[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 8 (Monday, February 24, 2003)]
[Pages 227-228]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003

February 20, 2003

    Today I signed into law H.J. Res. 2, an Omnibus appropriations bill 
funding the remaining 11 appropriations bills for FY 2003. The funds 
provided in this resolution will provide important and long overdue 
resources for our Nations priorities, including fighting the war on 
terrorism and educating our most vulnerable children.
    This bill provides over $397 billion in discretionary budget 
authority, including $10 billion in reserve funding for the Department 
of Defense, and is largely consistent with the agreed upon overall 
funding level. My original budget request, made a year ago, asked for 
the War on Terror reserve. I had separately agreed to endorse new funds 
for election reform, a bill that was passed months after my budget was 
submitted.
    Unfortunately, the Congress chose to circumvent the spending limit 
for FY 2003 by borrowing $2.2 billion in funding from FY 2004. This 
action must be corrected by adjusting both the 2004 budget allocations 
and appropriations, and holding advance appropriations constant with the 
level enacted last year. I will ask the Leadership to ensure this 
happens.
    This bill allocates over $53 billion in total Education funding. The 
Congress provided increases for many of my high-priority programs, 
including programs for reading, disadvantaged students, special 
education, and Pell Grants.
    The bill also includes $3.3 billion in unrequested drought and other 
assistance, which is only minimally offset by real reductions in 
existing farm spending. Ninety-five percent of purported savings are 
scheduled to come several years from now, after the expiration of todays 
farm bill, and may prove illusory.
    Most troublesome, H.J. Res. 2 falls nearly $1 billion short of my 
request for State and local law enforcement and emergency personnel, and 
in particular underfunds terrorism preparedness for first responders. I 
requested $3.5 billion for the First Responders Initiative. The bill, 
however, provides only $1.3 billion for this purpose. Meanwhile the bill 
provides $2.2 billion for existing State and local grant programs, which 
are not directly related to higher-priority terrorism preparedness and 
prevention efforts. This is unsatisfactory, and my Administration will 
use every appropriate tool available to ensure that these funds are 
directed to the highest priority homeland security needs.
    This belated agreement to last years appropriations process is not 
perfect, but it underscores the need to move quickly on this years 
priorities outlined in my 2004 budget request. I look forward to working 
with the Congress to continue funding the war on terror, strengthening 
our economy, and protecting the homeland.
                                                George W. Bush

Note: H.J. Res. 2, approved February 20, was assigned Public Law No. 
108-7. An original was

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not available for verification of the content of this statement.