[House Document 111-27]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
111th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document
111-27
REQUESTS FOR FY 2009 BUDGET AMENDMENTS
__________
COMMUNICATION
from
THEPRESIDENTOFTHEUNITEDSTATES
transmitting
A REQUEST FOR FY 2009 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR ONGOING MILITARY,
DIPLOMATIC, AND INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS
April 21, 2009.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and
ordered to be printed
The White House,
Washington, April 9, 2009.
Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Madam Speaker: We face a security situation in
Afghanistan and Pakistan that demands urgent attention. The
Taliban is resurgent and al Qaeda threatens America from its
safe haven along the Afghan-Pakistan border.
With that reality as my focus, today I send to the Congress
a supplemental appropriations request totaling $83.4 billion
that will fund our ongoing military, diplomatic, and
intelligence operations. Nearly 95 percent of these funds will
be used to support our men and women in uniform as they help
the people of Iraq to take responsibility for their own
future--and work to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in
Pakistan and Afghanistan. The rest of the money will fund a
variety of defense and international efforts that will help to
use all the elements of our power to confront the threats to
our security--from securing loose nuclear weapons to combating
fear and want under repressive regimes.
In the past, the Congress has moved expeditiously to
approve funding for our Armed Forces. I urge the Congress to do
so once more. I also urge the Congress to focus on the needs of
our troops and our national security, and not to use the
supplemental to pursue unnecessary spending. I want the
Congress to send me a focused bill, and to do so quickly. When
this request returns to me as legislation ready to be signed,
it should remain focused on our security. It is important that
we follow the same approach we applied to the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act and keep extraneous and unnecessary
projects out of this legislation.
As I noted when first I introduced my budget in February,
this is the last planned war supplemental. Since February 2001,
the Congress has passed 17 separate emergency funding bills
totaling $822.1 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
After 7 years of war, the American people deserve an honest
accounting of the cost of our involvement in our ongoing
military operations.
We must break that recent tradition and include future
military costs in the regular budget so that we have an honest,
more accurate, and fiscally responsible estimate of Federal
spending. And we should not label military costs as emergency
funds so as to avoid our responsibility to abide by the
spending limitations set forth by the Congress. After years of
budget gimmicks and wasteful spending, it is time to end the
era of irresponsibility in Washington. In this request, we are
honest about the costs we will bear as a Nation, and we will
use our resources wisely and responsibly to meet the threats of
our time and keep our Nation safe and secure.
There is no question of the resolve of our military women
and men. Yet, in Afghanistan, that resolve has not been matched
by a comprehensive strategy and sufficient resources. This
funding request will ensure that the full force of the United
States--our military, intelligence, diplomatic, and economic
power--is engaged in an overall effort to defeat al Qaeda and
uproot the safe haven from which it plans and trains for
attacks on the homeland and on our allies. At the same time
that we are increasing our troop commitment, we will employ the
necessary civilian resources to build Afghan governance
capacity and self-sufficiency.
As the United States moves forward with our mission, we are
asking our friends and allies to join us with a renewed
commitment. As I made clear on my recent trip to Europe, the
threat posed by al Qaeda is international in scope; the
response to the threat also should be international. Going
forward with this strategy, we will establish and regularly
assess military and civilian capacity, checking progress
through clear measurements to ensure an ongoing informed
assessment and accountability. I have asked my National
Security Advisor, General Jim Jones, to oversee this effort and
to work with the Congress on the development of these standards
for progress.
In Iraq, violence has been reduced substantially because of
the skilled efforts of our troops and the Iraqi people's
commitment to peace. The threat of terrorism in Iraq had been
dealt a serious blow. Iraqis are prepared to take
responsibility for their own future through a peaceful
political process. Because of this, we are positioned to move
forward with a responsible drawdown of our combat forces,
transferring security to Iraq's forces. Under the Strategic
Framework Agreement and Security Agreement, Iraqi personnel
have taken the lead in security operations and will continue to
handle greater responsibility.
Stability and security depend on responsive, capable, and
accountable governments. This request includes funds to help
create political and economic stability in post-conflict areas,
assist Afghans and Iraqis to protect and sustain their
infrastructure, and build their capacity for more responsive
and transparent governance. This request also will enable
military commanders to respond to urgent humanitarian relief
and reconstruction needs in their areas of responsibility. We
provide funds for the extraordinary security and costs
associated with supporting U.S. diplomatic activity in Iraq,
Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
The request also increases funding to provide wounded
servicemembers with the highest quality support and care, and
provides additional compensation to our troops for their
service in hazardous, life-threatening areas.
