House
Appropriations Committee report 106-521 on H.R. 3908, March 14, 2000
63
141
106 th Congress
Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session
106 521
MAKING EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL
APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR
ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2000, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
March 14, 2000.--Committed
to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
Mr. Young of Florida, from
the Committee on Appropriations, submitted
the following
REPORT
together with
DISSENTING AND ADDITIONAL
VIEWS
[To accompany H.R. 3908]
The Committee on Appropriations submits the following report in
explanation of the accompanying bill making emergency supplemental
appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, and for
other purposes.
BILL HIGHLIGHTS
The bill recommended by the
Committee includes $1,701,021,000 of
emergency funding to support Plan Colombia and Andean region
counternarcotics activities, as well as related Department of Defense
activities. It also includes $4,955,723,000 for peacekeeping operations
in Kosovo and other national security matters, of which $4,709,023,000
is for the Department of Defense. The bill includes $2,243,257,000 for
Hurricane Floyd and other natural disaster assistance and for other
emergency purposes. Additionally, the bill includes several nonemergency
appropriations for various miscellaneous activities, the additional
funding for which is offset.
TITLE I
COUNTERNARCOTICS
CHAPTER 1
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION
Salaries and Expenses
The Committee recommends
$299,698,000, to remain available until
expended, of which $6,650,000 is provided as an emergency appropriation
as requested for DEA activities in support of Plan Colombia, and
$293,048,000 is provided as a contingent emergency appropriation. This
amount provides for activities necessary to support a comprehensive
strategy to combat the flow of drugs from Colombia and the region into
the United States.
Of this amount, $17,198,000 is provided to support intelligence and
investigative programs in source countries, an increase of $10,548,000
above the amount requested for DEA activities to implement Plan
Colombia, as follows: (1) $6,250,000 requested for fiscal year 2000 and
2001 costs associated surveillance and electronic intercept equipment
in
source countries as requested; (2) $5,000,000 to enhance analytic and
support capabilities on a regional basis; (3) $4,500,000 for
improvements to the MERLIN system in source countries to support
intelligence and investigative requirements; and (4) $1,448,000 for
other field programs, an increase of $1,048,000 above the amount
requested. The Committee expects DEA to submit a spending plan prior to
the expenditure of these funds.
The Committee notes that narcotics trafficking investigations are
increasingly dependent on the use of intercepted communications,
accounting for 72% of all court-authorized electronic surveillance
actions. Court-approved electronic surveillance was vital to the recent
successes of Operations Millenium and Impunity, which linked drug
trafficking activity within the United States to the highest levels of
the international cocaine trade. Recognizing that as criminal
organizations utilize advanced technologies to elude law enforcement,
U.S. law enforcement's current drug intelligence and investigative
capabilities have been eroded. Therefore, the Committee also recommends
$282,500,000, as a contingent emergency appropriation, to be deposited
in the Telecommunications Carrier Compliance Fund, to ensure that
current domestic drug-related intelligence and investigative
capabilities are maintained in accordance current statutory requirements
and deadlines. In addition, the Committee approves the reprogramming
submitted by the Department on January 10, 2000, which makes available
an additional $100,000,000 for this purpose.
CHAPTER 2
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE--MILITARY
OTHER DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
PROGRAMS
DRUG INTERDICTION AND COUNTER-DRUG
ACTIVITIES, DEFENSE
(Including Transfer of Funds)
Assistance for Plan Colombia
Fiscal year 2000 supplemental
request $98,400,000
Fiscal year 2001 request 62,400,000
Committee recommendation 185,800,000
The Committee recommends
$185,800,000 in emergency supplemental
appropriations, to support Plan Colombia goals to stand up and equip two
additional Colombian Army counternarcotics battalions and to assist the
Government of Colombia in its efforts to enhance its airborne tracking
and interception capabilities.
The Committee recommends funds for the following programs:
Train and equip Colombian
Army counternarcotics battalions $21,200,000
Counternarcotics brigade
headquarters 1,000,000
Aviation infrastructure support
13,200,000
Military reform 6,000,000
Organic intelligence capability
5,000,000
Senior Scout 5,000,000
Tracker aircraft modifications
10,000,000
AC 47 aircraft modifications
7,400,000
Ground based radars 20,000,000
Radar command and control
5,000,000
Andean Ridge intelligence
collection 7,000,000
Colombian ground interdiction
5,000,000
Classified 80,000,000
185,800,000
The Committee directs the
Secretary of Defense to provide to the
Committees on Appropriations, not later than 30 days after enactment of
this Act, a report on the proposed uses of all funds under this heading.
In addition, this report shall describe steps taken to ensure the
maximum force protection of U. S. personnel while deployed in Colombia,
including their rules of engagement.
Organic Intelligence Capability
The Committee bill includes
$5,000,000 to provide aircraft to the
Colombian Air Force with organic intelligence capability. The Committee
directs that the Secretary of Defense provide a report to the
congressional defense committees 30 days prior to the obligation of
these funds detailing the types, cost, configuration and quantity of the
aircraft being provided.
Classified Programs
The Committee's recommendations
regarding classified programs are
summarized in a classified annex accompanying this report.
GENERAL PROVISION--THIS CHAPTER
The Committee bill includes
a general provision providing authorities
for the use of Department of Defense funds in this Act for counterdrug
activities.
CHAPTER 3
BILATERAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE
FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO THE
PRESIDENT
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Assistance for Plan Colombia
and for Andean Regional Counternarcotics
Activities
Fiscal year 2000 Emergency
Supplemental request $818,000,000
Fiscal year 2001 Plan Colombia request 256,000,000
Committee recommendation 1,099,000,000
The Committee has recommended
$1,099,000,000 in emergency
supplemental appropriations to support Plan Colombia to reduce the
supply of narcotics to the United States from the Andean region; to aid
Colombian local and national governing ability; and to support human
rights. Also, these funds will assist other nations in the region in
reducing the cultivation, production and trafficking of illegal
narcotics destined for the United States and to provide alternative
economic development and related assistance.
Of this amount, the President requested that $818,000,000 be
designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to the Balanced Budget
and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended. In addition, the
President requested $256,000,000 in fiscal year 2001 to support Plan
Colombia. These funds shall only be available to the extent that an
official budget request that designates the entire amount as an
emergency requirement is transmitted to the Congress. The Committee has
provided that these funds be available until expended, as requested by
the Administration. To ensure that programs undertaken with these
emergency funds may be implemented rapidly, the Committee has provided
that funds obligated after February 6, 2000, and prior to the date of
enactment of this Act for administrative expenses which directly support
Plan Colombia and for Andean regional counternarcotics activities may
be
finally charged to funds made available for such purposes by this title.
The Committee has provided a waiver of section 482(b) of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961, regarding the procurement of weapons and
ammunition, for funds under this heading. Further, to support Plan
Colombia and for regional counternarcotics activities, any U. S.
government agency to which funds are transferred under any authority of
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 may utilize, in addition to any
authorities available for carrying out section 481, any additional
authorities available to that agency for carrying out related
activities, including the use of such funds for administrative expenses.
The Committee directs the Secretary of State, in consultation with
the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of the Agency for
International Development, to provide to the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the Committees on Appropriations not later than 30
days after enactment of this Act, a report on the proposed uses of all
funds under this heading on a country-by-country basis for each proposed
program, project or activity. The Committee expects the Administration's
report to reflect the priorities as recommended in the following funding
columns. The Committee notes that the report by the Secretary of State
must be received prior to the initial obligation of any of these
emergency supplemental funds. The Committee expects this report to serve
as the basis for any future reprogramming of funds by the Executive
Branch. Further, all funds provided under this heading are subject to
the regular notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations.
Assistance for Plan Colombia
The Committee has recommended
$962,000,000 to support the Colombian
government's Plan Colombia. This assistance is designed to support the
five objectives of the Colombian government: to gain control of the drug
producing regions in southern Colombia; to increase drug interdiction
efforts; to provide additional assistance to the Colombian National
Police; to increase alternative economic development programs; to
strengthen government and nongovernmental human rights programs; and to
assist Colombian national and local government justice and anti-crime
programs.
Support for the Push into Southern Colombia
The Committee has recommended
$501,000,000 to support the Government
of Colombia's objective to gain control of the drug producing regions
of
southern Colombia. This amount is $47,100,000 below the overall level
requested by the Administration for this objective for fiscal years 2000
and 2001 for Plan Colombia.
These funds will support certain aspects of training and equipping
the second and third Colombian Army counternarcotics battalions. Central
to this entire effort is providing reliable airlift for these
counternarcotics battalions. The Committee recommendation funds
procurement of 28 UH 60 Blackhawk and 15 UH 1N helicopters for use by
the Colombian Army. These funds also will support pilot, crew and
mechanic training and operations and maintenance support for these
aircraft in fiscal years 2000 and 2001. The Committee directs that UH
60
Blackhawk procurement be managed by the U.S. Defense Security
Cooperation Agency.
The Committee has recommended that of the funds provided in support
of this objective, $16,000,000 be utilized to support alternative
development in southern Colombia and $15,000,000 be provided for
temporary emergency resettlement and employment programs as proposed by
the Administration. The Committee recommendation funds the following
programs:
Train and equip Colombian Army counternarcotics battalions $7,000,000
Army counternarcotics battalion
UH 1N program 64,000,000
Army counternarcotics battalion
UH 60 program 362,000,000
Sustain Army counternarcotics
battalion 6,000,000
Forward infrastructure development
3,000,000
Force protection enhancements
4,000,000
Logistical support 4,400,000
Army counternarcotics battalion
organic intelligence 9,000,000
Training for senior commanders
1,100,000
Army counternarcotics battalion
communications 3,000,000
Other infrastructure and
sustainment 6,500,000
Alternative development in
southern Colombia 16,000,000
Temporary emergency resettlement
and employment 15,000,000
$501,000,000
Support for Interdiction Efforts
The Committee has recommended
$130,500,000 to enhance United States
and Colombian narcotics interdiction efforts. The majority of these
funds are dedicated to upgrading the radar systems in four U.S. Customs
Service P 3 airborne early warning interdiction aircraft. The U.S.
Customs Service aircraft will be dedicated to missions to detect and
monitor suspect targets destined for the United States from cocaine
source zones, primarily Colombia. The Committee also supports the
Administration's $2,000,000 request for the U.S. Department of
Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control to expand programs aimed at
sanctioning Colombian narcotics kingpins and $1,000,000 requested for
the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy's counternarcotics
intelligence architecture program.
