[House Document 104-39]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
104th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House
Document 104-39
AMENDMENTS TO THE FY 1996 APPROPRIATIONS
__________
COMMUNICATION
from
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
TRANSMITTING
AMENDMENTS TO THE FY 1996 APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTS FOR THE DEPARTMENTS
OF COMMERCE, EDUCATION, ENERGY, AND THE INTERIOR, AND THE U.S. ARMY
CORPS OF ENGINEERS, AS WELL AS A REVISION TO AN FY 1995 SUPPLEMENTAL
PROPOSAL FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, PURSUANT TO 31 U.S.C. 1106(b)
February 22, 1995.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and
ordered to be printed
The White House,
Washington, DC, February 22, 1995.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Sir: I ask the Congress to consider amendments to the FY
1996 appropriations requests for the Departments of Commerce,
Education, Energy, and the Interior, and the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers.
Included in this package are budget amendments totaling
$340.5 million that represent an initial installment in savings
from the second phase of our effort to reinvent Government.
These reductions to the pending requests for FY 1996
appropriations were assumed in the Budget. Additional budget
amendments related to this effort will be submitted in the near
future.
In addition, an increase of $35 million in FY 1996 budget
authority is requested for the Department of Education to fund
the Education Infrastructure program. This increase is offset
by a reduction in the FY 1996 appropriations request for the
Clean Coal Technology program in the Department of Energy.
This package also contains a revision to an FY 1995
supplemental proposal for the Department of Labor submitted in
the FY 1996 Budget.
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 her comments and observations.
Sincerely,
William J. Clinton.
Enclosure.
Estimate No. 5, 104th Cong., 1st Sess.
Executive Office of the President,
Office of Management and Budget,
Washington, DC, February 22, 1995.
The President,
The White House.
Submitted for your consideration are amendments to your FY
1996 appropriations requests now pending before Congress. These
budget amendments would implement proposals that are included
in Phase II of the Administration's reinventing Government
initiative and that do not require substantive changes in
authorizing legislation. The savings of $340.5 million in FY
1996 budget authority that would be realized by these proposals
are assumed in your FY 1996 Budget. Over a five-year period--
from FY 1996 to FY 2000--the effect of these proposals would be
to reduce budget authority by $4.7 billion.
As described in the enclosures, these amendments would
reduce the pending FY 1996 appropriations requests as follows:
Department of Commerce. Savings of $3.3 million would
result from privatizing specialized weather services provided
to aviation, marine, and agricultural communities by the
National Weather Service.
Department of Education. Savings of $112.7 million would
result from eliminating ten small Education programs.
Restructuring the impact aid program would produce additional
savings of $31 million.
Department of Energy. Reinventing the Department of Energy
would yield savings of $144.5 million, including: $25 million
from streamlining Department of Energy contracts; $109.5
million from streamlining and realigning the Department's
energy programs, including the national laboratories; and $10
million from Energy conservation reductions.
Department of the Interior. Streamlining and consolidation
within the Bureau of Mines would produce savings of $20
million.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Savings of $29 million would
result from focusing the Corps' efforts on projects of
national, rather than local, significance.
In addition to the reduction proposals discussed above, an
increase of $35 million in FY 1996 budget authority is
requested for the Department of Education to fund the Education
Infrastructure program. This increase would be offset by a
reduction in the Department of Energy's Clean Coal Technology
program.
Also submitted for your consideration is a revision to an
FY 1995 supplemental for the Employment and Training
Administration in the Department of Labor, which was
transmitted in the FY 1996 Budget. This revised proposal
reflects additional budget authority savings of $36.7 million
due to lower postage expenses and less demand for
administrative grant funds. These FY 1995 savings would offset
a proposal to decrease the amount of a Department of Education
rescission contained in the FY 1996 Budget, which is submitted
for your consideration in a separate transmittal.
