[House Document 105-26]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



105th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 105-26


 
                    MAKING AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  FROM

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

  HIS REQUEST TO MAKE AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS TOTALING $5 MILLION IN 
 BUDGET AUTHORITY FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES' LOW 
 INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND DESIGNATE THE AMOUNT 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

 


  January 21, 1997.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and 
                         ordered to be printed


                                           The White House,
                                      Washington, January 15, 1997.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
    Sir: In accordance with provisions of Public Law 103-333, 
the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, 
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1995, and Public Law 
104-134, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, 
Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 1996, I 
hereby make available appropriations of $5 million in budget 
authority for the Department of Health and Human Services' Low 
Income Home Energy Assistance Program. These funds will enable 
the Department to support the needs of North and South Dakota, 
which suffered approximately twice the level of severe cold 
weather conditions relative to neighboring States, and 
dramatically more severe cold weather than the rest of the 
country. Due to these extreme conditions, I recently declared 
North and South Dakota to be disaster areas.
    I designate the amount 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.
    The details of this action 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.
    Enclosure.
             [Estimate No. 1, 105th Congress, 1st Session]

                 Executive Office of the President,
                           Office of Management and Budget,
                                  Washington, DC, January 15, 1997.
The President,
The White House.
    Submitted for your consideration is a request to make 
available emergency appropriations for the Department of Health 
and Human Services (HHS). Your approval of this request would 
make available previously appropriated funds to the Low Income 
Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to address needs of the 
States of North and South Dakota arising from the recent severe 
winter weather.
    Public Law 104-134, the Departments of Labor, Health and 
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations 
Act of 1996, provided $300 million for LIHEAP contingent upon 
the President submitting a budget request to the Congress and 
designating the entire amount requested as an emergency 
requirement. P.L. 104-134 also extended the availability of 
$120 million in contingent funding that was originally provided 
for LIHEAP in Public Law 103-333, the Departments of Labor, 
Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act of 1995. This request would make available 
$5 million in targeted funds, now needed to address needs 
arising from the severe winter weather of 1996/1997.
    Analysis of December weather conditions by HHS shows that 
the Dakotas suffered roughly twice the level of severe weather 
when compared to neighboring States, and dramatically more 
severe cold than the rest of the country. As a result of these 
extreme weather conditions, the Governors of these States 
recently declared emergencies, and you declared North and South 
Dakota to be disaster areas. We will continue to monitor 
weather conditions in the rest of the country.
    I recommend that you designate this request as an emergency 
funding requirement in accordance with section 251(b)(2)(D)(i) 
of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 
1985, as amended. No further congressional action will be 
required.
    I have carefully reviewed this proposal and am satisfied 
that it is necessary at this time. Therefore, I join the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services in recommending that you 
make the requested funds available by signing the enclosed 
letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
            Sincerely,
                                      Franklin D. Raines, Director.
    Enclosure.

    Emergency Appropriations: Amounts Previously Appropriated Made 
                       Available by the President

Department of Health and Human Services Administration 
    for Children and Families: Low income home energy 
    assistance..........................................      $5,000,000

    Public Law 104-134, the Departments of Labor, Health and 
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations 
Act of 1996 provided $300 million for the Low Income Home 
Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), contingent upon the 
President submitting a budget request to the Congress and 
designating the entire amount requested as an emergency 
requirement. P.L. 104-134 also extended the availability of 
$120 million in contingent funding that was originally provided 
for LIHEAP in Public Law 103-333, the Departments of Labor, 
Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act of 1995.
    At this time, $5 million of the total $420 million in 
contingent funding is required to support needs arising from 
the extremely cold weather in North and South Dakota.

                                
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