[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
[September 12, 2003]
[Page 1157]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 1157]]


Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Transmitting 
Amendments to the FY 2004 Budget
September 12, 2003

Dear Mr. Speaker:
    I ask the Congress to consider the enclosed amendments to the FY 
2004 Budget for the Departments of Agriculture, Homeland Security, and 
Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Corps of Engineers.
    These amendments would not change the total pending Presidential 
Request for FY 2004. However, they would adjust upward the total 
discretionary budget authority requested by $0.9 billion, bringing the 
total discretionary funding agreed to by the Administration and the 
Congress to $785.6 billion. This increase in discretionary funding is 
fully offset by a corresponding decrease in mandatory funding. All other 
proposals are assumed to be funded within this constraint.
    This transmittal also contains FY 2004 budget amendments for the 
Legislative Branch and FY 2003 supplemental proposals for the Judicial 
Branch. As a matter of comity, appropriations requests of the 
Legislative and Judicial Branches are commonly transmitted without 
change.
    The details of these proposals are set forth in the enclosed letter 
from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
         Sincerely,

                                                          George W. Bush

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this letter.