I have carefully reviewed these proposals and am satisfied
that they are needed at this time. Therefore, I join the heads
of the affected departments and agencies in recommending that
they be transmitted to the Congress.
Additional budget amendments will be submitted in the near
future to implement additional aspects of Phase II of the
Administration's reinventing Government initiative.
Sincerely,
Alice M. Rivlin,
Director.
Enclosures.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE--NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996
budget 1996 budget 1996 proposed 1996 revised
appendix Heading request pending amendment request
page
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
266....... Operations, research, and facilities....... $2,028,800,000 -$3,265,000 $2,025,535,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(In the appropriations language under the above heading,
delete ``$2,031,800,000'' and substitute $2,028,535,000; and
delete ``$2,028,800,000'' and substitute $2,025,535,000.)
This proposal is part of the second phase of the
Administration's reinventing Government initiative. The
amendment would reduce the general fund appropriations request
for this account by $3,265,000. This reduction is possible due
to privatization of portions of the National Weather Service.
Specific portions of the National Weather Service that will be
privatized include specialized weather services provided to
aviation, marine, and agricultural communities.
This reduction proposal was included in the FY 1996 Budget
as an item to be transmitted to the Congress at a later date.
The proposed budget totals would not be affected.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE-CIVIL--CORPS OF ENGINEERS-CIVIL
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996
budget 1996 budget 1996 proposed 1996 revised
appendix Heading request pending amendment request
page
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
365....... General investigations..................... $171,625,000 -$16,000,000 $155,625,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This proposal is part of the second phase of the
Administration's reinventing Government initiative. The FY 1996
budget authority reduction is possible because responsibility
for local water projects and other programs will be shifted to
the States and local communities. The Corps of Engineers would
not begin new reconnaissance or feasibility studies or new pre-
construction engineering and design for local flood protection
and storm damage prevention projects.
This reduction proposal was included in the FY 1996 Budget
as an item to be transmitted to the Congress at a later date.
The proposed budget totals would not be affected.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE-CIVIL--CORPS OF ENGINEERS-CIVIL
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996
budget 1996 budget 1996 proposed 1996 revised
appendix Heading request pending amendment request
page
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
367....... Construction, general...................... $798,125,000 -$13,000,000 $785,125,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This proposal is part of the second phase of the
Administration's reinventing Government initiative. Under this
proposal, the Corps of Engineers would only begin new regular
construction on projects determined to be of national
significance and would discontinue its aquatic plant control
program. Nationally significant projects are those that would
address commercial navigation, interstate flooding problems,
and environmental restoration. There would be no new
construction of local flood protection or storm damage
reduction projects in FY 1996 or future years. Flood control
projects in which the Federal Government would continue to
participate in future years would include those in which over
half of the flood waters come from outside the State, the
benefits are at least twice the costs, and the cost-sharing
partner is willing and able to contribute 75 percent of the
cost of the project.
This reduction proposal was included in the FY 1996 Budget
as an item to be transmitted to the Congress at a later date.
