U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

29–012 2004

108th Congress, 2d Session – – – – – – – – – – – – House Document 108–208 

REQUESTS FOR FY 2005 BUDGET AMENDMENTS 

COMMUNICATION 

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRANSMITTING

REQUESTS FOR FY 2005 BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, AND 

THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2004.—Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and 

ordered to be printed 


E:\Seals\Congress.#13
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THE WHITE HOUSE

Washington, September 7, 2004. 

Hon. J. DENNIS HASTERT, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives, 

Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. SPEAKER: I ask the Congress to consider the enclosed 

FY 2005 budget amendments for the Department of Agriculture, 

the Department of Energy, and the Corps of Engineers. In total, 

these amendments would not increase the discretionary budget authority proposed in my FY 2005 Budget. 

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. 

Enclosure. 

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[Estimate No. 10, 108th Cong., 2d Sess.] 

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, 

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, 

Washington, DC, September 6, 2004. 

The PRESIDENT, The White House. 

Submitted for your consideration are requests for FY 2005 budget amendments for the Department of Agriculture, Department of 

Energy, and the Corps of Engineers. The discretionary budget authority proposed in your FY 2005 Budget would not be increased 

by these amendments. 

As described below and in more detail in the enclosures, the requests include the following: 

Department of Agriculture 

• $15 million is proposed for the Forest Land Enhancement Program to provide financial assistance to non-industrial private forest 

landowners. This funding would be fully offset within the Department. 

Corps of Engineers/Department of Energy 

• $15 million is proposed for the Corps of Engineers to begin 

deepening the Federal navigational channel that runs along the 

Columbia River. The increase in budget authority would be fully 

offset by a corresponding decrease in the Department of Energy. 

Recommendation 

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 the Chief of Engineers in recommending 

that you transmit these amendments to the Congress. 

Sincerely, 

JOSHUA B. BOLTEN, 

Director. 

Enclosures. 

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

FOREST SERVICE

WORKING CAPITAL FUND

FY 2005 Budget Appendix Pages: 190–191 

FY 2005 Pending Request: — 

Proposed Amendment: ¥$15,000,000 

Revised Request: ¥$15,000,000 

(Under the above heading, insert the following new paragraph:) 

Of the unobligated balances of the Working Capital Fund at the 

beginning of fiscal year 2005, $15,000,000 is hereby cancelled. 

This proposal would cancel $15 million of unobligated balances 

in the Forest Service’s Working Capital Fund. The reduction would 

be used to offset a proposed increase in budget authority for the 

Forest Land Enhancement Program, as described in an accompanying amendment. 

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

TITLE VII—GENERAL PROVISIONS

FY 2005 Budget Appendix Page: 198 

FY 2005 Pending Request: ¥$40,000,000 

Proposed Amendment: $15,000,000 

Revised Request: ¥$25,000,000 

(In appropriations language under the above heading, subsection 

(c) of section 724 is amended as follows:) 

(1) Delete the period at the end of the first phrase and substitute 

, in excess of $15,000,000.; and 

(2) Delete ‘‘Not less than $40,000,000 of funds under such section 

are hereby cancelled.’’ 

This proposal would make available $15 million for financial assistance to non-industrial private forest landowners. The remaining 

$25 million would not be available for FY 2005, but is not proposed 

for cancellation. 

This funding would be offset by a proposed cancellation of funds 

(¥$15 million) within the Department, as described in an accompanying amendment. 

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER DEENSE ACTIVITIES

DEFENSE SITE ACCELERATION COMPLETION

FY 2005 Budget Appendix Page: 386 

FY 2005 Pending Request: $35,000,000 

Proposed Amendment: ¥$7,000,000 

Revised Request: $343,000,000 

This amendment would reduce the pending budget proposal to 

make these funds available for site cleanup only to the extent that 

legal uncertainty concerning certain reprocessing waste is resolved 

through pending litigation or by new legislation. While the Administration continues to work with the Congress and affected States 

on a legislative solution, it is likely that legal issues for some of 

the planned sites will not be resolved in time for all of the proposed 

funds to be obligated in FY 2005. 

This reduction would partially offset the proposed increase to the 

Corps of Engineers’ Construction account, as described in an accompanying amendment. 

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER DEFENSE ACTIVITIES

OTHER DEFENSE ACTIVITIES

FY 2005 Budget Appendix Page: 387 

FY 2005 Pending Request: $664,618,000 

Proposed Amendment: ¥$5,000,000 

Revised Request: $659,618,000 

This amendment and the companion amendment for the Department of Energy’s Energy Supply account would withdraw the proposal to establish a new Office of Future Liabilities. The activities 

that would have been handled by the new office will continue to be 

undertaken by existing DOE programs. 

This reduction would partially offset the proposed increase to the 

Corps of Engineers’ Construction account, as described in an accompanying amendment. 

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

ENERGY PROGRAMS

ENERGY SUPPLY

FY 2005 Budget Appendix Page: 391 

FY 2005 Pending Request: $834,284,000 

Proposed Amendment: ¥$3,000,000 

Revised Request: $831,284,000 

This amendment and the companion amendment for the Department of Energy’s Other Defense Activities account would withdraw 

the proposal to establish a new Office of Future Liabilities. The activities that would have been handled by the new office will continue to be undertaken by existing DOE programs. 

This reduction would partially offset the proposed increase to the 

Corps of Engineers’ Construction account, as described in an accompanying amendment. 

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CORPS OF ENGINEERS—CIVIL WORKS 

CONSTRUCTION

FY 2005 Budget Appendix Pages: 907–908 

FY 2005 Pending Request: $1,421,500,000 

Proposed Amendment: $15,000,000 

Revised Request: $1,436,500,000 

This proposal would provide an additional $15 million in the 

Construction account for the Corps of Engineers (Corps) to begin 

deepening the Federal navigation channel that runs from the 

mouth of the Columbia River to the ports of Portland, Oregon and 

Vancouver, Washington. The proposal would also allow the Corps 

to restore and improve the ecosystem and wildlife habitat associated with the project. 

The Columbia River navigation system transports commodities 

from the Pacific Northwest and from as far inland as Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. More than 40 percent of U.S. wheat exports are shipped via the Columbia River, which accounts for more 

than $14 billion in international trade annually. Deepening the 

channel would allow these ports to operate more efficiently and accommodate up-to-date deep-draft, economical ocean-going ships. 

Local project sponsors would share the cost of the project with the 

Federal Government. 

This increase in budget authority would be fully offset by proposed reductions to accounts in the Department of Energy, as described in accompanying amendments. 

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