[House Document 106-267]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                     

106th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - House Document 106-267



                      REQUEST AND AVAILABILITY OF


                    EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              TRANSMITTING
 
THE REQUEST AND AVAILABILITY OF THE FUNDS IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROVISIONS 
 OF DIVISION B OF H.R. 4425, THE EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL ACT, 2000, AND 
      DIVISION C OF H.R. 4425, THE CERRO GRANDE FIRE SUPPLEMENTAL




July 17, 2000.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered 
                             to be printed
                                           The White House,
                                         Washington, July 13, 2000.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
    Sir: In accordance with provisions of Division B of H.R. 
4425, the Emergency Supplemental Act, 2000, and Division C of 
H.R. 4425, the Cerro Grade Fire Supplemental, I hereby request 
and make available--with two exceptions--the funds in H.R. 4425 
that the Congress has designated as emergency requirements and 
that I have not designated previously as emergency 
requirements. The exceptions are $600 million for the Low 
Income Home Energy Assistance Program of the Department of 
Health and Human Services and $50 million for the Wildland Fire 
Management program of the Department of the Interior.
    This emergency funding will provide supplemental resources 
needed to keep the peace and build stability in Kosovo; to 
bolster democracy and reform elsewhere in Southeast Europe; to 
support the Colombian government's fight against drug 
traffickers; to provide further assistance to the victims of 
Hurricane Floyd and other natural disasters, including the 
crisis in Mozambique; and, for other purposes.
    Furthermore, in accordance with provisions of Public Law 
106-74, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Housing and 
Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 
2000, I hereby request and make available appropriations of 
$621 million for the Disaster Relief Program of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
    These funds will allow FEMA to provide continuing 
assistance to victims of disasters. Since the beginning of this 
fiscal year, there have been 36 emergency and disaster 
declarations in 26 States, Puerto Rico, and the District of 
Columbia.
    I hereby designate all of the funds made available today 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. 15, 106th Cong. 2d Session]
                 Executive Office of the President,
                           Office of Management and Budget,
                                     Washington, DC, July 13, 2000.
The President,
The White House.
    Submitted for your consideration is a request to make 
available--with two exceptions discussed below--the funds in 
Division B of H.R. 4425, the Emergency Supplemental Act, 2000, 
and Division C of H.R. 4425, the Cerro Grande Fire 
Supplemental, that the Congress has designated as emergency 
requirements and that you have not designated previously as 
emergency requirements.
    H.R. 4425 provides a total of $11.2 billion in emergency 
funding, contingent upon the President submitting a budget 
request to the Congress and designating the request as an 
emergency requirement. This emergency funding will provide 
supplemental resources needed to keep the peace and build 
stability in Kosovo; to bolster democracy and reform elsewhere 
in Southeast Europe; to support the Colombian government's 
fight against drug traffickers; to provide needed home energy 
assistance for low-income families; to provide further 
assistance to the victims of Hurricane Floyd and other natural 
disasters, including the crisis in Mozambique; and, for other 
purposes.
    We are not recommending, at this time, that you designate 
as emergency requirements $600 million in contingent funding 
provided to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program 
(LIHEAP) of the Department of Health and Human Services and 
$500 million of the contingent funding provided to the Wildland 
Fire Management program of the Department of the Interior. 
These funds could be used to address emergencies that may occur 
in the coming months. As is traditional practice for these 
programs, we will present to you, at a later date as 
appropriate, our recommendations for making the Presidential 
declaration required to make these funds available.
    Except for the $650 million in contingent emergency funding 
for LIHEAP and the Interior Wildland Fire Management program, I 
recommend that you designate as emergency requirements the 
funds in H.R. 4425 that the Congress has so designated in 
accordance with section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and 
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
    Also submitted for your consideration is a request to make 
available emergency appropriations for the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency (FEMA). Your approval of this request would 
make available previously appropriated funds to address the 
needs of victims of disasters. P.L. 106-74, the Departments of 
Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and 
Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000, provided 
$2,480.4 million in emergency funding for the Disaster Relief 
program of FEMA, contingent upon the President submitting a 
budget request to the Congress and designating the entire 
amount requested as an emergency requirement. On February 7, 
2000, you released $500 million of these funds to address the 
needs of victims of Hurricane Floyd and other disasters. At the 
same time, you designated as an emergency requirement $215 
million of unobligated balances for hurricane Floyd-related 
home buyouts, as authorized by P.L. 106-113, the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2000.
    This request would make available $621 million for FEMA to 
provide continuing assistance to victims of previously declared 
disasters as well as anticipated disasters. Since the beginning 
of FY 2000, there have been 36 emergency and disaster 
declarations in 26 States, Puerto Rico, and the District of 
Columbia. Of these, 22 declarations have been issued since your 
February release of FEMA disaster relief funds.
    I recommend that you designate this request for $621 
million 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.
    I have carefully reviewed these proposals and, on balance, 
recommend them at this time. Therefore, I join the heads of the 
affected Departments and agencies in recommending that you make 
the requested funds available by signing the enclosed letter to 
the Speaker of the House of Representatives. No further 
congressional action will be required.
            Sincerely,
                                            Jacob J. Lew, Director.
    Enclosure.
Emergency Appropriations: Funds Previously Appropriated Made Available 
                            by the President

Emergency Supplemental Act, 2000, and the Cerro Grande Fire 
        Supplemental
    Division B of H.R. 4425, the Emergency Supplemental Act, 
2000, and Division C of H.R. 4425, the Cerro Grande Fire 
Supplemental provide a total of $11.2 billion in emergency 
funding, contingent upon the President submitting a budget 
request to the Congress and designating the request as an 
emergency requirement. With two exceptions, the President has 
designated as emergency requirements the funds in H.R. 4425 
that the Congress has also so designated. The exceptions are 
$600 million for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program 
of the Department of Health and Human Services and $50 million 
for the Wildland Fire Management program of the Department of 
the Interior. As in the past, this contingent emergency funding 
for these activities will be made available as specific 
emergency needs are identified.
    The emergency funding made available by the President will 
provide supplemental resources needed to keep the peace and 
build stability in Kosovo; to bolster democracy and reform 
elsewhere in Southeast Europe; to support the Colombian 
government's fight against drug traffickers; to provide further 
assistance to the victims of Hurricane Floyd and other natural 
disasters, including the crisis in Mozambique; and, for other 
purposes.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Disaster 
    relief..............................................    $621,000,000

    Title III of P.L. 106-74, the Departments of Veterans 
Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent 
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000, provided $2,480.4 million to 
FEMA contingent upon the President submitting a budget request 
to the Congress and designating the entire amount requested as 
an emergency requirement.
    On February 7, 2000, $500.0 million was released to address 
the needs of victims of Hurricane Floyd and other disasters. In 
addition, $215.0 million of unobligated balances was designated 
as an emergency requirement for Hurricane Floyd-related home 
buyouts, as authorized by P.L. 106-113, the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2000.
    At this time, an additional $621.0 million in emergency 
funding is required for FEMA to provide assistance to victims 
of previously declared disasters, as well as anticipated 
disasters.