The proposed budget totals would not be affected.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION--OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996
budget 1996 budget 1996 proposed 1996 revised
appendix Heading request pending amendment request
page
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
384....... Impact aid................................. $650,000,000 -$31,000,000 $619,000,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(In the appropriations language under the above heading,
delete ``$650,000,000'' and substitute $619,000,000; delete
``$581,000,000'' and substitute $550,000,000; and insert the
following immediately before the period at the end of the
paragraph: Provided, That payments and eligibility under
section 8003 shall be based only on federally connected
children described in sections 8003(a)(1)(B) and 8003(a)(1)(C):
Provided further, That notwithstanding the provisions of
section 8003(b)(1)(B), any local educational agency that
received a payment based on federally connected children
described in sections 8003(a)(1)(B) and 8003(a)(1)(C) for
fiscal year 1995 shall be eligible to receive a payment under
sections 8003(b) and 8003(d) for fiscal year 1996: Provided
further, That notwithstanding the provisions of section
8003(b)(1)(C), the maximum amount of the basic support payment
shall be determined by multiplying each local educational
agency's weighted student units for federally connected
children described in sections 8003(a)(1)(B) and 8003(a)(1)(C)
by the factor described under section 8003(b)(1)(C)(iv):
Provided further, That notwithstanding the provisions of
section 8003(b)(2), if funds provided are insufficient to pay
each local educational agency the full amount of its payment
calculated under section 8003(b)(1)(C), then payments shall be
ratably reduced: Provided further, That none of the funds
provided shall be used for payments under section 8003(e))
This proposal is part of the second phase of the
Administration's reinventing Government initiative. The
proposal would delete a portion of the appropriations request
for Basic Support Payments under the Impact aid account and
would limit payments to those made on behalf of two categories
of federally connected children: children who live on Federal
property with a parent in the uniformed services, and children
who live on Indian lands. This amendment would also make
conforming changes in the authorizing statute and modify the
formula to provide equitable payments on behalf of these two
categories of children.
This reduction proposal was included in the FY 1996 Budget
as an item to be transmitted to the Congress at a later date.
The proposed budget totals would not be affected.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION--OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996
budget 1996 budget 1996 proposed 1996 revised
appendix Heading request pending amendment request
page
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
385....... School improvement......................... $1,512,277,000 $33,054,000 1,545,331,000
programs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(In the appropriations language under the above heading,
delete ``and V,'' and substitute V, and XII,; delete
``$1,512,277,000'' and substitute $1,545,331,000; delete
``$1,230,000,000'' and substitute $1,265,000,000; and insert
the following immediately before the period at the end of the
paragraph: , and $35,000,000 shall be for education
infrastructure grants under title XII of said Act: Provided
further, That notwithstanding sections 12004(b) and 12005(b) of
said Act, funds shall be available for awards only to local
educational agencies serving an empowerment zone, supplemental
empowerment zone, or enterprise community designated by the
Department of Housing and Urban Development or the Department
of Agriculture, for projects in education facilities within the
boundaries of such zone or community.)
This amendment would increase the pending appropriations
request for this account by a net $33,054,000.
As part of the second phase of the Administration's
reinventing Government initiative, the appropriations request
for the Christa McAuliffe Fellowships program is proposed for
deletion. This program is being eliminated as a free-standing
program in order to reduce the number of categorical programs
and to provide savings. However, in order to retain the
memorial to Christa McAuliffe and to continue to provide
fellowships for teachers, a similar fellowship competition will
be carried out in her name under the Eisenhower Professional
Development Federal Activities authority under the Education,
research, statistics, and improvement account. The new
fellowship competition will be funded at $2 million but will be
more streamlined for States and individuals and will reduce
paperwork and program duplication. This reduction proposal was
included in the FY 1996 Budget as an item to be transmitted to
the Congress at a later date. The proposed budget totals would
not be affected.
In addition, this amendment would increase the
appropriations request for the School Improvement Programs
account by $35 million for education infrastructure grants.
Language is included to provide awards only to local
educational agencies serving empowerment zones and enterprise
communities, and to require that funds be used for school
facilities within empowerment zones and enterprise communities.
