U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

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99–012 2002

107th Congress, 2d Session – – – – – – – – – – – – House Document 107–215

REQUEST FOR EMERGENCY FUNDING FOR THE

FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

COMMUNICATION

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

TRANSMITTING

A REQUEST TO MAKE AVAILABLE FUNDS FOR THE DISASTER RELIEF PROGRAM OF THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

AGENCY

MAY 16, 2002.—Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered

to be printed

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THE WHITE HOUSE

Washington, May 15, 2002.

Hon. J. DENNIS HASTERT,

Speaker of the House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

DEAR MR. SPEAKER: In accordance with provisions of Public Law

107–73, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and

Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations

Act, 2002, I hereby request and make available $500 million for the

Disaster Relief program of the Federal Emergency Management

Agency (FEMA).

These funds will allow FEMA to continue providing assistance to

victims of disasters in several States, including victims of recent

tornadoes in Maryland and storms and flooding in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. These funds also would be available for ongoing response to prior disasters and to ensure that FEMA has resources on hand to provide timely response to future disasters.

I designate the $500 million made available today as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced

Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.

The details of this action are set forth in the enclosed letter from

the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. I concur

with his comments and observations.

Sincerely,

GEORGE W. BUSH.

Enclosure.

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[Estimate No. 7, 107th Cong., 2d Sess.]

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT,

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET,

Washington, DC, May 15, 2002.

The PRESIDENT, The White House.

Submitted for your consideration is a request to make available

previously appropriated contingent emergency funds for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The funding provided was made contingent upon your submission of a budget request to the Congress that includes designation of the amount requested as an emergency requirement.

Title III of P.L. 107–73, The Departments of Veterans Affairs

and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies

Appropriations Act, 2002, provided $1.5 billion in contingent emergency appropriations for FEMA disaster relief. To date, you have

not released any of these emergency funds. Your approval of this

request would make available $500 million for disaster relief for

previously declared disasters, including victims of recent tornadoes

in Maryland and storms and flooding in Kentucky, Tennessee, and

Virginia. FEMA has been working with State and local authorities

to provide assistance to the affected areas. These funds also would

be available for ongoing response to prior disasters and to ensure

that FEMA has resources on hand to provide timely response to future disasters.

I recommend that you designate this request for $500 million as

an emergency requirement in accordance with section 251(b)(2)(A)

of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985,

as amended. No further congressional action will be required.

I have carefully reviewed this proposal and am satisfied that it

is necessary at this time. Therefore, I join the Director of FEMA

in recommending that you make the requested funds available by

signing the enclosed letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Sincerely,

MITCHELL E. DANIELS, Jr.,

Director.

Enclosure.

EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS: AMOUNTS PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED

MADE AVAILABLE BY THE PRESIDENT

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA):

Disaster Relief ................................................................................ $500,000,000

Title III of P.L. 107–73, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and

Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002, provided $1.5 billion in emergency funding

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for FEMA disaster relief, contingent upon the President submitting

a budget request to the Congress and designating the amount requested as an emergency requirement. None of these funds have

yet been designated as an emergency requirement and made available.

The President recently declared disasters in Maryland for tornadoes and in the States of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia for

damage caused by storms and flooding. FEMA has been working

with State and local authorities to provide assistance to the affected areas. This request would make available $500 million of the

$1.5 billion in contingent emergency funding for disaster relief activities associated with these recent disasters, as well as continuing

response to prior disasters, and other disaster relief activities.

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