[House Document 105-340]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




105th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 105-340


 
                    MAKING AVAILABLE APPROPRIATIONS

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

 HIS REQUEST TO MAKE AVAILABLE $216,922,000 IN PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED 
   CONTINGENT FUNDS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
                       PURSUANT TO 31 U.S.C. 1107




  December 17, 1998.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and 
                         ordered to be printed

                               --------

                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE                    
69-102                     WASHINGTON : 1998





                                           The White House,
                                      Washington, October 28, 1998.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
    Sir: In accordance with provisions of Public Law 105-277, 
the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental 
Appropriations Act, 1999, I hereby request the following:
Department of Health and Human Services
     Office of the Secretary, Public Health and Social 
Services Emergency Fund: $216,922,000.
    These funds will help to address HIV/AIDS prevention and 
treatment in minority communities. In addition, the funding 
made available will provide HHS with resources to prepare for 
managing the medical and public health consequences of a 
chemical-biological weapons incident. Finally, these funds will 
help the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its 
polio eradication and measles elimination efforts.
    I hereby designate this request as an emergency requirement 
pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and 
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
    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.
    Enclosure.


                [Estimate No. 19, 105th Cong., 2d Sess.]

                 Executive Office of the President,
                           Office of Management and Budget,
                                  Washington, DC, October 28, 1998.
The President,
The White House.
    Submitted for your consideration is a request to make 
available $216,922,000 in previously appropriated contingent 
emergency funds for the Department of Health and Human Services 
(HHS).
    Public Law 105-277, the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency 
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999, provided a total of 
$216.9 million to the Office of the Secretary, HHS, contingent 
upon the President submitting a budget request to the Congress 
and designating the entire amount as an emergency requirement.
    I recommend that you designate the entire $216,922,000, as 
listed on the enclosure, as an emergency requirement in 
accordance with section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and 
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended. No further 
congressional action will be required.
    These funds will provide $50 million to the Secretary of 
HHS to address the HIV/AIDS crisis facing the African-American 
community and other racial and ethnic minority communities due 
to the changing demographics of the disease.
    In addition, the requested release of contingent emergency 
funds will provide HHS with $139 million to prepare for and 
manage the response to the medical and public health 
consequences of a chemical-biological weapons incident, as you 
requested. The $139 million provided will be distributed as 
follows:
     The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
will use $127 million to establish a civilian pharmaceutical 
stockpile and to improve public health surveillance, 
communications, epidemiologic capabilities, and laboratory 
capacity to respond to a chemical-biological weapons incident.
     HHS' Office of Emergency Preparedness will use $7 
million to enhance medical response systems for a chemical-
biological weapons incident, including funds to increase the 
number of local first responder teams.
     The remaining $5 million is for two one-time 
projects and a study initiated by Congress. We are concerned 
that such earmarking within an emergency appropriation--
heretofore not a common practice--could set an undesirable 
precedent. We are particularly concerned that the legislation 
mandates that if the AIDS and chemical-biological weapons funds 
are designated as an emergency that the special projects must 
also be designated as an emergency.
    Finally, this request includes an additional $28 million 
that Congress provided to the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention for global polio eradication and measles elimination 
efforts.
    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,
                                            Jacob J. Lew, Director.
    Enclosure.

Emergency Appropriations: Amounts Previously Appropriated Made Available 
                            by the President

Department of Health and Human Services:
    Office of the Secretary: Public Health and Social 
      Services Emergency Fund...........................    $216,922,000

    Public Law 105-277, the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency 
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999, provided a total of 
$216.9 million to the Office of the Secretary, HHS, contingent 
upon the President submitting a budget request to the Congress 
and designating the entire amount requested as an emergency 
requirement.
    These funds will help to address HIV/AIDS prevention and 
treatment in minority communities. In addition, the funding 
made available will provide HHS with resources to prepare for 
managing the medical and public health consequences of a 
chemical-biological weapons incident. Finally, these funds will 
help the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its 
polio eradication and measles elimination efforts.

                                