The additional resources for the education infrastructure
grants would increase FY 1996 outlays by $4.2 million.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION--OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996
budget 1996 budget 1996 proposed 1996 revised
appendix Heading request pending amendment request
page
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
397....... Higher education........................... $931,511,000 -$110,739,000 $820,772,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Delete all of the language that appears under this heading
and substitute the following:
For carrying out, to the extent not otherwise provided,
titles I, III, without regard to section 360(a)(1)(B)(ii), IV,
[including chapter 2 of subpart 2 of part A] V, VI, VII, IX,
[VIII,] and part A and subpart 1 of part B [, and part D] of
title X [, and XI, without regard to section 1151,] of the
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended; and the Mutual
Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 [; title VI,
including part C, of the Excellence in Mathematics, Science and
Engineering Education Act of 1990; section 1521 of the Higher
Education Amendments of 1986 as amended by Public Law 103-239,
to be administered by the Secretary of Education; part E of
title XV of the Higher Education Amendments of 1992; and Public
Law 102-423, $962,842,000] , $820,772,000, of which
[$8,060,000] $2,015,000 for endowment activities under [section
331 of] part C of title III and [$17,512,000] $16,712,000 for
interest subsidies under title VII of the Higher Education Act
[, as amended, and $4,000,000 for Public Law 102-423] shall
remain available until expended [, and $1,000,000 of the amount
provided herein for title III shall be available for an
evaluation of the title III programs.] : Provided, That funds
available for part C of title III of the Higher Education Act
shall be available only for awards to recipients that are title
III, part B institutions, as defined in section 322(2).)
This proposal is part of the second phase of the
Administration's reinventing Government initiative. The
proposal would delete a portion of the appropriations request
for the Higher education account. The amendment would reduce
funding for the Strengthening Institutions program consistent
with a two-year phase-out of the program, and would eliminate
funding for the following programs: the non-Historically Black
Colleges and Universities (HBCU) portion of the Endowment
Grants program, Innovative Projects for Community Service,
National Science Scholars, Douglas Teacher Scholarships, Harris
Fellowships, Javits Fellowships, and Legal Training for the
Disadvantaged. Specific activities that would be reduced are as
follows:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strengthening
institutions.. $80,000,000 -$40,000,000 $40,000,000
Endowment
grants........ 8,060,000 -6,045,000 2,015,000
Program
development... 99,878,000 -14,423,000 85,455,000
Scholarships... 57,140,000 -19,023,000 38,117,000
Graduate
fellowships... 59,268,000 -28,284,000 30,984,000
Legal training
for the
disadvantaged. 2,964,000 -2,964,000 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This reduction proposal was included in the FY 1996 Budget
as an item to be transmitted to the Congress at a later date.
The proposed budget totals would not be affected.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY--ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996
budget 1996 budget 1996 proposed 1996 revised
appendix Heading request pending amendment request
page
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
425....... Weapons activities......................... $3,565,175,000 -$25,000,000 $3,540,175,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This proposal is part of the second phase of the
Administration's reinventing Government initiative. The
proposal reflects anticipated savings from a program to
streamline Department of Energy contracts. The actual savings
may occur in this account or in other accounts under this
title. Appropriations language submitted for this account with
the FY 1996 Budget provides that in the event some portion of
these savings are achieved in other accounts under this title,
amounts equal to such savings may be transferred to this
account without regard to the requirements or limitations of
section 302 of Public Law 102-377.
This reduction proposal was included in the FY 1996 Budget
as an item to be transmitted to the Congress at a later date.
The proposed budget totals would not be affected.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY--ENERGY PROGRAMS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996
budget 1996 budget 1996 proposed 1996 revised
appendix Heading request pending amendment request
page
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
432....... Energy supply, research and development $3,506,035,000 -$109,500,000 $3,396,535,000
activities.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This proposal is part of the second phase of the
Administration's reinventing Government initiative. The
proposal reflects reductions possible due to the Department of
Energy's (DOE's) streamlining and realignment activities and
includes: (1) a $10 million reduction in Solar and Renewable
Energy R&D as part of the Department's applied R&D reductions;
(2) $50 million in anticipated savings from consolidation of
DOE laboratory activities in response to the report on
Alternative Futures for DOE national laboratories; and (3) a
$49.5 million reduction possible due to reductions and
efficiencies realized in the current budget year. The expected
savings from laboratory consolidation may not all occur in
programs funded under this account hearing. If they occur in
other programs, the appropriation language submitted in the FY
1996 Budget would allow transfers of funds from the programs
where savings accrue into the Energy supply R&D account. This
will ensure that savings are accounted for correctly.