Additionally, the Committee recommendation funds U.S. and Colombian
air, land, and sea interdiction programs as follows:
Upgrade Colombian Air Force OV 10 aircraft $15,000,000
Upgrade aircraft for night
operations 1,900,000
Airfield upgrades 8,000,000
Upgrade U.S. Customs Service
P 3 aircraft radar systems 68,000,000
Support for Colombian air
interdiction program 19,500,000
Support for Colombian riverine
interdiction program 12,000,000
Ammunition for Colombian
riverine interdiction program 2,000,000
Colombian Navy operations
infrastructure support 1,000,000
U.S. ONDCP Counternarcotics
intelligence architecture 1,000,000
U.S. Treasury/OFAC sanctions
support 2,100,000
$130,500,000
Support for the Colombian National Police
The Committee has recommended
$115,500,000 to support the Colombian
National Police (CNP). The Committee notes that the CNP has for years
been at the forefront of the Colombian government's counter-narcotics
efforts and has received significant United States support in recent
years. The Committee recommends three significant programs to enhance
the CNP's eradication efforts. These include: $26,000,000 for
procurement, training and support for two UH 60 Blackhawk helicopters,
$20,600,000 for twelve Huey II helicopters, and $20,000,000 for the
purchase of T 65 agricultural spray aircraft and OV 10 aircraft. The
Committee recommends additional funds be provided for communications,
ammunition, spare parts, training and logistical support. The Committee
directs that the UH 60 Blackhawks for use by the Colombian National
Police will be dedicated to counternarcotics operations in southern
Colombia. The Committee is aware of the success of the CNP's poppy
eradication program and encourages expansion of this effort with
additional spray aircraft provided with funds under this Act. The
Committee recommendation funds the following programs:
Secure communications $3,000,000
Weapons and ammunition 3,000,000
UH 60 Blackhawk procurement
and support 26,000,000
Enhanced logistical support
2,000,000
CNP forward operating capability
and force protection 5,000,000
CNP border bases construction
5,000,000
Additional CNP airmobile
units 2,000,000
Upgrade CNP aviation facilities
8,000,000
Additional spray aircraft
20,000,000
Upgrade existing CNP airplanes
(including FLIR) 5,000,000
Upgrade 12 UH 1H helicopters
to Huey II configuration 20,600,000
Sustainment and operations
5,000,000
Training for pilots and mechanics
1,900,000
Airfield security 2,000,000
Enhanced eradication 4,000,000
Spare parts 3,000,000
$115,500,000
Support for Alternative Economic Development in Colombia
The Committee has recommended
$116,500,000 to support alternative
economic development programs in Colombia. These funds are in addition
to the $16,000,000 provided for alternative development associated with
the Colombian government's objective to ``Push into Southern Colombia''.
The Committee supports the Administration's proposal to work closely
with the Colombian government's alternative development agency, PLANTE,
in the development and execution of these programs. The Committee
recognizes these funds represent a ten-fold increase above current U.S.
alternative development support to Colombia and, therefore, has
recommended $6,000,000 for operating expenses for the Agency for
International Development to effectively manage this program, as well
as
management of human rights and rule of law programs. The Committee
recommendation funds the following programs:
Environmental programs $5,000,000
Voluntary eradication programs
46,000,000
Assistance to local governments
15,000,000
Assistance for internally
displaced persons 24,500,000
AID Operating Expenses in
Colombia 6,000,000
Community-level alternative
development 20,000,000
$116,500,000
Support for Human Rights and Judicial Reform in Colombia
The Committee has recommended
$98,500,000 for a broad range of human
rights, judicial reform and other programs designed to support the peace
process and to strengthen democracy and rule of law in Colombia. The
Committee strongly supports funding for these programs and recognizes
that protecting human rights and rule of law are central to the overall
goals of Plan Colombia. Therefore, the Committee has recommended an
increase of $5,500,000 above the amount requested by the Administration
for protection of human rights workers, to strengthen human rights
institutions and for judicial reform. The Committee recommends
$2,500,000 to assist in the creation of a professional military legal
corps and to institutionalize human rights training in the Colombian
military. The Committee recommends enhancement of demand reduction
programs in Colombia and Peru and establishment of similar programs in
Bolivia and Ecuador through the Department of State's International
Narcotics Control Bureau. The Committee recommendation funds the
following programs:
Protection of human rights workers $4,500,000
Strengthen human rights institutions
8,500,000
Establish CNP/Fiscalia human
rights units 4,000,000
Judicial system policy reform
2,500,000
Criminal code reform 3,500,000
Prosecutor training 4,500,000
Judges training 4,000,000
Casa de Justicia judicial
program 6,500,000
Public defender program 2,500,000
Asset forfeiture-money laundering
task force 4,000,000
Counternarcotics investigative
units 4,000,000
Anti-corruption program 6,000,000
Asset management program
1,000,000
Anti-kidnapping program 2,000,000
Financial crime program 3,000,000
Judicial Police training
program 4,000,000
Witness and judicial security
5,000,000
Armed Forces human rights
and legal reform 1,500,000
Army JAG school 1,000,000
Training for Customs police
6,000,000
Maritime enforcement and
port security 4,000,000
Multilateral case initiative
4,500,000
Prison security program 8,000,000
Banking supervision assistance
1,000,000
Revenue enhancement assistance
1,000,000
Customs training assistance
1,000,000
Conflict management and peace
process 1,000,000
$98,500,000
Greater Regional Emphasis
The Committee recognizes
the unique crisis affecting Colombia and the
United States and has, therefore, responded to the President's request
that the overwhelming majority of these emergency funds be provided in
direct support of Plan Colombia. However, this effort requires a greater
regional emphasis so that the problems associated with the cultivation,
processing and trafficking of illegal narcotics are not simply relocated
elsewhere in the region. Therefore, the Committee has recommended
$137,000,000 for assistance for other countries in the region. This is
$61,000,000 above the amount requested by the President for regional
activities.
Support for Peru
Alternative economic development
and other programs $15,000,000
Other interdiction programs 27,000,000
--------------
Total $42,000,000
The Committee has recommended
that up to $42,000,000 shall be made
available for assistance for Peru, including up to $15,000,000 for
alternative economic development programs and up to $27,000,000 for
interdiction programs. These funds are designed to support mutually
beneficial narcotics interdiction programs, including upgrading Peruvian
government C 26 surveillance aircraft, communications upgrades, spare
parts, expanding riverine operations, and interdiction training for the
Peruvian National Police's road interdiction efforts. The Committee
recommendation includes $7,000,000 to upgrade four UH 1H helicopters to
Huey II configuration for use by the Peruvian National Police in the
coca growing regions of the Huallaga and Apurimac valleys. The Committee
is aware that the government of Peru is considering alternatives to its
aging fleet of Russian-built helicopters currently providing logistical
and resupply support for Peruvian counternarcotics programs. The
Committee encourages the Department of State to consider the use of
funds under this Act to support American-made helicopters which can
conduct high-altitude logistical and resupply operations in Peru.
The Committee supports expansion of the ongoing alternative
development programs already underway in key coca growing areas of Peru.
The Committee expects these programs to consist of technical assistance,
training and credit programs to former coca growers for the cultivation
and marketing of licit crops. Additionally, these funds may be utilized
to strengthen local governments and improve community and economic
infrastructure, such as water supplies, farm-to-market roads and
refurbishment of local schools.
Support for Bolivia
Alternative economic development
and other programs $49,000,000
Interdiction 8,000,000
--------------
Total $57,000,000
The Committee has recommended
that not less than $57,000,000 be made
available for assistance for Bolivia, including not less than
$49,000,000 for alternative economic development and $8,000,000 for
interdiction programs. The Committee supports the efforts of the
Bolivian government, through its ``Dignity Plan'', to terminate coca
production in the Chapare region of Bolivia. The Committee understands
that these additional funds for alternative economic development will
allow the Bolivian government to expand programs designed to develop and
market new agricultural products and to assist with small scale
infrastructure such as maintenance of farm-to-market roads and bridges.
The Committee expects interdiction assistance will reinforce the
Bolivian government's counternarcotics presence in the Yungas region,
upgrade intelligence collection equipment, expand C 130 pilot training,
and provide spare parts for various military vehicles.
Support for Ecuador
Alternative economic development
and other programs $8,000,000
Other interdiction programs 12,000,000
--------------
Total $20,000,000
The Committee has recommended
that not less than $20,000,000 be made
available for assistance for Ecuador, including not less than $8,000,000
for alternative economic development and other programs to be carried
out by the Agency for International Development. The Committee
recognizes the severe economic and political crisis currently facing
Ecuador and understands that this instability only increases the
opportunity for the cultivation of coca and the trafficking of precursor
chemicals and illicit narcotics destined for the United States. The
Committee supports alternative economic development and other programs
to improve water and sanitation, health services, improved local
governance, demand reduction, and to assist displaced people, especially
in Sucumbios province on Ecuador's northern border with Colombia.
The Committee has recommended $12,000,000 for interdiction programs,
including $3,500,000 for the upgrade, training and support for two UH
1H
helicopters to Huey II configuration for use by the Ecuadoran National
Police. The Committee directs that the balance of interdiction funds be
dedicated to boosting Ecuadoran police and military interdiction
capabilities and to enhance road and seaport interdiction programs.
Support for Regional Interdiction Programs
Total--Regional Interdiction Program $18,000,000
The Committee has recommended
not less than $18,000,000 for
interdiction programs in other countries in South and Central America
and the Caribbean. The Committee has been made aware of the significant
interdiction requirements in Panama, Costa Rica, Brazil and Venezuela.
The Committee directs that the Secretary of State, when reporting to the
Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Committees on
Appropriations as required by this Act, will provide recommendations and
justifications for the use of this money on a country-by-country basis.
CHAPTER 4
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, DEFENSE-WIDE
The Committee recommends
$116,523,000 for Military Construction,
Defense-wide, as compared to the request of $38,600,000. These amounts
are provided as a contingent emergency appropriation for the
construction of three Forward Operating Locations to support the
Colombia Anti-Drug Program, as follows:
Location/Facility
Cost
Ecuador:
$38,600,000
6,723,000
4,900,000
2,200,000
2,600,000
4,650,000
1,600,000
61,273,000
Aruba:
8,800,000
860,000
590,000
10,250,000
Curacao:
29,500,000
9,200,000
3,000,000
2,200,000
43,900,000
Various:
1,100,000
1,100,000
116,523,000
TITLE II
PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS IN
KOSOVO AND OTHER NATIONAL SECURITY MATTERS
CHAPTER 1
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
SECURITY AND MAINTENANCE
OF UNITED STATES MISSIONS
The Committee recommends
$104,000,000, as an emergency appropriation,
to remain available until expended, instead of $239,000,000, as
requested. This amount provides for the costs of site acquisition,
design and construction of a new secure embassy facility and Marine
guard quarters in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
The Committee recommendation does not include additional funds
requested to construct a new diplomatic facility in Pristina, Kosovo,
or
a new annex on the existing embassy compound in Tirana, Albania. The
Committee notes that funds remain unallocated from fiscal year 1999
emergency appropriations and fiscal year 2000 appropriations in this
account, and may be reprogrammed to address critical security needs at
other posts in the region.
CHAPTER 2
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE--MILITARY
Overseas Contingency Operations
Transfer Fund
The President requested,
and the Committee recommends, $2,050,400,000
in emergency supplemental appropriations for the Overseas Contingency
Operations Transfer Fund to pay for unfunded costs associated with
contingency operations in Kosovo and East Timor.
The following table summarizes the Committee's recommendations for
activities to be funded from this fund.
