[House Document 109-53]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
109th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 109-53
REQUESTS FOR FY 2005 BUDGET AMENDMENTS
__________
COMMUNICATION
from
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
transmitting
REQUESTS FOR EMERGENCY FY 2005 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE
DEPARTMENTS OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND DEFENSE AND THE ARMY CORPS OF
ENGINEERS
September 7, 2005.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and
ordered to be printed
The White House,
Washington, September 7, 2005
Hon. J. Dennis Hastert,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Speaker: On September 2nd, I signed into law
Public Law 109-61, the ``Emergency Supplemental Appropriations
Act to Meet Immediate Needs Arising From the Consequences of
Hurricane Katrina, 2005,'' which provided $10.5 billion in
emergency supplemental funds for hurricane-related disaster
relief.
Due to the catastrophic nature of Hurricane Katrina, I am
asking the Congress to consider the enclosed request, for an
additional $51.8 billion, for emergency FY 2005 supplemental
resources for the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security
and the Army Corps of Engineers.
I hereby designate this proposal in the amount requested
herein as an emergency requirement. This request responds to
urgent needs associated with immediate response and recovery
efforts associated with Hurricane Katrina in Alabama,
Louisiana, Mississippi, and other affected areas.
I urge the Congress to act expeditiously on this request to
ensure that the Federal response to this disaster continues
uninterrupted. I anticipate making a further request that will
provide for additional response and recovery efforts after
further assessing the impact of the hurricane.
The details of this request are set forth in the enclosed
letter from the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget.
Sincerely,
George W. Bush.
[Estimate No. 12, 109th Cong., 1st Sess.]
Executive Office of the President,
Office of Management and Budget,
Washington, DC, September 7, 2005.
The President,
The White House.
On September 2nd, you signed into law Public Law 109-61,
the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act to Meet Immediate
Needs Arising From the Consequences of Hurricane Katrina, which
provided $10.5 billion in emergency supplemental funds for
hurricane-related disaster relief.
Submitted for your consideration are additional FY 2005
emergency supplemental proposals, totaling $51.8 billion, for
the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, and the Army
Corps of Engineers. These funds are being requested to provide
for immediate emergency response and recovery needs associated
with this disaster.
The size, scope, and complexity of this disaster are
unprecedented and the immediate Federal response and recovery
efforts to date have been extensive. There is still great
uncertainty regarding the extent of the damage and the full
cost of emergency response and recovery efforts. This proposed
emergency supplemental request is based on agencies'
commitments to date and the Administration's best assessment of
additional requirements to ensure agencies are fully funded to
continue immediate response and recovery efforts.
The request would provide additional funds for Federal,
State and local responders to continue life-saving and life-
sustaining missions by providing ongoing search and rescue,
water, food, and medicine, while also taking appropriate
actions to prevent exposure, crime and disease. More than
75,800 response, rescue, recovery and law enforcement personnel
are working around the clock to bring critical aid and support
to the Gulf Coast region. The Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) is working with Federal and State partners and
voluntary organizations to ensure victims of Hurricane Katrina
are relocated to safe shelters with life-sustaining
commodities. Housing Task Forces are taking extraordinary
measures to address transitional housing needs for disaster
victims.
In coordination with the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), FEMA is providing mass care to disaster victims
at shelters and medical units, and distributing vital
medications and supplies, tetanus vaccines, and maintenance
medications for diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and
other conditions.
The Department of Defense (DOD) has moved significant
military resources into the Gulf States to aid in rescue and
recovery. Maintaining law and order is a priority to assist
recovery and evacuation efforts and deliver relief in a timely
and effective manner. There are 15,000 active duty military
personnel committed to this effort in addition to more than
42,000 National Guard troops, nearly 4,000 Coast Guard, and
additional Federal law enforcement personnel in Alabama,
Louisiana and Mississippi.
As described below and in more detail in the enclosures,
the requests include the following:
Department of Homeland Security
$50.0 billion for the Department of Homeland
Security to enable FEMA to continue ongoing response and
recovery efforts, including assistance to families and
individuals so that they can be sheltered, fed, and provided
with medical care. These funds will also support public
assistance and debris removal in the affected areas, and
response activities performed by other Federal agencies as
assigned by FEMA pursuant to the Stafford Act. The request also
includes the authority to transfer $100 million to FEMA's
National Disaster Medical System in support of immediate
hospital care for hurricane victims.
Department of Defense
$1.4 billion for DOD to enable the Department to
continue to cover the costs associated with deployment of
military personnel to assist communities, save lives, and
provide relief supplies. DOD's immediate crisis response costs
include immediate facilities repairs of critical DOD property
to restore functionality, evacuation of DOD personnel, debris
clean-up, transportation costs, and emergency utility costs.
Authority is also requested to transfer up to $6 million to the
Armed Forces Retirement Home system to pay for costs associated
with evacuating residents of retirement homes in affected
areas.
Corps of Engineers
$400 million to restore navigation locks and
channels in the Gulf States and to continue repairs to pump
stations and levees in the affected areas.
Language is also proposed that would allow Federal agencies
to use the emergency procurement authorities specified in the
Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act for Hurricane Katrina
relief efforts and would increase the micro-purchase threshold
to $250,000.