This request reflects the reality of our day and age: We
need to use all the elements of our power--economic and
diplomatic as well as military--to confront threats to our
security.
Thank you for your consideration of this funding request
and for your steadfast support for our servicemembers and their
families.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama.
Enclosure.
Executive Office of the President,
Office of Management and Budget,
Washington, DC, April 9, 2009.
The President,
The White House.
Dear Mr. President: You have charged your administration
with two critical tasks in providing for the security of the
United States: ending the war in Iraq through a transition to
full Iraqi responsibility for security and governance; and to
disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Pakistan and
Afghanistan and prevent their return to either country in the
future. Submitted for your consideration is a request for
Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 supplemental appropriations that will
take significant steps toward meeting those two goals. This
request totals $83.4 billion--nearly 95 percent of which is for
military and security efforts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and
Iraq. These funds will be used to help stabilize the security
conditions in Iraq, and strengthen military, diplomatic, and
intelligence operations in support of the new strategy for
Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The request provides $3.7 billion in critical support for
other security initiatives, both within the United States and
at specific threat locations overseas. This request meets your
goal of comprehensive American engagement in key parts of the
world, addressing emerging situations with all the tools of
American power before they become crises. This will relieve
further strain on our military while enhancing the safety of
the American people.
In addition, this transmittal contains an FY 2009 proposal
for the Legislative Branch. As a matter of comity and per
tradition, this appropriations request for the Legislative
Branch is transmitted without change. The Legislative Branch
request for the U.S. Capitol Police would total $71.6 million.
Finally, I should note that in crafting this supplemental
request, we have broken from past practices in key areas. First
and foremost, these dollars represent what should be the last
supplemental funding request for the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan. As part of creating an honest accounting of how
taxpayer dollars are spent, you have directed the Office of
Management and Budget, the Department of Defense, and the State
Department to anticipate the costs for overseas operations in
regular budget processes. Accordingly, your FY 2010 Budget
includes those costs in the base Defense and State requests.
While unanticipated emergency situations may arise, we believe
that there will be sufficient contingency funding in the budget
to accommodate those needs. Secondly, we do not seek to declare
these funds as ``emergency spending.'' The emergency funding
label has become a gimmick to mask the true costs of the wars
in our budgets. Moving forward, the emergency label will be
used as it was intended, namely, to fund unanticipated, sudden,
urgent needs which cannot be provided within base operating
funds.
The major categories of funding are highlighted below.
DOD and Intelligence Community Activities in Support of Operations in
Iraq and Afghanistan ($75.5 billion)
Ongoing Military Operations:
$38.0 billion to fund the incremental costs of
ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan during
Fiscal Year 2009. This includes the cost of combat and
stabilization operations, pre-deployment training, inter- and
intra-theater transportation, aircraft flying hours, ship
steaming days, and vehicle miles at a wartime operational
tempo.
$5.6 billion for a range of other items including
medical benefits and support programs for the military, new
military construction in theater, and intelligence activities
supporting ongoing contingency operations.
$0.5 billion in additional funds to continue the
Commander's Emergency Response Program, which enables U.S.
military commanders to respond to urgent, humanitarian relief
and reconstruction needs in their areas of responsibility.
Equipment and Force Structure:
$11.6 billion to refurbish or replace equipment
that is worn out or damaged from operating in harsh conditions
in Iraq and Afghanistan, including $0.6 billion to procure four
F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft to replace four fighter aircraft
lost in the theater of operations.
$9.8 billion to improve the protection of our
forces with lightweight body armor, armored vehicles, safe and
secure operating bases, identity management for access control,
and persistent surveillance capabilities.
$1.5 billion to confront the evolving threat from
Improvised Explosive Devices.
Support for Coalition Partners:
$3.6 billion to expand and improve capabilities of
the Afghan security forces.
$1.4 billion to support Coalition partners who
have provided assistance to U.S. military operations in
Afghanistan and Iraq.
$0.4 billion to build the counterinsurgency
capabilities of the Pakistani security forces.