FY 2000 CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS
[In thousands of dollars]
Supplemental request Committee
recommendation Difference
Kosovo:
Military Personnel:
Army 157,400 157,400
Navy 25,600 25,600
Marine Corps 6,400 6,400
Air Force 2,400 2,400
----------------------- --------------------------- -------------
Total 191,800 191,800
======================= =========================== =============
Operation and Maintenance:
Army 1,332,100 1,332,100
Navy 49,900 49,900
Marine Corps
Air Force 114,800 114,800
Defense-Wide:
USSOCOM 24,000 24,000
AFIS 300 300
DISA 52,200 52,200
DLA 2,200 2,200
Other 226,600 226,600
Total, Defense-Wide 305,300 305,300
Navy Reserve 100 100
OHDACA 12,000 12,000
----------------------- --------------------------- -------------
Total 1,814,200 1,814,200
======================= =========================== =============
Other:
Defense Health Program 19,400 19,400
======================= =========================== =============
Total Kosovo 2,025,400 2,025,400
======================= =========================== =============
East Timor:
Operation and Maintenance:
Army 9,000 9,000
Navy 12,000 12,000
Marine Corps 1,000 1,000
Air Force 3,000 3,000
----------------------- --------------------------- -------------
Total East Timor 25,000 25,000
======================= =========================== =============
Overseas Contingency Operations Transfer Fund: Grand Total 2,050,400 2,050,400
Classified Programs
The Committee's recommendations
regarding classified programs are
summarized in a classified annex accompanying this report.
Natural Disasters
The President requested $27,400,000
for damage to Department of
Defense facilities resulting from Hurricane Floyd. The Committee has
been informed by the military services regarding other natural disasters
which have been no less destructive to U.S. military facilities, and
which have also resulted in a strain on the Department's financial
resources. These include Hurricanes Irene, Dennis, and Jose; Typhoons
Bart and Olga; and an earthquake which struck Southern California. Based
on estimates received from the Department, the Committee recommends
emergency supplemental appropriations of $115,875,000 for natural
disaster related expenses. The Committee is aware that the military
services have identified and begun to complete specific repairs as a
result of these natural disasters. Accordingly, the Committee recommends
providing funds to the military services and defense components in the
applicable operation and maintenance accounts, rather than in a transfer
fund as proposed by the budget request.
NATURAL DISASTERS--REPAIRS
[In thousands of dollars]
Supplemental request Committee
recommendation Difference
Operation and Maintenance:
19,532 19,532
----------------------- --------------------------- -------------
Total 27,400 115,875 88,475
Vieques
The President requested $40,000,000
to meet the concerns of the
residents of Vieques, Puerto Rico, related to training at the Navy range
on the island. This proposal would implement measures to meet expressed
health, safety, environmental, and economic concerns. In light of the
importance of this range to meeting immediate Navy and Marine Corps
readiness and training requirements, the Committee recommends an
emergency supplemental appropriation of $40,000,000, for ``Operation and
Maintenance, Defense-Wide'', for the purposes requested by the
President.
Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST) Aircraft
The President requested $73,000,000
in emergency supplemental
appropriations to purchase, modify, and provision a used 757 aircraft
to
support the Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST). The Committee
recommends approval of this request.
Budget Execution Shortfalls
The Committee bill includes
a general provision which provides
authority for the Secretary of Defense to transfer funds (from balances
which otherwise would expire at the end of the fiscal year) to tactical
aviation shortfalls identified by the Air Force during execution of the
fiscal year 2000 budget, such as engines, radars, countermeasure
dispensers, conformal fuel tanks, radar warning receivers, and aircraft
cost increases. The Committee directs that Air Force expiring balances
be used as the first priority, but that Defense-Wide expiring balances
may also be used only to the extent that Air Force funds are not
sufficient to fully meet tactical aviation budget execution shortfalls.
M1A2 Tank Upgrades
In the Department of Defense
Appropriations Act, 2000, the Congress
provided authority to enter into a new multiyear contract for
procurement of an additional 307 M1A2 Abrams tank upgrades subject to
submission of a cost analysis report to the congressional defense
committees. This analysis, provided to Congress in February 2000,
outlined an alternate procurement strategy using existing statutory
multiyear authority to shorten the span of the contract, reduce unit
prices by more than 14 percent, save over $250 million over the life of
the contract, and field combat equipment at a much faster rate. Upon
further discussions with the Committee, it was determined that
opportunities existed to further reduce average unit costs from the
originally proposed $7.26 million per vehicle to $5.9 million per
vehicle, a 19 percent savings. Although this approach would require an
additional up front appropriation of $125 million to accelerate
production rates and facilitate revisions to the multiyear contract, the
total program savings produced by this appropriation should exceed $350
million over the life of the contract. The Committee bill includes a
general provision which initiates this process, with funding provided
by
transfer from unobligated reserves in the National Defense Stockpile
Transaction Fund.
Shared Reconnaissance Pod (SHARP)
For fiscal year 2000, additional
funds were provided within
``Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy'' to initiate a new
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) project within the SHARP program. It has
become apparent that continuing this effort within the SHARP program
will delay the fielding of SHARP, an event not desired by either the
Committee or the Navy. Therefore, the Committee directs that the SAR
effort be shifted to the TARPS CD development program for concept
testing and evaluation. The additional funds, however, shall remain in
the SHARP program to finance other program requirements. The Committee
understands that there are lessons learned by the recent carrier
deployment of the TARPS CD system and fully expects the Navy to
implement enhancements necessary to meet future fleet operational
requirements.
Defense Health Program
The Committee bill includes
general provisions which provide
$854,500,000, and requisite legal authority, to cover unfunded
requirements and unanticipated increases in TRICARE contract claims in
the Defense Health Program. Within this amount $90,300,000 is available
for obligations and obligational adjustments for prior year contract
claims and $764,200,000 is available for obligations and obligational
adjustments for fiscal years 2000 and 2001. This funding is essential
in
order for the Department of Defense to meet both its legal obligations
and to avoid severe disruptions to the military health care system due
to lack of funding.
While providing the authority and funding for prior year claims, the
Committee in no way believes this action obviates any investigation or
reporting necessary under the Department's fiscal management guidelines.
To the contrary, the Committee believes that a thorough review of this
matter should be conducted in order to avoid a similar circumstance in
the future. Therefore, the Committee directs the Department, in
conjunction with the General Accounting Office, to review this matter
for potential violations of the Anti-Deficiency Act and the Department's
fiscal rules and regulations. The Committee further directs the
Department to report to the congressional defense committees 60 days
after enactment of this Act on the extent and scope of any violations
of
fiscal law or DOD fiscal regulations.
GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS CHAPTER
In addition to general provisions
cited previously in this chapter,
the Committee recommends the following general provisions.
The Committee bill includes a general provision which provides the
Department of Defense with the authority to maintain housing allowances
at the 1999 levels during fiscal year 2000. The Department has advised
the Committee that the funds required to make any retroactive payments
to service members in a military housing area can be accommodated within
the military personnel accounts.
The Committee bill includes a general provision which provides
$1,556,200,000 in emergency supplemental appropriations to cover the
cost of price increases in bulk petroleum purchased by the Department
of
Defense.
CHAPTER 3
OVERVIEW OF FUNDING RECOMMENDATION
The President has requested
$250,875,000 in emergency funds for
assistance for southeast Europe and Kosovo. Of this total, the Committee
is recommending $142,700,000. The Committee recommendation focuses on
supplemental assistance for Montenegro, Croatia, and building up defense
alliances in the region.
The Republic of Montenegro faces increasing pressure from Serbian
forces, and needs United States assistance to maintain its democratic,
pro-Western government. In addition, the Committee is greatly encouraged
by recent political events in Croatia, which should lead to further
progress on implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords. The new
Government of Croatia is committed to democracy, human rights, the
return of refugees, and free markets, and needs immediate assistance to
attain these goals.
The Committee is recommending $12,400,000 of the total of $92,800,000
requested for Kosovo. These funds are to be allocated to support
American officers involved in the international police force. From
existing funds in the account, the Administration has already allocated
$150,000,000 for assistance for Kosovo, of which only $10,000,000 had
been obligated as of March 1, 2000.
The Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs
Appropriations Act, 2000, contained a provision prohibiting obligations
for Kosovo unless the Secretary of State could certify that the
resources pledged by the United States at the November 17, 1999, donors
conference on Kosovo would not exceed 15 percent of the total resources
pledged by all donors. On December 3, 1999, the Secretary of State
certified that the United States pledge amounted to 14.82 percent of all
pledges.
The emergency supplemental
request of $92,800,000 would breach the
ceiling of 15 percent based on the November pledge total of
$1,056,000,000. Even though total pledges have increased to
$1,210,700,000 as of late February, approval of the full request of the
Administration would result in the United States providing as much as
20
percent of the total international effort to rebuild Kosovo.
The Committee is extremely concerned that the United States is
meeting its share of the funding burden for Kosovo while other nations
are failing to live up to their responsibilities. As an example, the
Committee has received information from the Department of State that as
of March 1 of this year, 481 of the 550 American police officers pledged
by the United States as our share of the international police force in
Kosovo were deployed. Of the remaining 3,883 officers that were supposed
to be provided by European and other nations, only 1,878 were deployed.
In addition, the Committee notes that at the November donors
conference, the European Commission pledged 500,000,000 euros
(approximately $486,000,000) subject to parliamentary approval. However,
the European Parliament only authorized a contribution of 360,000,000
euros (approximately $350,000,000), so the Commission subsequently
reduced its pledge to that amount.
The United States has already provided significant resources to
assist Kosovo. We provided $347,000,000 in humanitarian assistance in
fiscal year 1999. Of the total resources available to the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for the Kosovo emergency last
year, $78,500,000, or 27 percent, came from the United States. The
United States also exceeded its usual contribution of 25 percent for
refugee assistance worldwide through UNHCR last year by providing almost
one-third of the resources available to that organization.
All these funds are in addition to the $156,000,000 pledged for
Kosovo at the November donors conference and already available from
funds previously appropriated for fiscal year 2000.
The decision of the Administration to seek significant additional
resources for Kosovo is contrary to assurances that were given by the
President to the Congress that the United States would not play a major
role in the rebuilding of post-conflict Kosovo. For this reason and the
reasons cited above, the Committee cannot recommend additional funds for
Kosovo beyond those that will directly impact public order. Therefore
the Committee is recommending not to exceed $12,400,000 for support of
United States officers participating in the international police force.
The maintenance of public order is of the highest priority for the
protection of United States troops in Kosovo, and it is only for this
reason that the Committee is recommending additional emergency funding.
BILATERAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE
FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO THE
PRESIDENT
Operating Expenses of the
Agency for International Development
The Committee recommends
funding for Agency for International
Development (AID) operating expenses at a level of $13,000,000, compared
to the request of $22,000,000. The recommendation assumes that full
funding of $4,000,000 will be provided for security improvements.
However, funding for new and expanded office space, additional employees
and for other costs has been reduced by 50 percent.
The reduction from the President's request is recommended due to a
significant cut in program funding being proposed by the Committee under
the account ``Assistance for Eastern Europe and the Baltic States''. In
addition, the Committee is concerned the Agency for International
Development is projecting a larger administrative presence in the
Balkans than is justified given the nature and size of the programs
proposed for the region. Many of the funds appropriated to the program
account are, or will be, administered by other agencies. In addition,
some of these funds will be provided as budget support rather than as
programs that would be administered by the Agency for International
Development. For these reasons the Committee does not believe the full
request for AID's operating expenses is justified at this time.
OTHER BILATERAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE
Assistance for Eastern Europe
and the Baltic States
The Committee recommends
$95,825,000 for ``Assistance for Eastern
Europe and the Baltic States'', which is $99,175,000 below the
Administration's request of $195,000,000.
