[House Document 106-152]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]





106th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - House Document No. 106-152
-----------------------------------------------------------------------



 
 A REQUEST FOR FY 2000 EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF 
                              AGRICULTURE


                             COMMUNICATION

                                  FROM

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              TRANSMITTING

A REQUEST TO MAKE AVAILABLE $8.8 BILLION IN PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED FY 
         2000 EMERGENCY FUNDS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE





  November 1, 1999.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and 
                         ordered to be printed

                                -------                                

                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
79-012                     WASHINGTON : 1999       





                                           The White House,
                                      Washington, October 29, 1999.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
    Sir: In accordance with provisions of Public Law 106-78, 
the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug 
Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000, 
I hereby request $8.8 billion in FY 2000 emergency 
appropriations as follows:


                       department of agriculture


    Farm Service Agency, Commodity Credit Corporation fund: 
$8,530,453,000.
    Risk Management Agency, Federal Crop Insurance Corporation 
fund: $292,000,000.
    Rural Development, Rural Community Advancement Program: 
$2,070,000.
    These funds will help address the crisis gripping our 
Nation's farm community. Emergency assistance to farmers and 
ranchers provided in P.L. 106-78 includes two items that will 
not require outlays from the Commodity Credit Corporation or 
the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, namely a waiver of fees 
under the sugar program and the forgiveness of debt for the 
City of Stroud, Oklahoma. P.L. 106-78 also provides $292 
million to cover the additional costs to the Federal Crop 
Insurance Corporation triggered by the $400 million provided by 
Congress for crop insurance premium discounts. In addition, the 
Act provides for the extension of dairy price supports, which 
is expected to reduce FY 2000 outlays associated with recourse 
loans to dairy farmers, creating a net savings. Overall, the 
estimated net budgetary impact of the emergency assistance 
provisions of P.L. 106-78, on a program level basis, is $8.6 
billion.
    In addition, I am requesting out-year funding associated 
with the emergency provisions of P.L. 106-78, including $30 
million in FY 2001 funds to assist fisheries in the Northeast 
and Alaska.
    I hereby designate the above amounts as emergency 
requirements 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. 40, 106th Cong., 1st Sess.]

                 Executive Office of the President,
                           Office of Management and Budget,
                                  Washington, DC, October 29, 1999.
The President,
The White House.
    Submitted for your consideration is a request to make 
available $8.8 billion in previously appropriated FY 2000 
emergency funds for the Department of Agriculture.
    Public Law 106-78, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food 
and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations 
Act, 2000, provided $8.8 billion in emergency assistance to 
farmers and ranchers in FY 2000, but other items affect the 
total net spending on a program level basis under the emergency 
provisions. In addition to the emergency disaster assistance 
provided by P.L. 106-78, $292 million costs were triggered by 
the $400 million provided by the Act for crop insurance premium 
discounts, fees were waived under the sugar program, and debt 
forgiveness has been provided for the City of Stroud, Oklahoma. 
Further, extending the dairy price support program results in a 
savings through reduced dairy recourse loan outlays. In FY 2000 
overall, the estimated net budgetary impact of the emergency 
assistance provisions of P.L. 106-78, on a program level basis, 
is $8.6 billion. The Act's emergency spending provisions also 
include $30 million in FY 2001 funds to assist fisheries in the 
Northeast and Alaska, as well as out-year spending in certain 
programs such as cotton assistance.
    The availability of these funds was made 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 amounts listed on the 
enclosure as emergency requirements 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 strengthen the farm safety net by helping 
hardworking farmers achieve a decent living, despite the 
misfortune of bad weather, low commodity prices, or other 
forces that affect their livelihoods. As with last year's 
disaster assistance, these funds provide only a one-year, 
temporary fix for the overall problems with the farm safety 
net. The draft Statement (attached) calls on the Congress to 
enact a permanent fix to the shortcomings in the 1996 Farm 
Bill.
    I have carefully reviewed these proposals and am satisfied 
that they are necessary at this time. Therefore, I join the 
Secretary of Agriculture 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 Agriculture:
    Farm Service Agency: Commodity Credit Corporation 
      fund..............................................  $8,530,453,000
    Risk Management Agency: Federal Crop Insurance 
      Corporation fund..................................     292,000,000
    Rural Development: Rural Community Advancement 
      Program...........................................       2,070,000

    Public Law 106-78, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food 
and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations 
Act, 2000, provided a total of $8.8 billion in FY 2000 
emergency assistance to farmers and ranchers. The availability 
of these funds was made contingent upon the President 
submitting a budget request to the Congress and designating the 
entire amount requested as an emergency requirement.
    The $8.8 billion in contingent emergency funding is 
required to strengthen the farm safety net by helping 
hardworking farmers achieve a decent living, despite the 
misfortune of bad weather, collapsing markets, or other forces 
that affect their livelihoods.
    In addition to the above FY 2000 appropriations, the Act 
provides spending in certain programs in the out-years, 
including $30 million for fisheries assistance in the Northeast 
and Alaska. The President's request also designates these 
amounts as emergency requirements.

                                