This reduction proposal was included in the FY 1996 Budget
as an item to be transmitted to the Congress at a later date.
The proposed budget totals would not be affected.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY--ENERGY PROGRAMS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996
budget 1996 budget 1996 proposed 1996 revised
appendix Heading request pending amendment request
page
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
439....... Energy conservation........................ $933,561,000 -$10,000,000 $923,561,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This proposal is part of the second phase of the
Administration's reinventing Government initiative. The
amendment would reduce the appropriations request for this
account by $10 million. This reduction is possible due to the
Department's streamlining and realignment processes.
This reduction proposal was included in the FY 1996 Budget
as an item to be transmitted to the Congress at a later date.
The proposed budget totals would not be affected.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY--ENERGY PROGRAMS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996
budget 1996 budget 1996 proposed 1996 revised
appendix Heading request pending amendment request
page
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
445....... Clean coal technology...................... $44,981,000 $-35,000,000 $9,981,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(In the appropriations language under the above heading,
delete ``$20,000,000 on October 1, 1995 and''; and delete
``$24,981,000'' and substitute $9,981,000).
Pursuant to the FY 1995 Interior appropriations bill, $200
million will become available for the Clean Coal Technology
program in FY 1996. This amendment proposes to reduce this
amount by $35 million, for a revised total of $165 million in
FY 1996. It is anticipated that some projects currently in the
program will not proceed to construction and operation for a
variety of factors. For this reason, a reduction of this
portion of the advance appropriation will not affect the
Department of Energy's ability to accomplish its mission
successfully.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR--BUREAU OF MINES
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996
budget 1996 budget 1996 proposed 1996 revised
appendix Heading request pending amendment request
page
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
570....... Mines and minerals......................... $152,507,000 -$20,000,000 $132,507,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This proposal is part of the second phase of the
Administration's reinventing Government initiative. As part of
this initiative, the Bureau of Mines (USBM) would emphasize
priority functions such as environmental remediation and health
and safety. The reduction in the pending request is possible
due to streamlining of bureau functions and the consolidation
of field offices and research centers into four research
centers to focus research efforts on: (1) environmental
remediation; (2) pollution prevention and control; (3) health
and safety; and (4) materials research partnerships. Programs
more appropriately conducted by States or the private sector
(e.g., Federal financial support for the 30 Mineral Institutes)
would be eliminated.
This reduction proposal was included in the FY 1996 Budget
as an item to be transmitted to the Congress at a later date.
The proposed budget totals would not be affected.
Revised Request
Department of Labor--Employment and Training Administration
State Unemployment Insurance and Employment Service Operations
Funds made available under this heading in Public Law 103-
333 are reduced from $3,269,097,000 to $3,228,397,000.
This request revises an FY 1995 supplemental proposal
contained in the FY 1996 Budget that reflected $4 million in
budget authority savings in postage expenses. These postage
expenses are paid by the Department of Labor on behalf of State
employment security agencies that operate the unemployment
insurance program. As the Budget proposal noted, the U.S.
Postal Service has changed
the methodology for calculating postal charges from a sampling
survey to actual costs which, along with improved State mail
management practices, has resulted in lower postage charges.
Additional budget authority savings of $3.8 million have been
identified, for total postage expense savings of $7.8 million.
FY 1995 outlays would be decreased by $3.8 million from the
totals shown in the FY 1996 Budget.
In addition, this revised request reflects budget authority
savings of $32.9 million in administrative grant funds. These
administrative grants go to State agencies that pay
unemployment compensation to eligible workers and collect State
unemployment taxes from employers. Administrative grants are
based on projected workload. Because economic conditions have
improved, not all of the administrative funds appropriated for
FY 1995 will be needed. The FY 1996 Budget includes the outlay
effects of the improved economic conditions. This proposal
would provide the corresponding reduction in budget authority.
This account obtains offsetting collections from the
Unemployment Trust Fund.