The Committee is recommending the full funding requests of
$34,000,000 for Montenegro and $35,725,000 for Croatia. In addition, as
requested $13,700,000 are being recommended for assistance to opposition
political parties in Serbia including support for nongovernmental
organizations and independent media. Funding of $12,400,000 for Kosovo
is limited to police activities.
FLOODS IN MOZAMBIQUE AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
The Committee urges the Administration
to use every effort possible
to guarantee sufficient funding for recovery assistance for Mozambique
and surrounding territories affected by the recent floods. Nearly one
million people are homeless or in desperate need of help. The death toll
is expected to soar into the thousands and mass starvation is feared,
as
the entire region's harvest were destroyed. The number of malaria cases
has tripled and medical personnel worry about other waterborne diseases
such as cholera and dysentery. Though Mozambique is one of the
continent's poorest countries, with a per capita income of $670 a year,
its economy was one of the fastest growing until the floods started in
February, 2000 and Cyclone Eline struck on February 22, 2000. After a
16-year civil war ended in 1992, the former Portuguese colony embraced
democratic elections and free-market capitalism, wooing foreign
investors by selling off state-run enterprises. The Committee is
concerned about the long-term impact of the floods on the country's
recovery from civil war and especially the future of efforts to rid
Mozambique of 2 million land mines from more than a decade of fighting.
Flood waters have washed away land, complicating mapping projects that
have located land mines. The Committee commends the US Agency for
International Development, the Coast Guard and the Department of Defense
for their efforts so far. Recognizing the enormity of the flood's
impacts, the Committee strongly urges the US Agency for International
Development to move forward in a timely manner with medium and long-term
recovery efforts. The Committee requests that the assessment report on
the devastation and need of the area (including an analysis of how the
United States can best be of assistance in regional recovery efforts)
be
submitted to the Congress from the Secretary of State, in consultation
with the USAID Administrator, no later than April 15, 2000. The
Committee expects that any assistance made available pursuant to the
assessment report should be provided in a manner which is proportionate
to the geographic enormity of the disaster. The Committee further
requests that reallocation and reprogramming efforts to provide
available funds for recovery not be programmed away from other Africa
funds. Additionally, the Committee directs the Administration to submit
a Fiscal year 2001 budget amendment modifying their request for
development assistance and child survival funding based upon new needs.
MILITARY ASSISTANCE
FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO THE
PRESIDENT
International Military Education
and Training
The Committee recommends
$2,875,000 in International Military
Education and Training grants for countries of the Balkans and southeast
Europe. This is the same level requested by the President. These funds
will be used to promote professionalization of the militaries of
southeast Europe, including enhancement of self-defense capabilities,
inter-operability, and improved civilian-military relationships to
solidify democratic reform efforts. In the event of another military
crisis in southeast Europe, increased cooperation between the militaries
of the region and the United States and its North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) allies will be crucial.
Foreign Military Financing Program
The Committee recommends
$31,000,000 in Foreign Military Financing
grants to countries of the Balkans and southeast Europe, the same level
as requested by the President. These funds will be used to strengthen
NATO ties with Balkan countries and the countries of southeast Europe.
They will also help bolster Serbia's neighbors to help withstand its
provocations and unite for regional security cooperation.
Pursuant to the President's
budget request, the funds will be
allocated as follows:
Albania 4,400,000
Bosnia 3,000,000
Bulgaria 5,700,000
Macedonia 6,000,000
Romania 7,500,000
Slovakia 2,400,000
Slovenia 2,000,000
31,000,000
The Committee is aware that
the funds for Bosnia will be used to
maintain equipment that was provided to that country pursuant to
authority previously provided to the President to drawdown $100,000,000
in military goods and services. However, future maintenance requirements
should be met by that government and not by the United States.
CHAPTER 4
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, DEFENSE-WIDE
The Committee recommends
$6,700,000, as a contingent emergency for
storm related damage to family housing at numerous locations, as
authorized by Section 2854 of Title 10, United States Code. Of this
amount, $1,400,000 was requested under ``Operation and Maintenance,
Defense-wide''.
QUARTERS NUMBER 6, MARINE CORPS BARRACKS
The Commandant of the Marine
Corps' residence has been located at the
Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. since 1810. This historic structure
has lacked major renovation and repair over the years. A comprehensive
approach to address roof repairs, replacement of structural components
damaged by water/termites, replacement of antiquated electrical wiring
and plumbing, window replacements, and asbestos and lead paint removal
are necessary. In addition, the quarters fails to meet ADA standards and
is in need of a fire suppression system. Funds for design of this
renovation have been identified by the Marine Corps. The Committee urges
the Marine Corps to accelerate the design and to develop an adequate
cost estimate for this project. The Committee supports the use of
private donations, along with appropriated funds, to assist in the cost
of the renovation. A general provision has been included authorizing the
use of private donations for this purpose and requiring a thirty day
notification to the appropriate committees of Congress prior to the
expenditure of such funds.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, ARMY RESERVE
The Committee provides $12,348,000
as a contingent emergency
appropriation due to storm damage related to Hurricane Floyd for an
Armed Forces Reserve Center in Greenville, North Carolina.
TITLE III
NATURAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE
AND OTHER EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS
CHAPTER 1
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
The Committee recommends
$2,000,000 for the Office of the Inspector
General, and intends these funds to be used for oversight and audit
activities involving the more than $16 billion provided in emergency
agricultural assistance in fiscal years 1999 and 2000. The Committee
wants to ensure the Inspector General's office has resources to carry
out its oversight activities with respect to these funds.
Since 1998, the Farm Service Agency has received more than $130
million in additional funds to cover shortfalls in their budget
requests. In spite of budgetary restrictions, the Committee continues
to
provide the funding necessary to ensure that services to producers are
maintained. The Committee directs the Inspector General to conduct a
study of the Farm Service Agency salary and expense requirements
necessary to administer the programs of the Farm Service Agency and
report the findings to the Committee within six months of enactment.
ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE
Salaries and Expenses
The Committee recommends
$7,140,000 to contain and control Pierce's
disease which is devastating agricultural areas in Southern California,
and is moving northward into other regions. Funds are needed immediately
to monitor for the earliest signs of the disease and to inspect
nurserystock prior to shipment. The disease is spread by a vigorous and
difficult to control insect called the glassy-winged sharpshooter. This
insect is a major problem, but elimination of the insect would not
eliminate the disease.
The Committee is disappointed by the federal response to this
outbreak. It is clear that efforts to control the spread of the disease
must be increased. It is also clear that there is an immediate need for
additional research efforts to study near and long term alternatives for
controlling the bacterium common to Pierce's disease. The Committee
expects the Secretary to initiate such efforts immediately, within
existing resources.
FARM SERVICE AGENCY
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Severely depressed commodity
prices, combined with impacts of natural
disasters, continue to place significant stress on farm and ranch
income. Recognizing the dire farm income situation, Congress provided
$8.7 billion in additional emergency assistance as part of the fiscal
year 2000 appropriation act. As producers begin spring planting, the
farm economy remains depressed, driving up demand for loan deficiency
payments (LDP's), commodity loans, farm credit and emergency program
assistance. LDP and commodity loan workload is expected to increase by
roughly $5 billion over the fiscal year 1999 level. Further, costs of
implementing the Pigford consent decree settlement, involving
discrimination claims by African-American farmers, have increased beyond
previous estimates and are being absorbed within the salaries and
expenses account. Absorbing these costs would lead to a reduction of 900
county staff, further exacerbating the staffing shortfall to meet
workload. Beyond the sheer workload demands, county office employees are
hobbled by severely outdated computer systems, including key program
systems for which technical support will no longer be available from the
vendor effective March 31. The Committee believes it is essential that
services be made available to producers in a reliable, timely manner.
Workload at the county offices through early 2000 has essentially
exhausted the resources available for temporary employment which is
critical to providing timely services. The Committee includes funds
needed to support an adequate level of county office staffing and to
make computer system changes needed to avoid potential failures which
would impair program and payment delivery.
Within the amount recommended, the Committee recommends $26,237,000
for temporary staffing to assure program delivery, $12,865,000 for
consent decree costs, and $38,458,000 for information technology, for
a
total of $77,560,000.
EMERGENCY CONSERVATION PROGRAM
The Committee recommends
language which would allow the use of
unobligated funds available in the Emergency Conservation Program to be
used to repair farm buildings and equipment that were damaged by
Hurricanes Dennis, Floyd, or Irene, in order to assist lower-income
producers to restore farming operations. The Committee is aware that the
available unallocated balance in the Emergency Conservation Program is
$5,000,000, and that the available unobligated balance is $94,000,000
as
of January 31, 2000. Within these available resources, the Committee
expects the Department to meet all requirements for repair of
hurricane-related damage to buildings and equipment.
CORPORATIONS
FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE CORPORATION
FUND
As part of the fiscal year
1999 emergency supplemental appropriations
bill, funds were provided to buy down the cost of crop insurance by 30
percent. Based on actual levels of insurance purchased by producers, the
cost exceeded the funds available by approximately $13,000,000. The
Committee recommends supplemental funding up to $13,000,000 to cover
this shortfall. This additional appropriation will avoid the need to
bill participating producers an average of $10 each to recover excess
premium. In most cases, the cost of such billing would exceed the
reimbursement owed.
COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION FUND
The Committee recommends
language which would forgive up to
$81,000,000 in marketing loans made by the Commodity Credit Corporation
to producer-owned associations that suffered losses from Hurricanes
Dennis, Floyd, or Irene. For certain crops, the Department of
Agriculture provides loans to producer-owned associations to provide
flexibility in marketing commodities. Such associations use loan
proceeds to purchase crops from individual producers, and subsequently
sell the crops to repay the USDA loan. According to the Office of
Management and Budget, a number of these associations suffered
hurricane-related losses to uninsured crops in storage after the
association had purchased them from producers. Due to degradation of
crop quality, associations cannot sell crop collateral at prices
sufficient to repay the USDA loan. Forgiving a portion of the
association loans would relieve additional financial stress on these
associations and their members.
The Committee directs that these funds shall be distributed among any
and all affected associations, and among all qualifying commodities.
RURAL ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
RURAL COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT
PROGRAM
The Committee recommends
$28,000,000 for water and waste grants.
The Committee also recommends
$15,000,000 for Community Facilities
grants.
RURAL HOUSING SERVICE
RURAL HOUSING INSURANCE FUND
PROGRAM ACCOUNT
The Committee recommends
$15,872,000 for the subsidy cost to support
$40,000,000 in direct loans to fund new rural rental housing projects
in
areas affected in 1999 by Hurricanes Dennis, Floyd, or Irene. This will
support approximately 1,000 units to house displaced low-income and
elderly rural residents whose housing was damaged or destroyed by last
year's hurricanes.
The Committee also recommends language providing for a loan level of
$296,000,000 for section 502 housing loans and a loan level of
$13,000,000 for section 504 housing repair loans.
RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The Committee recommends
$13,600,000 in rental assistance grants to
ensure that qualifying low-income tenants in the 1,000 units to be
constructed in hurricane-affected areas will pay no more than 30 percent
of their income for housing expenses.
MUTUAL AND SELF-HELP HOUSING GRANTS
The Committee recommends
$6,000,000 for mutual and self-help housing
grants.
RURAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE
GRANTS
The Committee recommends
$8,000,000 for rural housing assistance grants.
