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[House Document 107-215]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

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

                               __________

                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
99-012                     WASHINGTON : 2002

                                            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.
                [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 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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