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[House Document 109-134]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

109th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 109-134

 
                 REQUEST FOR FY 2007 BUDGET AMENDMENTS

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                     THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

A REQUEST FOR FY 2007 BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 
                                SECURITY

 September 21, 2006.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and 
                         ordered to be printed
                                           The White House,
                                    Washington, September 20, 2006.
Hon. J. Dennis Hastert,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Speaker: I ask the Congress to consider the 
enclosed FY 2007 Budget amendments for the Federal Coordinator 
for Gulf Coast Rebuilding Office in the Department of Homeland 
Security. The total discretionary budget authority in my FY 
2007 Budget would not be increased by this request.
    The details of this proposal are set forth in the enclosed 
letter from the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget.
            Sincerely,
                                                    George W. Bush.
                [Estimate No. 10, 109th Cong. 2d Sess.]

                 Executive Office of the President,
                           Office of Management and Budget,
                                Washington, DC, September 20, 2006.
The President,
The White House.
    Submitted for your consideration are FY 2007 Budget 
amendments for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This 
proposal would fund the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast 
Rebuilding Office in one appropriation account rather than 
portions of three appropriation accounts as was the case in FY 
2006. The Office will also be a separate budget line item, as 
Congress requested, so that funding of this office can be more 
easily tracked.
    Executive Order 13390 created the Gulf Coast Rebuilding 
Office and designated a Coordinator of Federal Support for the 
Recovery and Rebuilding of the Gulf Coast Region. In FY 2006, 
the office was funded with resources from the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency's Disaster Relief Fund and Departmental 
Management and Operations accounts within DHS.
    This proposal requests $4.2 million for the Gulf Coast 
Rebuilding Office, funded within the Office of the Secretary, 
offset by a reduction to the Disaster Relief Fund of the same 
amount. Overall, the total discretionary budget authority 
proposed in your Budget would not be increased by these 
amendments.
    I have reviewed these proposals and am satisfied that they 
are necessary at this time. Therefore, I join the Secretary of 
Homeland Security in recommending that you transmit this 
request to the Congress.
            Sincerely,
                                                       Rob Portman.
    Enclosures.
                    DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

                 Departmental Management and Operations

    DEPARTMENTAL OPERATIONS, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY AND EXECUTIVE 
                               MANAGEMENT

FY 2007 Budget Appendix Page: 473
FY 2007 Pending Request: $97,508,000
Proposed Amendment: $4,188,000
Revised Request: $101,696,000

    This amendment would provide $4.2 million for the Federal 
Coordinator of the Gulf Coast Rebuilding Office in FY 2007. The 
Office will also be a separate budget line item within the 
appropriation for the Office of the Secretary and Executive 
Management (OSEM). This amendment is fully offset by a 
reduction from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's 
Disaster Relief Fund (DRF), as requested in an accompanying 
amendment.
    The President created the Gulf Coast Rebuilding Office and 
designated a Coordinator of Federal Support for the Recovery 
and Rebuilding of the Gulf Coast Region by Executive Order 
13390, on November 1, 2005. The Coordinator is responsible for 
working with State and local officials to identify the priority 
needs for long-term rebuilding; communicating those needs to 
the decision makers in Washington, DC; and advising the 
President on the most effective, integrated, and fiscally 
responsible Federal strategies for support of Gulf Coast 
recovery.
    In FY 2006, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 
funded the Office with resources from DRF and from Departmental 
Management and Operations accounts within DHS. Specifically, a 
total of $2.3 million was provided to support 20 positions, 
including $1.4 million from DRF, $0.7 million from OSEM, and 
$0.2 million from the Under Secretary for Management. DHS 
provided notification to the Congress on June 30, 2006, of 
funding that was used to support this new office. The 
notification was approved by the Senate on July 20, 2006, and 
by the House on July 25, 2006.
    Of the total amount requested in this amendment, $2.6 
million would support personnel costs for 20 positions. Other 
costs provided for in the request include $0.3 million for 
travel, $0.5 million for rent, $0.4 million for IT costs, $0.05 
million for supplies, and $0.3 million for support services 
provided through the Working Capital Fund. The amount requested 
for FY 2007 reflects an annualized cost of items partially 
funded in FY 2006 and full-year operational costs for FY 2007, 
and does not reflect any growth for the Office.

                    DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

                  Federal Emergency Management Agency

                            DISASTER RELIEF

FY 2007 Budget Appendix Page: 517
FY 2007 Pending Request: $1,941,390,000
Proposed Amendment: -$4,188,000
Revised Request: $1,937,202,000

    This amendment would decrease the FY 2007 request for the 
Disaster Relief Fund by $4.2 million in order to offset the 
increased funding requested for the Office of the Secretary to 
support the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding, as 
described in the accompanying amendment.

                                  
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