FARM LABOR PROGRAM ACCOUNT
The Committee recommends
$5,000,000 for grants to low-income migrant
and seasonal farm workers.
RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE
RURAL ELECTRIFICATION AND
TELECOMMUNICATIONS LOANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT
The Committee recommends
$1,021,000 to subsidize the cost of rural
utilities 5 percent hardship loans for an estimated loan level of
$113,250,000.
FOREIGN ASSISTANCE AND RELATED PROGRAMS
FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE
AND GENERAL SALES MANAGER
The Committee recommends
an additional $2,000,000 for the Foreign
Agricultural Service to administer and oversee emergency and other
international food assistance. The Service is expected to undertake
activities in support of monetization where there is the highest
potential for promoting and enhancing economic growth and development
in
recipient countries. Further, the Service is directed to specifically
expand its presence in Ukraine where there is a strong potential for
expansion, and Bulgaria, where there is a need for more adequate
administration and monitoring of USDA programs due to the sharp increase
in USDA food aid programs in the Balkans. The Committee believes these
funds will help build strong U.S. partnerships with emerging economies
and enhance exports to develop long-term markets for U.S. agricultural
inputs and products.
RELATED AGENCIES AND FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES
The Committee recommends
$20,000,000 for the first phase of
construction to replace the Los Angeles, California, laboratory. This
laboratory provides critical technical and analytical support to FDA's
domestic and import inspection effort, and is a key element in the
Agency's science base. The existing facility is over 40 years old,
outmoded to the point of obsolescence, and unsafe. Expediting this
project will enhance FDA's efforts to assure that products are safe,
will significantly improve operational efficiency, and will provide a
safe working environment for FDA employees.
ADDITIONAL MATTERS
BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS
It has come to the Committee's
attention that bovine tuberculosis has
been identified in deer for the first time in Michigan. Free-roaming
deer are quickly transferring this disease to cattle herds throughout
the state. This severely impacts Michigan's dairy and cattle industry.
The Committee urges the Department to address this problem
immediately, through epidemiology and surveillance, deer ecology,
epidemiological risk analysis, disease control and eradication, and
diagnosis and pathogenesis.
The Secretary of Agriculture will be expected to promptly notify the
Committee of any additional funding requirements, accompanied by
official requests for additional funds. The Secretary is directed to
report to the Committee by May 1, 2000, on his plan of action.
PLANT PESTS AND DISEASES
The Committee is concerned
about the increasing risk to our national
food supply from plant pests and diseases. Recent examples include
citrus canker in Florida, Pierce's disease in California, plum pox virus
in Pennsylvania, Asian longhorned beetles in Illinois and New York, and
Mediterranean and Mexican fruit flies throughout the southern United
States. The Committee notes that the Secretary of Agriculture has
authority to declare emergencies and to use the resources of the
Commodity Credit Corporation to meet such threats to American
agricultural production. This system has served our country well for
many years by granting the Secretary the power to make virtually
unlimited efforts to eliminate emerging pest and disease problems before
outbreaks expand and become unmanageable.
It appears that a problem has now arisen with this system. After the
Secretary has made an emergency declaration, the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) must apportion funds from the Treasury before the
effort can commence. It appears that the exercise of this apportionment
function has unnecessarily delayed USDA action, and has permitted
problems to expand, and to increase the cost of eradication. The
Committee strongly believes that this is not a proper use of OMB's
ministerial power.
In particular, the state of Florida is increasing its effort to
control and eradicate citrus canker during the current fiscal year. The
Committee supports this effort, and directs the Secretary of Agriculture
to report by May 1, 2000 on all requests for OMB apportionment of funds
under existing emergency declarations.
Hereafter, the Secretary of Agriculture is directed to submit to the
Committee copies of all apportionments requested under emergency
declarations at the time they are submitted to OMB, as well as the
response received from OMB.
GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS CHAPTER
Section 3101.--The Committee
recommends $35,000,000 for technical
assistance to support enrollment of acreage into the Conservation
Reserve Program and the Wetlands Reserve Program. These programs provide
significant environmental benefits. In addition, in the current economic
crisis facing the farm sector, these programs provide needed assistance
to farmers and ranchers who want to conserve natural resources but lack
financial resources to do so.
Section 3102.--The Committee recommends a technical correction to the
Act of August 19, 1958 to permit Section 416(b) food aid programs to
operate more efficiently.
Section 3103.--The Committee recommends $40,000,000 for replacement
of commercial lime, orange, and grapefruit trees that have been removed
to control citrus canker. The principal method for controlling the
spread of citrus canker is tree removal, followed by a period of two
years for the land to lay fallow, and five years of lost revenue. The
current program calls for the removal of trees within a 1,900 foot
radius of any detected citrus canker. With current estimates of total
affected acreage, deducting federal crop insurance indemnity, the
Committee estimates that $25,000,000 will be required for lime trees and
$15,000,000 will be required for other trees in order to compensate
growers for lost production.
Section 3104.--The Committee recommends language making certain areas
of Dade County, Florida eligible for Business and Industry loans.
CHAPTER 2
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Recent events in Los Angeles
and New York have heightened public
concern about police misconduct. The Committee is concerned that the
Justice Department has not moved expeditiously to conclude ongoing
investigations into patterns and practices of police misconduct and
discrimination in carrying out law enforcement activities in those
cities. The Committee directs the Justice Department to use resources
already made available to complete these important investigations and,
if inadequate, to use the Department's authority to supplement such
resources, pursuant to reprogramming requirements.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION
Economic Development Assistance
Programs
The Committee recommends
$25,800,000, as an emergency appropriation,
to remain available until expended, instead of $30,550,000 requested as
an emergency appropriation and $900,000 requested as a contingent
emergency appropriation. This amount provides for planning assistance,
public works grants, and capitalization of revolving loans funds to
assist in the recovery efforts of communities impacted Hurricane Floyd
and other recent disasters. The Committee expects the EDA to submit a
spending plan prior to the release of these funds.
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
Operations, Research, and
Facilities
The Committee recommends
$19,400,000, as an emergency appropriation,
to remain available until expended, instead of $23,900,000 requested as
an emergency appropriation, and $5,000,000 requested as a contingent
emergency appropriation. This amount provides $17,400,000 to assist
fishermen impacted by Hurricanes Floyd, Dennis, Georges, and Mitch, as
well as to provide relief from the recent, unexplained, disaster in the
Long Island Sound lobster fishery. The Committee expects NOAA to submit
a spending plan prior to the release of these funds. In addition,
$2,000,000 is provided for repairs to the Beaufort laboratory in North
Carolina damaged as a result of Hurricane Floyd.
The Committee recommendation does not include additional amounts
requested as contingency funds to address undeclared and undetermined
fisheries disasters. Funds requested for additional research and
assessment activities for the West Coast groundfish fishery are not
included. The fiscal year 2000 appropriations Act included an
enhancement of $1,540,000 to augment ongoing research and assessment
activities to study the continuing decline of the West Coast groundfish
fishery.
RELATED AGENCY
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Disaster Loans Program Account
The Committee recommends
an additional $33,300,000 in emergency
fiscal year 2000 subsidy appropriations for disaster loans for recovery
efforts related to Hurricane Floyd, and other natural disasters, instead
of $31,000,000 as requested. The Committee notes that, when combined
with previous appropriations, this additional amount will provide for
a
total fiscal year 2000 disaster loan program level of $1,201,000,000.
The Committee also recommends an additional $27,600,000 in emergency
fiscal year 2000 appropriations for direct administrative expenses
associated with disaster loan making and servicing activities necessary
to carry out the disaster loan program related to Hurricane Floyd and
other natural disasters, instead of $19,500,000 as requested. The
recommendation includes language, not requested, that no funds provided
shall be used for indirect administrative expenses. The Committee notes
that this additional amount results in a total appropriation of
$143,600,000 for the direct administrative costs of the fiscal year 2000
disaster loan program.
The Committee notes that the amounts provided exceed the requested
amount due to updated projections by the Small Business Administration
which include disaster loan activity since the time of the request.
Language is included designating the amounts provided as an emergency
requirement, and making these amounts available only to the extent that
an official budget request is submitted requesting that these specific
amounts be designated as an emergency requirement as defined in the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
CHAPTER 3
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE--CIVIL
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
CORPS OF ENGINEERS--CIVIL
GENERAL INVESTIGATIONS
The Committee recommendation
includes $1,500,000 for the Corps of
Engineers to conduct a study of the need for additional flood protection
in Princeville, North Carolina. The entire amount is designated by the
Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)
of
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as
amended.
NATIONAL SHORELINE EROSION CONTROL DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM
The Committee directs the
Corps of Engineers to fully fund the
artificial reef, Cape May Point, New Jersey Demonstration project from
the funds appropriated in the FY2000 Energy and Water Development
Appropriations Act for the National Shoreline Erosion Control
Development and Demonstration Program.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, GENERAL
The Committee has recommended
$27,925,000 for the Corps of Engineers
to perform emergency maintenance of projects impacted by natural
disasters in 1999, $8,750,000 more than the amount requested by the
Administration. The work to be performed includes dredging, repairs to
dredged material disposal areas, snagging and clearing, and scour
protection at navigation projects impacted by Hurricanes Floyd, Bret,
and Irene. The entire amount has been designated by the Congress as an
emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
ENERGY PROGRAMS
URANIUM ENRICHMENT DECONTAMINATION
AND DECOMMISSIONING FUND
The Committee recommendation
includes $16,000,000 as proposed by the
Administration. This funding will be used to accelerate environmental
cleanup at the Paducah, Kentucky, and Portsmouth, Ohio, gaseous
diffusion plants. The entire amount has been designated by the Congress
as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES
Other Defense Activities
(including transfer of fund)
The Committee recommendation
includes $63,000,000 for Other Defense
Activities, an increase of $45,000,000 over the Administration's
request. Of the total, $4,000,000 is offset by the transfer of
unobligated balances in the ``Biomass energy development'' account. The
entire amount has been designated by the Congress as an emergency
requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
Highly Enriched Uranium Blend Down Project. --The Committee
recommendation includes language authorizing the Department to initiate
design of the Highly Enriched Uranium Blend Down Project at the Savannah
River Site in South Carolina. No additional funding is required for this
project in fiscal year 2000.
Office of Security and Emergency Operations. --The Committee
recommendation supports the Administration's request of $4,000,000 for
the Office of Security and Emergency Operations to support critical
staffing needs. The funding will support an additional 16 employees. As
these employees are hired, the Committee expects the Office to reduce
its reliance on support service contractors and management and operating
contractor detailees.
Cyber Security. --The Committee recommendation for cyber security
activities is $49,000,000, an increase of $45,000,000 over the
Administration's request of $4,000,000. The additional funding is
provided to address urgent cyber security needs at the three nuclear
weapons laboratories and to establish the requirements and develop
prototypes to enhance protection of the Department's classified
networks.
Environment, Safety and Health. --The Committee recommendation
supports the Administration's request of $10,000,000 to accelerate
projects which have been initiated to address worker health and safety
concerns at the Paducah, Kentucky, and Portsmouth, Ohio, gaseous
diffusion plants.
