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[House Document 109-119]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                     

109th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 109-
119
 
                 REQUEST FOR FY 2007 BUDGET AMENDMENTS

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

 A REQUEST FOR FY 2007 BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE 
                                PROGRAMS

June 27, 2006.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered 
                             to be printed
                                           The White House,
                                         Washington, June 27, 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 International Assistance 
Programs. The total discretionary budget authority in my FY 
2007 Budget would not be increased by these requests.
    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. 7, 109th Cong., 2d Sess.]

                 Executive Office of the President,
                           Office of Management and Budget,
                                     Washington, DC, June 27, 2006.
The President,
The White House.
    Submitted for your consideration are FY 2007 Budget 
amendments for International Assistance Programs. These 
amendments propose an increase in funding for the Global 
Environment Facility, fully offset by the elimination of 
funding for a new program at the Asian Development Bank. 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 
the Treasury in recommending that you transmit the proposals to 
the Congress.
            Sincerely,
                                               Rob Portman,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosures.
          DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

                        Multilateral Assistance

                      GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY

FY 2007 Budget Appendix Page: 787
FY 2007 Pending Request: $56,250,000
Proposed Amendment: $23,750,000
Revised Request: $80,000,000

    This proposal would increase the FY 2007 request for the 
Global Environment Facility (GEF) by $23.75 million to $80 
million for the scheduled payment for the first year of the 
latest replenishment (GEF-4) agreement. Negotiation of this 
agreement was completed in early June 2006.
    The FY 2007 Budget requested $56.25 million for the GEF and 
$23.75 million for a possible new environmental program at the 
Asian Development Bank (AsDB), for a combined level of $80 
million for global environmental programs in the Multilateral 
Development Banks (MDBs). The Budget noted that the requested 
amounts might be rebalanced between these two accounts pending 
the outcome of the then-ongoing GEF-4 replenishment 
negotiations.
    The Administration believes that the policy reforms 
obtained in the GEF-4 negotiation warrant a U.S. commitment of 
$320 million over the four-year replenishment period ($80 
million per year). The reforms, which are consistent with U.S. 
legislative provisions enacted last year, include, among 
others, setting a target date for the expansion of the GEF's 
performance-based allocation system and the establishment of 
strong fiduciary standards at the GEF implementing and 
executing agencies. The United States will remain the largest 
contributor to the GEF.
    Given the satisfactory results from the GEF-4 negotiations, 
the Administration is proposing to increase funding for the GEF 
in lieu of creating a new AsDB environmental program. The 
accompanying amendment fully offsets this proposed budget 
authority increase. Taken together, the amendments would reduce 
projected FY 2007 outlays by $2.4 million.
          DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

                        Multilateral Assistance

               CONTRIBUTION TO THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK

FY 2007 Budget Appendix Page: 789
FY 2007 Pending Request: $23,750,000
Proposed Amendment: -$23,750,000
Revised Request: - - -

    (Delete the heading above and the appropriations language 
that follows.)
    This amendment eliminates the funding request for a new 
environmental program at the Asian Development Bank (AsDB). The 
FY 2007 Budget included $23.75 million for a possible new 
environmental program at the Asian Development Bank (AsDB) and 
$56.25 million for the Global Environment Facility (GEF), for a 
combined level of $80 million. The Budget noted that the 
requested amounts might be rebalanced between these two 
accounts pending the outcome of the then-ongoing GEF-4 
replenishment negotiations. Given the satisfactory results from 
the GEF-4 replenishment negotiations, the Administration is 
proposing to increase funding for the GEF in lieu of creating a 
new AsDB environmental program.
    This proposed budget authority decrease to AsDB fully 
offsets the requested budget authority increase for GEF in the 
accompanying amendment. Taken together, the amendments would 
reduce projected FY 2007 outlays by $2.4 million.

                                  
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