Intelligence Operations:
$3.1 billion for classified activities in support
of ongoing counterterrorism operations. These activities
include support to military operations, intelligence collection
and analysis, and overseas law enforcement efforts.
Cancellation of Emergency Funds and Re-Appropriation to
Extend Availability:
FY 2009 emergency funds provided in the
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008, for the Iraq Security
Forces Fund ($1.0 billion) and the Afghanistan Security Forces
Fund ($0.1 billion) are proposed for cancellation and
reappropriation in order to extend the period of availability
until September 30, 2010. The reappropriation of funds will not
be designated as an emergency requirement.
Other Defense Activities ($350 million)
$3.7 billion in defense costs for other security
related Defense activities, most of which is offset by $2.9
billion in fuel savings and $0.5 billion in procurement
reductions.
International Affairs and Stabilization Activities ($7.1 billion)
The request seeks funding for key international affairs
programs as follows:
$3.7 billion for foreign assistance and operations
in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq, of which:
$1.6 billion is for increased economic
assistance for Afghanistan, and to support additional
civilian personnel, and diplomatic operations;
$1.4 billion is for economic assistance for
Pakistan, and to support additional civilian personnel,
more secure infrastructure, and diplomatic operations;
and
$0.7 billion is for assistance for Iraq and
related diplomatic operations.
$0.8 billion to support the Palestinian people,
strengthen the Palestinian Authority, and provide humanitarian
assistance for the crisis in Gaza.
$0.8 billion to sustain current United Nations
(UN) peacekeeping operations, fund an expanded mission in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, and a new mission in Chad and
the Central African Republic. A portion of these funds may be
used to pay UN assessments attributable to a logistics and
support package for the African Union Mission to Somalia called
for by the UN Security Council.
The proposal also includes:
$0.6 billion in humanitarian assistance (excluding
Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and West Bank/Gaza) to respond to
international disasters, provide refugee and migration
assistance, and deliver emergency food aid;
$0.5 billion for other priorities such as economic
and development assistance for the people of Kenya, Zimbabwe,
and Burma; security assistance for Lebanon; funding for heavy
fuel oil assistance and to support nuclear dismantlement in
North Korea; counterdrug/anti-crime assistance for Mexico;
$0.4 billion to address the impact of the global
financial crisis in developing countries, including additional
support for vulnerable populations through social safety net
programs, targeted technical assistance to strengthen crisis
response, and loans and loan guarantees for small and medium
enterprises; and
$0.2 billion to fulfill the United States'
commitment to assistance for Georgia.
Other Security and Urgent Needs ($390.0 million)
$89.5 million for the Department of Energy (DOE),
National Nuclear Security Administration to safeguard nuclear
material in Russia and other sites world-wide and to continue
disablement and dismantlement of North Korea's plutonium
program.
DOE is also requesting to transfer unobligated balances
from the SPR Petroleum Account to the Strategic Petroleum
Reserve account to fund immediate cleanup and the highest
priority safety and security hazards.
$47.0 million for the Department of Justice, of
which:
$30.0 million is to implement executive
orders for the shutdown of the Guantanamo Bay prison
and review of the U.S. detention and interrogation
procedures;
$5.0 million is for U.S. Attorneys for
extraordinary litigation expenses associated with
terrorism prosecutions of national importance;
$5.0 million is for the Federal Prison System
to support counter-terrorism activities;
$4.0 million is to support the work of the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
personnel assigned to the Combined Explosives
Exploitation Cell and the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.
$1.6 million is for the criminal Division to
provide training and assistance for the Iraq and
Afghanistan criminal justice systems; and
$1.4 million is for the National Security
Division to continue supporting Military Commission
prosecutions.
$2.9 million for the Executive Office of the
President, National Security Council in order to meet
additional program requirements and to ensure the continuity of
support and services to the President of the United States and
the National Security Advisor.
$250.0 million in total for the Forest Service
($200 million) and Department of the Interior ($50 million) for
wildland fire suppression and emergency rehabilitation of
burned areas. Funds would be available if existing
appropriations will be imminently exhausted.
Recommendation
This request fulfills known and urgent requirements that
cannot reasonably be met through the use of existing agency
funds. I have carefully reviewed these proposals and am
satisfied that they are necessary at this time. Therefore, I
join the heads of the affected departments and agencies in
recommending you transmit the proposals to the Congress.
Sincerely,
Peter R. Orszag,
Director.
Enclosure.