CHAPTER 4
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Wildland Fire Management
The Committee recommends
an additional $100,000,000 for wildland fire
management. This amount is contingent upon receipt of a budget request
that includes a Presidential designation of the amount requested as an
emergency requirement as defined in the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Construction
The Committee recommends
an additional $5,000,000 for construction to
repair damage due to hurricanes. The Committee understands that these
funds will be used for repairs to Service property in the States of
Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and
Virginia.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Construction
The Committee recommends
an additional $4,000,000 for construction to
repair or replace visitor facilities, equipment, roads and trails, and
cultural sites and artifacts at national park units damaged by ice
storms, floods, hurricanes and lightning. The Committee understands that
these funds will be used for repairs to Service property in Alabama,
Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New
Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont,
Virginia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Surveys, Investigations,
and Research
The Committee recommends
an additional $1,800,000 for surveys,
investigations, and research to repair or replace stream monitoring
equipment and associated facilities damaged by storms, floods, and
hurricanes. The Committee understands that these funds will be used for
repairs in the States of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida,
Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York,
North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South
Dakota, Vermont, and Virginia.
RELATED AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
FOREST SERVICE
Wildland Fire Management
The Committee recommends
an additional $150,000,000 for wildland fire
management. This amount is contingent upon receipt of a budget request
that includes a Presidential designation of the amount requested as an
emergency requirement as defined in the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
CHAPTER 5
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN
AND FAMILIES
Low Income Home Energy Assistance
The Committee recommends
$600,000,000 to replenish the Emergency Fund
of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the same as
recommended by the Administration.
CHAPTER 6
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
COAST GUARD
Operating Expenses
The bill appropriates an
additional $37,000,000 for the Coast Guard's
operating expenses. This amount includes $18,000,000 for additional and
unanticipated health care costs for Coast Guard personnel, their
dependents, and retirees, and $19,000,000 for aviation spare parts. The
entire amount appropriated has been designated as an emergency
requirement pursuant to the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985, as amended. The administration proposed similar
supplemental funding for health care costs, but was derived by transfer
from funding made available to the Department of Defense.
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Federal-aid Highways
Emergency Relief Program
(Highway Trust Fund)
The bill provides an appropriation
of $600,000,000 to fund the
backlog of requests for damage repairs necessary due to disasters. Since
the beginning of fiscal year 1999, the emergency relief program has been
facing heavy demand for on-going funding needs from events approved in
prior years. This coupled with requests for funding for events which
occurred in fiscal year 1999 such as Hurricanes Floyd and Dennis
contributed to the current backlog of requests. The funding needs far
exceeded the annual authorization of $100,000,000 for the emergency
relief program. The entire amount appropriated has been designated as
an
emergency requirement pursuant to the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
RELATED AGENCY
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY
BOARD
Salaries and Expenses
The bill provides $24,739,000
to reimburse the Navy for wreckage
location and recovery of Egypt Air 990 and Alaska Air 261, as well as
for facilities, technical assistance, and testing associated with the
investigations. The entire amount appropriated has been designated as
an
emergency requirement pursuant to the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS CHAPTER
The Committee has included
a provision that prohibits the use of any
funding provided in the regular fiscal year 2000 Transportation and
Related Agencies Appropriation Act for operation of the transportation
computer center.
The Committee has included a provision that enacts an executive draft
on federal transportation in the national capital region.
CHAPTER 7
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS
PROGRAM
The Committee recommends
providing $25,000,000 for the North Carolina
Housing Finance Agency for the purpose of providing temporary rental
assistance, and for development of affordable housing needed for persons
dislocated by the floods caused by Hurricane Floyd and surrounding
events. North Carolina estimates that 2,000 families, including many
homeowners, were displaced by the floods that ravaged parts of North
Carolina. This appropriation will enable the State to provide temporary
rental assistance to low-income families who lost their homes and will
enable communities to begin rebuilding. The Committee has also
recommended an additional $11,000,000 for disaster related work through
the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION
The Committee has included
language providing for one-year renewal,
using unobligated amounts in the Housing Certificate Fund, of certain
homeless assistance grants that were not renewed in the most recent HUD
funding cycle.
INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
AGENCY
DISASTER RELIEF
The Committee recommendation
permits an additional $77,400,000 in
emergency funds appropriated to FEMA to be used for home buyouts and
relocation assistance for flood victims of Hurricane Floyd in North
Carolina and other affected states, the same as proposed in the
President's request. Public Law 106 113 made a portion of the
appropriation for ``disaster relief'' available for buyout of principal
residences that have been made uninhabitable by flooding caused by
Hurricane Floyd and surrounding events and established conditions for
eligibility. Upon further review, FEMA has determined that additional
funds are required to satisfy the most urgent buyout and relocation
needs in the affected areas. While rules for administering this effort
are just now being finalized, the Committee agrees with the goals of
FEMA as they seek to remove people from the 100 year floodplain, thereby
reducing the cost of future disasters.
The Committee understands that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has
substantially completed a flood control project in Harlan County,
Kentucky, and directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to
make necessary revisions to the flood plain map for the area. An
addendum to the existing map for the affected project areas should be
made available to the City and County of Harlan.
From within the amounts available to FEMA, the Committee directs FEMA
to provide up to $200,000 to the National Ground Water Association to
assemble and disseminate information promoting safe disinfection
procedures for ground water wells contaminated by flooding caused by
Hurricane Floyd.
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
The supplemental request
included a rescission of $40,000,000
designated by the Congress for a space shuttle science mission and
proposed using these funds for shuttle upgrades and hiring of additional
staff at four NASA centers. The Committee remains committed to the need
for a dedicated space shuttle science mission and therefore has not
taken the action proposed in the supplemental request. Instead, the
Committee recommends additional appropriations for ``Human space
flight'' of $25,800,000 to be used for the most urgent upgrades to
ensure the safe operation of the space shuttle fleet. During fiscal year
1999 NASA discovered significant wiring problems with the shuttle fleet
which resulted in launch delays. Numerous other safety upgrades have
been identified as requiring urgent resolution and the Committee is
encouraged that NASA appears to be developing a comprehensive upgrade
program. The most recent Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel report noted
``. . . the slow-paced implementation of the Orbiter Upgrade Program
does not bode well for any early improvements . . . in identifying and
eliminating vulnerabilities.'' The panel urged NASA and the Congress to
follow closely the findings and recommendations of the National Research
Council's report, ``Upgrading the Space Shuttle'' (1999). It is the
Committee's intent that NASA pursue the direction of the Advisory Panel
with regard to upgrades. Related to the issue of upgrades is the
recognition that NASA's aggressive down-sizing plan has placed the safe
operation of the fleet in jeopardy. To resolve this issue, the Committee
recommends an appropriation of $20,200,000 for ``Mission support'' for
hiring up to 282 FTE to augment NASA's staff and the Johnson, Kennedy,
Marshall, and Stennis Centers. Finally, the Committee recommends an
appropriation of $29,000,000 for ``Science, aeronautics and technology''
to address urgent and unanticipated program needs.
TRANSFERS OF FUNDS
The Committee has included
language transferring $2,600,000 from the
Environmental Protection Agency, environmental programs and management
account to the state and tribal assistance grants account.
TITLE IV
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS
AND OFFSETS
CHAPTER 1
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES
WEAPONS ACTIVITIES
The Committee recommendation
includes $55,000,000 as proposed by the
Administration. This funding will be used to address critical workforce
and required infrastructure improvements at three production facilities.
Additional funding of $45,000,000 is included for the Y 12 Plant in Oak
Ridge, Tennessee; $7,000,000 is included for the Kansas City Plant in
Missouri; and $3,000,000 is included for the Pantex Plant in Amarillo,
Texas.
ENERGY PROGRAMS
SCIENCE
The Committee directs the
Department to develop a plan outlining the
cost, scope, and schedule for decontaminating and decommissioning the
High Flux Beam Reactor at the Brookhaven National Laboratory.
CHAPTER 2
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
FOREST SERVICE
State and Private Forestry
(Transfer of Funds)
The Committee recommends
an additional $500,000 for State and private
forestry, to be derived by transfer from unobligated balances in the
wildland fire management account, for volunteer fire assistance programs
in those counties in North Carolina where the President has made
emergency declarations. The Committee recognizes the extreme and
unprecedented damage to eastern North Carolina by Hurricane Floyd and
the excellent emergency work done by local volunteer fire departments
to
protect life and property. These funds should be distributed among all
affected counties on the basis of population.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
ENERGY CONSERVATION
The Committee recommends
an additional $19,000,000 for energy
conservation to become available on October 1, 2000 for weatherization
assistance grants. The Committee notes that weatherization assistance
funds are not distributed until many months after they are appropriated.
The Committee is providing these funds, and the advance notice of their
availability, so that they will be available prior to the next winter
heating season. The Committee expects the Department to make the
necessary preparations to ensure that these funds can be distributed as
soon as they become available. The Department of Energy estimates that
with these funds approximately 9,500 additional homes can be
weatherized.
CHAPTER 3
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
Salaries and Expenses
The Committee recommends
this technical change to clarify that funds
collected by the National Mine Health and Safety Academy for tuition,
room, board, and other authorized activities can be used to support
these activities in addition to the $228,373,000 appropriated in the
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION
HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES
The Committee recommends
$20,000,000, for special projects of
regional and national significance (SPRANS) for abstinence education
activities. This funding shall become available on October 1, 2000 and
remain available until September 30, 2001.
The committee supports abstinence education for adolescents, ages 12
through 18, and supports expansion of efforts to present an
abstinence-only message to America's youth. The preliminary results from
these programs in states such as Oklahoma are promising. It is
important, however, to ensure that America's youth do not receive mixed
messages, or medically inaccurate information. The legislation directs
that abstinence messages given to a group of youth by a grantee must not
be diluted by any instructor or materials from the same grantee. Nothing
in the legislation is intended to prevent these adolescents from seeking
health information or services. Nothing shall preclude entities who are
teaching these abstinence-only classes and who have a public health
mandate from discussing other forms of sexual conduct or providing
services, as long as this is conducted in a different setting than where
and when the abstinence-only course is being conducted.
The committee is also committed to studying the effectiveness of
abstinence education, of sexuality education, and of lack of education
in these areas. In order to properly track the long term effects of
these programs, it is necessary to conduct longitudinal studies that
follow groups of adolescents receiving a particular curricula for a
number of years. Therefore the committee provides up to 2.5% of the
funding under this legislation to study, track and evaluate groups of
youth who receive such education, including a representative sample of
adolescent clients who use Federally funded family planning services.
These cohorts should be large enough to provide statistically
significant results in all major population segments of American
society, including African Americans, Asians, Caucasians, Hispanics, and
Native Americans. They should also be able to track socio-economic
variables as well. Criteria for success should include prevention and
reduction of out of wedlock pregnancies and sexually transmitted
diseases, including both viral and bacterial; rates of abortion; age at
first intercourse; and numbers who postpone intercourse throughout
adolescence. Progress reports should be submitted to Congress annually.
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES
The enacted fiscal year 2000
appropriation for the Buildings and
Facilities program contained $27,000,000 intended for the Clinical
Research Center.
ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Refugee and entrant assistance
The Committee recommends
extending the availability of Refugee and
Entrant Assistance funds to a three-year period. The Administration
included this proposal in the FY 2001 President's Budget. With the
extended availability of these funds, States will have three years to
obligate and expend funds, negating the need for continued
reappropriations in this account.
