[House Document 109-119] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] 109th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 109- 119 REQUEST FOR FY 2007 BUDGET AMENDMENTS __________ COMMUNICATION from THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES transmitting A REQUEST FOR FY 2007 BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMSJune 27, 2006.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to be printed The White House, Washington, June 27, 2006. Hon. J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Speaker: I ask the Congress to consider the enclosed FY 2007 Budget amendments for International Assistance Programs. The total discretionary budget authority in my FY 2007 Budget would not be increased by these requests. The details of this proposal are set forth in the enclosed letter from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Sincerely, George W. Bush. [Estimate No. 7, 109th Cong., 2d Sess.] Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC, June 27, 2006. The President, The White House. Submitted for your consideration are FY 2007 Budget amendments for International Assistance Programs. These amendments propose an increase in funding for the Global Environment Facility, fully offset by the elimination of funding for a new program at the Asian Development Bank. The total discretionary budget authority proposed in your Budget would not be increased by these amendments. I have reviewed these proposals and am satisfied that they are necessary at this time. Therefore, I join the Secretary of the Treasury in recommending that you transmit the proposals to the Congress. Sincerely, Rob Portman, Director. Enclosures. DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS Multilateral Assistance GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY FY 2007 Budget Appendix Page: 787 FY 2007 Pending Request: $56,250,000 Proposed Amendment: $23,750,000 Revised Request: $80,000,000 This proposal would increase the FY 2007 request for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) by $23.75 million to $80 million for the scheduled payment for the first year of the latest replenishment (GEF-4) agreement. Negotiation of this agreement was completed in early June 2006. The FY 2007 Budget requested $56.25 million for the GEF and $23.75 million for a possible new environmental program at the Asian Development Bank (AsDB), for a combined level of $80 million for global environmental programs in the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs). The Budget noted that the requested amounts might be rebalanced between these two accounts pending the outcome of the then-ongoing GEF-4 replenishment negotiations. The Administration believes that the policy reforms obtained in the GEF-4 negotiation warrant a U.S. commitment of $320 million over the four-year replenishment period ($80 million per year). The reforms, which are consistent with U.S. legislative provisions enacted last year, include, among others, setting a target date for the expansion of the GEF's performance-based allocation system and the establishment of strong fiduciary standards at the GEF implementing and executing agencies. The United States will remain the largest contributor to the GEF. Given the satisfactory results from the GEF-4 negotiations, the Administration is proposing to increase funding for the GEF in lieu of creating a new AsDB environmental program. The accompanying amendment fully offsets this proposed budget authority increase. Taken together, the amendments would reduce projected FY 2007 outlays by $2.4 million. DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS Multilateral Assistance CONTRIBUTION TO THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK FY 2007 Budget Appendix Page: 789 FY 2007 Pending Request: $23,750,000 Proposed Amendment: -$23,750,000 Revised Request: - - - (Delete the heading above and the appropriations language that follows.) This amendment eliminates the funding request for a new environmental program at the Asian Development Bank (AsDB). The FY 2007 Budget included $23.75 million for a possible new environmental program at the Asian Development Bank (AsDB) and $56.25 million for the Global Environment Facility (GEF), for a combined level of $80 million. The Budget noted that the requested amounts might be rebalanced between these two accounts pending the outcome of the then-ongoing GEF-4 replenishment negotiations. Given the satisfactory results from the GEF-4 replenishment negotiations, the Administration is proposing to increase funding for the GEF in lieu of creating a new AsDB environmental program. This proposed budget authority decrease to AsDB fully offsets the requested budget authority increase for GEF in the accompanying amendment. Taken together, the amendments would reduce projected FY 2007 outlays by $2.4 million.