tax return provisions, in accordance with the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-8). This Act was signed on April 20, 2005, after submission of the FY 2006 Budget. Without additional appropriations for these critical judicial functions, funds would have to be diverted from other necessary court requirements, most likely court support staff. The $17,805,000 requested would increase discretionary budget authority by $13,660,000 and mandatory budget authority by $4,145,000. The corresponding discretionary and mandatory outlays would increase by $12,378,000 and $4,145,000, respectively. JUDICIAL BRANCH Courts of Appeals, District Courts and Other Judicial Services COURT SECURITY FY 2006 Budget Appendix Page: 56. FY 2006 Pending Request: $389,626,000. Proposed Amendment: $690.000. Revised Request: $390,316,000. This amendment would increase the pending request by $690,000, to provide funding for one additional court security officer position in Delaware. This position is required based on four new Bankruptcy judgeships, and security equipment associated with the new judgeships authorized in the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (P.L. 109- 8). This Act was signed on April 20, 2005, after submission of the FY 2006 Budget. The request would increase FY 2006 outlays by $437,000.