[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 40 (Monday, October 4, 2004)]
[Pages 2171-2172]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Transmitting a 
Supplemental Budget Request To Support Comprehensive Response and 
Recovery Efforts After Hurricanes Ivan and Jeanne

September 27, 2004

Dear Mr. Speaker:

    On September 8th, I signed into law Public Law 108-303, the 
Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, which 
provided $2 billion in supplemental funds for hurricane-related disaster 
relief. On September 14th, I submitted a supplemental request totaling 
$3.1 billion to continue immediate assistance to address the impact of 
Hurricanes Charley and Frances.
    Due to Hurricanes Ivan and Jeanne and other hurricane-related needs, 
I am requesting additional emergency funds from the Congress. I now ask 
the Congress to consider the enclosed requests, totaling over $7.1 
billion, for additional emergency FY 2004 supplemental resources for the 
Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Homeland

[[Page 2172]]

Security, the Interior, Justice, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs; 
as well as the Corps of Engineers, International Assistance Programs, 
and the Small Business Administration.
    I hereby designate these specific proposals in the amounts requested 
herein as emergency requirements. These additional requests will support 
response and recovery effort to address the critical needs associated 
with the effects of Hurricanes Ivan and Jeanne and other storms in 
southern and eastern States and other affected areas. In addition to 
this enacted and requested emergency funding, Federal agencies will 
continue to use existing resources and programs for response and 
recovery efforts from all recent hurricanes and storms.
    I urge the Congress to limit this emergency funding to those items 
directly related to the recovery efforts from the impact of these recent 
major disasters and to act expeditiously on this and my September 14th 
emergency supplemental request.
    The details of this request are set forth in the enclosed letter 
from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
     Sincerely,
                                                George W. Bush