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[House Document 108-65]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

108th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 
108-65
 
     A REQUEST FOR FUNDING FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

 A REQUEST TO MAKE AVAILABLE FUNDS FOR THE DISASTER RELIEF PROGRAM OF 
                  THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

   April 29, 2003.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and 
                         ordered to be printed

                                           The White House,
                                        Washington, April 15, 2003.
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 $250 million for the 
disaster relief program of the Department of Homeland Security 
(DHS).
    These funds would allow DHS to continue providing 
assistance for disasters in several States, including the 
recovery of the Columbia space shuttle and the damaging winter 
storms on the East Coast. These funds also would be available 
for ongoing response to prior disasters and to ensure that DHS 
has resources on hand to provide timely response to future 
disasters.
    I designate these funds 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 attached 
letter from the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget. I concur with his comments and observations.
            Sincerely,
                                                    George W. Bush.

                [Estimate No. 8, 108th Cong., 1st Sess.]

                 Executive Office of the President,
                           Office of Management and Budget,
                                    Washington, DC, April 14, 2003.
The President,
The White House.
    Submitted for your consideration is a request to make 
available previously appropriated contingent emergency funds 
for the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate (EP&R) 
of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These funds were 
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 the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency's disaster relief program, which is now part 
of DHS. To date, $1.0 billion of these funds have been made 
available. Your approval of this request would make available 
$0.25 billion of the remaining $0.5 billion for disaster relief 
for any previously declared disasters, including the recovery 
of the Columbia space shuttle and the damaging winter storms on 
the East Coast. The funds also would be available for ongoing 
response to prior disasters and to ensure that EP&R has 
resources on hand to provide timely response to future 
disasters.
    I recommend that you designate this request for $0.25 
billion 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.
    I have carefully reviewed this proposal and am satisfied 
that it is necessary at this time. Therefore, I join the 
Secretary of DHS 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

Department of Homeland Security:
    Emergency Preparedness and Response: Disaster Relief    $250,000,000

    Title III of P.L. 107-73, the Departments of Veterans 
Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent 
Agencies Appropriation Act, 2002, provided $1.5 billion in 
emergency funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
(FEMA), contingent upon the President submitting a budget 
request to the Congress and designating the amount requested as 
an emergency requirement. (FEMA's disaster relief program is 
now part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).)
    The President recently declared disasters in Texas and 
Louisiana in response to the Columbia space shuttle, as well as 
in many Eastern States due to severe winter storms. DHS has 
been working with State and local authorities to provide 
assistance to the affected areas. This request would make 
available $0.25 billion of 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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