[House Document 106-35]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



106th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 106-35


 
              APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

    A REQUEST TO MAKE AVAILABLE PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED CONTINGENT 
              EMERGENCY FUNDS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY




March 4, 1999.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered 
                             to be printed

                      ---------------------------

                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
                            WASHINGTON : 1999




                                           The White House,
                                         Washington, March 2, 1999.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
    Sir: In accordance with provisions of P.L. 105-277, the 
Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations 
Act, 1999, I hereby request the following:
Department of Energy
     Atomic Energy Defense Activities, Other Defense 
Activities: $525,000,000.
    These funds will help reduce the amount of excess fissile 
material in Russia and, consequently, the risk that such 
material could be diverted by terrorists or other illicit 
groups attempting to obtain nuclear weapons capabilities. 
Within the total, $325,000,000 will be made available to 
purchase natural uranium associated with the United States-
Russia High Enriched Uranium (HEU) Purchase Agreement, and 
$200,000,000 will be made available to implement a United 
States/Russian accord for the disposition of excess weapons 
plutonium.
    I hereby designate the above 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 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. 9, 106th Cong., 1st Sess.]

                 Executive Office of the President,
                           Office of Management and Budget,
                                     Washington, DC, March 2, 1999.
The President,
The White House.
    Submitted for your consideration is a request to make 
available a total of $525 million in previously appropriated 
contingent emergency funds for the Department of Energy.
    P.L. 105-277, the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency 
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999, provided $325 million to 
the Department of Energy to purchase natural uranium under the 
United States-Russia High Enriched Uranium (HEU) Purchase 
Agreement and $200 million to implement a United States/Russian 
accord for the disposition of excess weapons plutonium. The 
availability of each amount was made contingent upon the 
President submitting a budget request to the Congress that 
includes designation of the entire amount as an emergency 
requirement.
    Both appropriations are urgently needed to reduce the 
amount of excess fissile material in Russia and, consequently, 
the risk that such material could be diverted by terrorists or 
other illicit groups attempting to obtain nuclear weapons 
capabilities.
    I recommend that you designate $525 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.
    In the case of each appropriation, P.L. 105-277 includes 
additional provisos that must be met before the funds may be 
obligated. For example, the funds to purchase natural uranium 
will be available only upon development of a long-term 
agreement by the Government of the Russian Federation and 
commercial partners for the sale of uranium to be derived from 
deliveries scheduled for 1999 and thereafter. Such an agreement 
is in the final stages of negotiation and should be concluded 
shortly. The Office of Management and Budget will use the 
apportionment process and other means available to ensure that 
the funds are not obligated until this and all other legal 
requirement have been met.
    I have carefully reviewed these proposals and am satisfied 
that they are necessary at this time. Therefore, I recommend 
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 Energy:
    Atomic Energy Defense Activities: Other Defense 
      Activities........................................    $525,000,000

    Division B, Title I, Chapter 2 of P.L. 105-277, the Omnibus 
Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 
1999, provided $525 million in emergency funding for Other 
Defense Activities 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 reduce the amount of excess fissile 
material in Russia and, consequently, the risk that such 
material could be diverted by terrorists or other illicit 
groups attempting to obtain nuclear weapons capabilities. 
Within the total, $325,000,000 will be made available to 
purchase natural uranium associated with the United States-
Russia High Enriched Uranium (HEU) Purchase Agreement, and 
$200,000,000 will be made available to implement a United 
States/Russian accord for the disposition of excess weapons 
plutonium.

                                
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