I anticipate recommending to you an additional request to
provide for further response to this disaster, once more
detailed estimates can be developed on the extent of damage and
recovery needs.
All of the requests in this transmittal fulfill known and
urgent requirements that cannot reasonably be met under the
current FY 2005 funding levels. I recommend that you designate
the proposals contained in this transmittal as emergency
requirements.
I have carefully reviewed this proposal and am satisfied
that it is necessary at this time. Therefore, I join the heads
of the affected Departments and agencies in recommending you
transmit the proposal to the Congress.
Sincerely,
Joshua B. Bolten,
Director.
Enclosure.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Operation and Maintenance
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, DEFENSE-WIDE
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
In addition to amounts provided under this heading in the
``Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act to Meet Immediate
Needs Arising From the Consequences of Hurricane Katrina,
2005'' and subject to the same terms and conditions,
$1,400,000,000, of which not to exceed $6,000,000 may be
transferred to ``Armed Forces Retirement Home'' for emergency
hurricane expenses, notwithstanding any other provision of law.
The $500 million already appropriated will support the
Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts that have not been
reimbursed by FEMA for the first two weeks of relief
operations. Additional funds requested will support the
continuation of DOD's immediate crisis response costs beyond
the first two weeks. Funds would cover additional costs
associated with deployment of military personnel to assist
communities, save lives, and provide relief supplies as well as
additional facilities repairs of critical DOD property to
restore functionality, evacuation of DOD personnel, debris
clean-up, transportation costs, and emergency utility costs.
Authority is also requested to transfer up to $6 million to
the Armed Forces Retirement Home system to pay for costs
associated with evacuating residents of retirement homes in
affected areas and providing them medical care, food, and
lodging in temporary locations or at the Armed Forces
Retirement Home--Washington facility.
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Emergency Preparedness and Response
DISASTER RELIEF FUND
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
For an additional amount for necessary expenses under the
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
(42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), $50,000,000,000. to remain available
until expended. of which up to $100,000,000 may be transferred
to and merged with ``Public Health Programs,'' Emergency
Preparedness and Response, for the National Disaster Medical
System to support medical care as authorized by the Public
Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act
of 2002, as amended (42 U.S.C. 300hh-11): Provided, That
Congress designates the amounts, provided herein as an
emergency requirement for this specific purpose.
This request would provide an additional $50.0 billion for
the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) for disaster relief associated with
Hurricane Katrina. This funding will support continuing
response efforts, including assistance to families and
individuals so that they can be sheltered, provided with
emergency medical care, and receive other FEMA disaster
assistance benefits. Additionally, the funding will support
public assistance and debris removal in the affected areas, and
response activities performed by other Federal agencies
pursuant to mission assignments from FEMA under the Stafford
Act. The request also includes the authority to transfer $100
million to FEMA's National Disaster Medical System in support
of short-term, definitive medical care for hurricane victims
transferred to hospitals, an activity that falls outside of the
Stafford Act. This request ensures that Federal disaster
response and relief efforts will continue uninterrupted.
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ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
Civil Works
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, GENERAL
For an additional amount for ``Operation and Maintenance,
General'' to dredge navigation channels and repair other Corps
projects in the Gulf States affected by Hurricane Katrina,
$200,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided,
That Congress designates this amount as an emergency
requirement for this specific purpose.
This request would provide an additional $200 million to
the Army Corps of Engineers to restore navigation locks and
channels and other projects in the Gulf States that the Corps
is authorized to maintain. The Corps would use these funds to
dredge channels back to their operating depths existing prior
to Hurricane Katrina, and repair flood and other projects.
------
ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
Civil Works
FLOOD CONTROL AND COASTAL EMERGENCIES
For an additional amount for ``Flood Control and Coastal
Emergencies,'' as authorized by section 5 of the Flood Control
Act of August 16, 1941, as amended (33 U.S.C. 701), for
emergency response to and recovery from coastal storm damages
and flooding in the Gulf states caused by Hurricane Katrina,
$200,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided,
That Congress designates this amount as an emergency
requirement for this specific purpose.
This request would provide $200 million for the Flood
Control and Coastal Emergencies account of the Army Corps of
Engineers in order to continue repairs to pump stations and
levees in southern Louisiana, Mississippi and other affected
Gulf States. These emergency repairs are needed to facilitate
the continued drainage of flooded areas, particularly in New
Orleans.
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General Provision
Sec.__. Emergency Procurement Authority to Support
Hurricane Rescue and Relief Operations. For procurements of
property or services determined by the head of an executive
agency to be used in support of Hurricane Katrina rescue and
relief operations--
(a) the emergency procurement authority in subsection
32A(c) of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41
U.S.C. 428a(c)) may be used; and
(b) the amount specified in subsections (c), (d) and (f) of
section 32 of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41
U.S.C. 428(c)) shall be $250,000.
This proposal would allow all Federal agencies to use the
emergency procurement authorities specified in the Office of
Federal Procurement Policy Act for Hurricane Katrina relief
efforts and would increase the micro-purchase threshold to
$250,000.