[House Document 104-269]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                     

104th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - House Document 104-269


 
 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1996 FOR THE DEPARTMENTS 
     OF AGRICULTURE, COMMERCE, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND 
 TRANSPORTATION TO INCLUDE THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND THE 
                        ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

    SUPPLEMENTAL REQUESTS TO MAKE AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS TOTALING 
  $291,000,000 IN BUDGET AUTHORITY TO THE DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE, 
COMMERCE, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND TRANSPORTATION AS WELL AS 
 THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO 
ASSIST THE VICTIMS OF HURRICANES FRAN AND HORTENSE AND TO DESIGNATE THE 
AMOUNTS MADE AVAILABLE AS AN EMERGENCY REQUIREMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 
 251(B)(2)(D)(I) OF THE BALANCED BUDGET AND EMERGENCY DEFICIT CONTROL 
          ACT OF 1985, AS AMENDED, PURSUANT TO 31 U.S.C. 1107






 September 26, 1996.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and 
                         ordered to be printed


                                           The White House,
                                    Washington, September 21, 1996.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
    Sir: I ask the Congress to consider supplemental requests 
for FY 1996 appropriations for the Departments of Agriculture, 
Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation as 
well as the Small Business Administration and the Army Corps of 
Engineers. A total of $291 million is required--$163 million in 
requests for new budget authority and $128 million in 
contingent emergency budget authority--to assist the victims of 
Hurricanes Fran and Hortense. These requests can be funded 
within existing congressional 602(a) spending limits for FY 
1996.
    The estimated Federal response to Hurricanes Fran and 
Hortense and the related flooding is expected to total over 
$1.5 billion, of which about half is needed specifically in 
North Carolina. Of this amount, over $1.2 billion will be paid 
out of existing funds, and $291 million is requested in this 
emergency supplemental. These figures do not include expected 
claims to be paid through the Federal crop and flood insurance 
programs, both of which have written substantial numbers of 
policies in the affected States.
    I hereby designate the following requests for FY 1996 
supplemental appropriations as emergency funding requirements 
pursuant to section 251(b)(b)(D)(i) of the Balanced Budget and 
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended:
          Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources 
        Conservation Service, Watershed and Flood Prevention 
        Operations: $20,000,000;
          Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, 
        Emergency Conservation Program: $20,000,000;
          Department of Defense--Civil, Army Corps of 
        Engineers, Operations and Maintenance, General: 
        $18,800,000;
          Department of Transportation, Federal Highways 
        Administration, Federal-Aid Highways: $82,000,000; and
          Small Business Administration, Disaster Loans Program 
        Account: $22,000,000.
    In addition, in accordance with the provisions of P.L. 104-
134, the Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions and Appropriations 
Act of 1996, I hereby make available appropriations totaling 
$33,000,000 in contract authority for the Department of 
Transportation. These previously appropriated funds that are 
hereby made available are for the Federal Highway 
Administration's Emergency Relief Program to reimburse States 
and territories for repairs made to Federal-aid routes damaged 
by Hurricanes Fran and Hortense and other disasters. I 
designate this $33 million as an emergency funding requirement 
pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(D)(i) of the Balanced Budget and 
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
    Further, I ask the Congress to increase by $500 million the 
borrowing authority of the National Flood Insurance Program to 
cover losses from Hurricanes Fran and Hortense and future 
natural disasters.
    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.
    Enclosures.




                                
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