Payments to the States for Foster Care and Adoption Assistance
The Committee recommends
an additional $35,000,000 for Payments to
the States for Foster Care and Adoption Assistance. The Foster Care
Independence Act of 1999 (P.L. 106 169) expanded service available to
older youth in Foster Care and certain youths that have aged out of
Foster Care. It also increased funding to $140,000,000.
The supplemental funds recommended by the Committee along with the
$105,000,000 provided in the Departments of Labor, Health and Human
Services and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000
will assure full funding for this program.
ADMINISTRATION ON AGING
Aging services programs
The Committee recommends
extending the availability of several
specified items funded in the Administration on Aging.
GENERAL PROVISIONS--DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Section 4301.--The Committee
recommends that the authority to
transfer funds among accounts, an authority provided to all agencies
within the Department of Health and Human Services, be removed from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Committee received testimony that the agency has provided
Congress with inaccurate spending data, the result of both a culture of
disrespect for the role of Congress and a breakdown of budgetary and
financial management systems. The Committee understands that the
Director and the Secretary have taken aggressive steps to begin to
address this situation. These include:
Certification, by the Departmental Chief Financial Officer of all
National Center for Infectious Diseases' expenditures;
Certified training on budget execution and financial management by
the Departmental Chief Financial Officer for all senior managers in the
National Center for Infectious Diseases;
An external review of all CDC fiscal management practices;
A review of all of CDC's
133 programs to assure that there are no
further discrepancies between Congressional directives and reports to
Congress and the way money is actually being spent;
A review by an independent auditing firm of all expenditures
relating to hantavirus;
New leadership for the viral disease programs.
The Committee believes that
the flexibilities it provides to the
departments and agencies under its jurisdiction can only be carried out
when proper management controls and systems are in place. The Committee
will re-evaluate the ability of the agency to manage its budgetary
resources in the fiscal year 2001 bill. The Committee expects the agency
to refrain from exercising this transfer authority prior to the
enactment of this supplemental appropriation.
Section 4302.--The Committee recommends the repeal of Section 216 of
the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000. This section provides for the
delayed obligation of funds within a number of accounts listed in the
table below. As a result of this action, the department and agencies
funded by this Act will be able to obligate funds in the normal pattern.
DELAYED OBLIGATIONS
National Institutes of Health
$3,000,000,000
Health Resources and Services
Administration 450,000,000
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention 500,000,000
Children and Family Services
Programs 400,000,000
Social Services Block Grant
425,000,000
Substance Abuse & Mental
Health Services Administration 200,000,000
4,975,000,000
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
EDUCATION RESEARCH, STATISTICS
AND IMPROVEMENT
The Committee recommends
several technical changes to the names of
individual projects funded in this account.
GENERAL PROVISIONS--DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Section 4303.--The Committee
recommends that Section 304 of the
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 be repealed. Section 304
permits the Department of Education to transfer up to 1% of any
appropriation among accounts. The total increase may not exceed 3%. This
provision was originally included in the Departments of Labor, Health
and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act, 1997. The Committee report accompanying the House bill for this
fiscal year and from time-to-time in following fiscal years included the
following language in the section related to Departmental Management:
Each of the departments under
the Committee's
jurisdiction is statutorily required to have audited financial
statements covering all the department's accounts and
activities. Congress enacted this requirement in the
Government Management Reform Act of 1994 after having observed
the benefits of the pilot program of audited financial
statements that had been required by the Chief Financial
Officers (CFO) Act of 1990. An audited financial statement is
like a ``scorecard'' that reflects a department's progress in
achieving the significant financial management reforms
required by the CFO Act, and in providing effective
stewardship and management of government funds. Accordingly,
the Committee expects the Department to work vigorously
towards obtaining a clean opinion on its financial statements.
The transfer and reprogramming authority the Committee has
granted provides substantial flexibility to the Department and
is particularly valuable during periods of increasing fiscal
constraints. However, the Committee questions the extent to
which agencies can properly exercise such authority and
accurately account for affected funds if they have not made
substantial progress towards achieving the CFO Act's financial
management reforms. Accordingly, in subsequent years, the
Committee will consider the Department's progress in making
such reforms and in obtaining a clean opinion on its financial
statements when scrutinizing requests for current
appropriations and in deciding whether to continue, expand or
limit transfer and reprogramming authority.
As a result of difficulties
encountered in the installation of a new
financial management system and several material weaknesses only
tangentially related to the installation of the financial system, the
independent auditors of the Department's fiscal year 1998 statement
indicated that they ``. . . were unable to obtain sufficient evidential
support for the amounts presented. . . .'' The Committee, as evidenced
in its reports, believes that the audited statement is important both
as
an achievement itself and an indicator of the concern management places
on this critical area. Given the multiple failures delineated in the
Report of the Independent Auditors, the Committee believes that the
Department's transfer authority should be suspended. The Committee will
review this decision in the fiscal year 2001 bill. The Committee expects
the Department to refrain from exercising this authority until after the
enactment of this supplemental appropriation.
The Committee notes that the independent auditors of the Department's
1998 statement indicated that they ``. . . were unable to obtain
sufficient evidential support for the amounts presented . . .'' and,
thus, issued a disclaimer of opinion on the 1998 financial statements.
This occurred after the Department had received the previous year a
``clean'', unqualified opinion on its financial statements. Given the
results of the 1998 audit, the Committee believes that the Department's
transfer authority should be suspended for the remainder of fiscal year
2000. The Committee expects the Department to refrain from exercising
this authority until after the enactment of this supplemental
appropriation. The Committee also notes that the 1999 audit released on
March 1, 2000 shows improvement over 1998 and will review its decision
in the fiscal year 2001 bill.
Section 4304.--The Committee recommends that the authority of
agencies under the Subcommittee's jurisdiction to carry over salary and
expense funds for one additional quarter be removed from the Department
of Education and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The
purpose of this provision was to avoid year-end spending simply to
obligate expiring funds. The provision was first included in the
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999. As with transfer authority,
the Committee believes that this increased flexibility is available to
departments that have shown effective managerial oversight of budget
execution and modern, operational financial systems. Since the enactment
of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000 serious deficiencies have
appeared in the budget and financial management and reporting systems
of
several agencies and departments funded by that bill.
1. The Independent auditors for the Department of Education were
unable to obtain sufficient evidentiary support for the amounts
presented in the consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 1998.
The Committee believes that this failure represents a serious breakdown.
As such, the Committee recommends suspending this authority through the
end of the fiscal year. The Committee will review the progress of the
agency toward attaining a clean opinion as part of the agency management
review in the fiscal 2001 bill.
2. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has indicated in
testimony before the Committee that it provided incorrect information
to
the Committee with respect to spending levels for hantavirus and had not
followed Congressional directives with respect to funding Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome. The Secretary and the Director of CDC have moved
aggressively to address these problems. However, the Committee believes
that CDC should not exercise the flexibilities included in this
provision until there is firm evidence that the recently initiated
reforms are effective. The Committee will review the progress of the
agency as part of the agency management review during the consideration
of the fiscal 2001 bill.
Sec. 4305.--The Committee recommends technical corrections in the
conforming amendments on the set-asides in the Welfare-to-Work
Amendments of 1999 as enacted by the Consolidated Omnibus Appropriations
for Fiscal Year 2000 (Public Law 106 113 at 113 Stat. 1501A 286). The
last 3 zeroes were omitted in setting forth the amounts of three
reserved set-asides in FY 1999.
CHAPTER 4
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
CONGRESSIONAL OPERATIONS
JOINT ITEMS
CAPITOL POLICE BOARD
SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS
The bill provides an additional
$1,874,000 to the Capitol Police
Board for security enhancements at the Library of Congress to complete
the closed circuit television ($1,390,000) and access control ($484,000)
improvement tasks. These projects, initially funded in the Omnibus
Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999, Public
Law 105 277, require additional funding for the closed circuit
television installation and the bollard perimeter at the James Madison
Memorial Building.
ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
CAPITOL BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS
FIRE SAFETY
The bill provides $15,166,000
to the Architect of the Capitol to
address deficiencies identified in the Office of Compliance's recently
issued ``Report on Fire Safety Inspections of Congressional Buildings''.
According to the Architect of the Capitol, the Office of Compliance
identified 173 potential fire safety hazards or violations in the
Capitol and House office buildings. The Office of the Architect has
advised the Committee that most of these findings have been addressed
through a combination of ongoing studies, designs, project
implementations, or existing funding. The funding in this bill will
provide the resources necessary to address all remaining findings with
design or construction funds, testing and maintenance services, or
studies of appropriate options. The Architect of the Capitol has
indicated that since report issuance, 66 of the findings either had been
or now have been resolved; 15 are still in process of being corrected,
and study, design, or construction funds have already been appropriated
for another 92 items. In this bill, funding is provided to continue
design and implementation for 24 of the 92 projects which can be started
during fiscal year 2000. For the remaining 68 of the 92 projects,
further study and design solutions are in process and need to be
completed before the Architect will have the necessary documentation to
request additional funding. For some projects, additional funds will
probably be required when solution options are determined and/or designs
have been completed.
In addition, the Committee has provided funds to address similar fire
safety issues that the Architect has identified in other buildings under
his jurisdiction, namely the Library of Congress, the Botanic Garden and
the Capitol Power Plant. In order to avoid unnecessary permanent staff
build-up for temporary design and construction tasks, the bill also
provides funds for project management and fire engineering services.
A list of the specific projects funded in the bill follows:
Recommended in bill
U.S. Capitol:
$40,000
1,225,000
2,600,000
50,000
1,170,000
1,704,000
50,000
200,000
7,039,000
House office buildings:
$100,000
30,000
125,000
190,000
20,000
107,000
209,000
41,000
25,000
155,000
40,000
10,000
200,000
1,815,000
150,000
325,000
36,000
235,000
400,000
4,213,000
Capitol power plant: Fire
alarm upgrade for ADA 3,000
Botanic garden:
10,000
11,000
5,000
26,000
Library Buildings And Grounds,
Structural and Mechanical Care:
550,000
1,750,000
120,000
200,000
750,000
85,000
200,000
230,000
3,885,000
Total All Items (Excluding
Senate office buildings) 15,166,000
Abbreviations: ADA--Americans with Disabilities Act;
CHOB--Cannon House Office Building; FHOB--Ford House Office Building;
JMMB--James Madison Memorial Building; LHOB--Longworth House Office
Building; OHOB--O'Neill House Office Building; RHOB--Rayburn House
Office Building.
CHAPTER 5
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
processing, assistance and
management
The President has requested
an additional $19,796,000 for a new
initiative, Staffing Tax Administration for Balance and Equity (STABLE).
The Committee believes that this request should be considered within the
context of the fiscal year 2001 appropriations process and denies,
without prejudice, funding for this initiative in fiscal year 2000.
TAX LAW ENFORCEMENT
The President has requested
an additional $6,807,000 for a new
initiative, Staffing Tax Administration for Balance and Equity (STABLE).
The Committee believes that this request should be considered within the
context of the fiscal year 2001 appropriations process and denies,
without prejudice, funding for this initiative in fiscal year 2000.
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
The President has requested
an additional $13,180,000 for a new
initiative, Staffing Tax Administration for Balance and Equity (STABLE).
The Committee believes that this request should be considered within the
context of the fiscal year 2001 appropriations process and denies,
without prejudice, funding for this initiative in fiscal year 2000.
INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
COMMITTEE FOR THE PURCHASE
FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR SEVERELY
DISABLED
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
The President has requested
an additional $687,000 to finance the
expanded marketing of Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) products to federal
employees. The Committee believes that this request should be considered
within the context of the fiscal year 2001 appropriations process and
denies, without prejudice, additional funding in fiscal year 2000.
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
POLICY AND OPERATIONS
The President has requested
an additional $2,000,000 for the General
Services Administration's efforts related to information security and,
specifically, for the Federal Computer Incident Response Center. The
Committee believes this request should be considered within the context
of the fiscal year 2001 appropriations process and denies, without
prejudice, additional funding in fiscal year 2000.
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
The President has requested
an additional $1,000,000 for ongoing work
related to ensuring the availability of information security personnel
in federal agencies in light of changes in GSA purchasing practices. The
Committee believes that this request should be considered within the
context of the fiscal year 2001 appropriations process and denies,
without prejudice, additional funding in fiscal year 2000.
CHAPTER 6
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
MEDICAL CARE
Language is included in the
bill permitting the Department of
Veterans Affairs to use up to $200,000 of fiscal year 2000 funds for
planning and technical assistance needs for the 2002 Paralympic Games.
The Committee recognizes that the Department is the nation's leader in
rehabilitative medicine and already sponsors several successful sporting
events for disabled athletes. The Committee expects the Department's
level of effort to be no less than that for the 1996 Paralympic Games
and directs the Department to submit a plan for participating in the
2002 Paralympic Games by May 1, 2000.
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
HOMELESS ASSISTANCE GRANTS
The Committee has included
language clarifying that 1% of the
technical assistance funds may be used for management and information
systems needed to track the number of clients served by homeless
programs.
FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION
fha-general and special risk
program account
The Committee recommends
providing $49,000,000 in credit subsidy
necessary for HUD to commit estimated levels of mortgage loan
commitments. The Committee is concerned, however, that this additional
appropriation is necessary only because HUD refused to adhere to the
assumptions made by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in
determining credit subsidy rates when the President's Budget request was
submitted to Congress. This failure violates budget conventions and HUD
is admonished to refrain from similar actions in the future.
MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
The Committee recommends
extending the time period for the
expenditure of funds from one year to two years, and provides that
$6,000,000 of the appropriation is not available for obligation until
October 1, 2000. This longer term facilitates the implementation of the
Anti-fraud initiative, including the hiring of the remaining new staff
needed and coordinating with local enforcement officials.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION
The Committee has included
language clarifying that assisted families
continue to have the right to elect to remain in the same unit of their
project if that project is eligible to receive enhanced vouchers.
INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS AND
MANAGEMENT
The Committee has included
bill language which clarifies the
Environmental Protection Agency's authority to make certain grants for
watershed and aquifer protection work in the State of New York which had
been provided in the fiscal year 2000 Appropriations Act.
Bill language has also been included which transfers $2,600,000
appropriated in fiscal year 1999 as a grant to develop an automated data
center and for other monitoring and information gathering work in the
State of Pennsylvania, to the State and tribal assistance grants account
for specific wastewater and sewer infrastructure improvements in the
State of Pennsylvania.
CHAPTER 7
OFFSETS
Section 4701.--The Committee
recommends language to prohibit funding
for the Fund for Rural America.
Section 4702.--The Committee recommends language to prohibit funding
for the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE ACTIVITIES
DEFENSE ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION
AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
(rescission)
The Committee recommendation
rescinds $13,000,000 as proposed by the
Administration.
OTHER DEFENSE ACTIVITIES
(rescission)
The Committee recommendation
rescinds $40,000,000 from funds
appropriated in fiscal year 1999 for United States/Russian plutonium
disposition activities. These funds have been identified as excess to
current program needs, and the Administration has proposed to defer the
availability of these funds until fiscal year 2003.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
GENERAL DEPARTMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(rescission)
The Committee recommends
rescinding an advance appropriation of
$20,000,000 for title XX of the Public Health Service Act for abstinence
education activities. The Committee has provided for these activities
under the Health Resources and Services Administration.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
FEDERAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
SYSTEMS AND RELATED EXPENSES
(rescission)
The bill includes a rescission
of $26,600,000 from unobligated
balances of the funds transferred to the Department of Transportation
for Year 2000 conversion of Federal information technology systems and
related expenses. The bill also includes a provision that the Department
of Transportation shall allocate this rescission among the appropriate
accounts within the Department and report such allocation to the House
and Senate Committees on Appropriations.
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING
HOUSING CERTIFICATE FUND
Language proposed by the
Administration to cancel $25,000,000 of
unexpended balances from this account has not been included.
Language proposed by the Administration to rescind $103,000,000 of
obligated balances from this account has not been included.
TITLE V
GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS
ACT
Section 5102.--The Committee
has included language that repeals
certain pay date shifts that were included in the Fiscal Year 2000
Consolidated Appropriations Act. That Act provided that when military
members were to be paid on September 30, 2000, or when civilian
employees were to be paid on September 29, 2000, or on September 30,
2000, these groups were to be paid on October 1, 2000. Section 5002 of
this Act repeals those pay date shifts.
Section 5103.--Language is included in the bill that makes a
technical correction to the budget scoring provisions of the Fiscal Year
2000 Consolidated Appropriations Act. This scoring correction is made
effective immediately after enactment of this Act. This correction will
not have any effect on OMB scoring of that legislation.
Section 5104.--The bill includes a provision that waives
sequestration for any budget breach that might be caused by the
appropriations included in the bill. At the time of preparation of this
bill, OMB scoring was not available, and it was not clear whether this
provision would be needed. As this legislation progresses, the OMB
scoring will be further assessed to see whether this provision needs to
be retained. Waiving sequestration, if necessary, would be consistent
with the development of fiscal year 2000 appropriations. The measure of
fiscal control for this fiscal year has been whether the on-budget
surplus was breached, or whether the Social Security Trust Fund was used
rather than whether the budget caps were breached. It is in this same
policy this bill has been developed. A technical breach of the budget
caps is not viewed as the relevant fiscal control.
Section 5105.--The Committee bill includes a general provision,
requested in the supplemental budget request, which provides
authorization for funds in the Committee bill (or funds made available
by transfer) for intelligence activities.
Section 5106.--The Committee bill includes a general provision,
requested in the supplemental budget request, which repeals provisions
in the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2000, regarding prompt
payment and progress payments for defense contracts.
Sec. 5107.--The Committee bill includes a general provision which
provides that no funds appropriated to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
for fiscal year 2000 may be used to relocate, or to plan for the
relocation of, the functions or personnel of the Technical Training
Center from its location in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
CHANGES IN THE APPLICATION
OF EXISTING LAW
Pursuant to clause 3(f)(1)
of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the following statements are submitted describing the
effect of provisions in the accompanying bill which directly or
indirectly change the application of existing law.
The bill includes several appropriations that are not authorized by
law and as such may be construed as legislative in nature.
The bill includes several emergency appropriation and contingent
emergency appropriation designations that may be construed as
legislative in nature.
Language is included under Department of Agriculture, Emergency
Conservation Program, which allows the use of unobligated balances for
repair and reconstruction of farm structures and equipment under certain
conditions.
Language is included under Department of Agriculture, Commodity
Credit Corporation Fund, which directs the Secretary to provide
assistance to marketing associations under certain conditions.
Language is included which provides additional funds for conservation
technical assistance, notwithstanding section 11 of the Commodity Credit
Corporation Act.
Language is included which prohibits funding for the Fund for Rural
America.
Language is included which prohibits funding for the Initiative for
Future Agriculture and Food Systems.
Language is included which provides $40,000,000 for replacement of
commercial lime, orange, and grapefruit trees that have been removed to
control citrus canker.
Language is included making certain areas of Dade County, Florida
eligible for Business and Industry loans.
Language is included under Department of State, Security and
Maintenance of United States Missions, providing that appropriations are
available notwithstanding section 15 of the State Department Basic
Authorities Act of 1956.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military, which
provides transfer authority and specific authorization for funds in
support of counter-drug efforts in Colombia.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military,
providing funds for economic development activities on the island of
Vieques.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military, under
``Overseas Contingency Operations Transfer Fund'', which increases the
number of appropriations accounts to which funds may be transferred.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military,
concerning funds for intelligence related programs.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military, which
provides additional authority to maintain housing allowances at the 1999
levels for fiscal year 2000.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military, which
provides for the obligation of funds for prior year contracts for the
TRICARE health care program.
Language is included under the Corps of Engineers, General
Investigations, which states that the study of flood protection for
Princeville, North Carolina, may include any flood mitigation measures
that the Secretary of the Army determines are necessary.
Language has been included under ``Other defense activities'' which
authorizes the Department of Energy to initiate design of the Highly
Enriched Uranium Blend Down Project.
Two rescissions and one transfer of previously appropriated funds are
included under Atomic Energy Defense Activities.
Under ``Operating Expenses of the Agency for International
Development'', funds are made available until September 30, 2001.
Under ``Assistance for Eastern Europe and the Baltic States'', funds
are made available until September 30, 2001; funds are made available
only for assistance for Montenegro and Croatia, assistance to support
democratization in Serbia, and not to exceed $12,400,000 for assistance
for Kosovo; and funds made available for Kosovo may only be used for
police activities.
Under ``International Military Education and Training'', funds are
made available until September 30, 2001; and funds are made available
for grants to countries of the Balkans and southeast Europe.
Under ``Foreign Military Financing Program'', funds are made
available until September 30, 2001; funds are made available for grants
to counties of the Balkans and southeast Europe; and such grants shall
be nonrepayable notwithstanding sections 23(b) and 23(c) of the Arms
Export Control Act.
Language is included under Bilateral Economic Assistance establishing
a new Assistance Plan for Colombia and for Andean Regional
Counternarcotics Activities account, making the funds appropriated
available until expended, exempting the funds from the application of
section 482(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, and allowing any
agency to which funds are transferred or allocated to use part of such
transfer or allocation for administrative expenses incurred after
February 6, 2000. Other language under the account mandates the
availability of funds for Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and other countries,
directs that the Defense Security Cooperation Agency manage the
procurement of certain helicopters, directs that 2 helicopters be used
by the Colombian National Police, and requires a report on the proposed
use of funds prior to initial obligation.
Language is included under Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,
State and Private Forestry, transferring funds from the Wildland Fire
Management account for volunteer fire assistance programs in North
Carolina.
Language is included under the Mine Safety and Health Administration,
Salaries and Expense account to make $750,000 available from room, board
and fees of the Mine Safety and Health Academy in addition to the
amounts appropriated.
Language is included under the Department of Health and Human
Services, Refugee and Entrant Assistance to extend the availability of
certain funds for an additional year.
Language is included under the Department of Health and Human
Services, Administration on Aging, Aging Services Programs to extend the
availability of funds for an item specifically identified in this
account.
Language is included in the
Department of Health and Human Services,
General Provisions to remove the authority to transfer funds from the
Secretary of Health and Human Services with respect to funds
appropriated to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Language is included in the Department of Health and Human Services,
General Provisions to repeal provisions delaying the obligation of funds
appropriated to the Health Resources and Services Administration, the
National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Children and Family Services Programs, the Social Services
Block Grant and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
Language is included in the Department of Education, Education
Research, Statistics, and Improvement clarifying the intent of Congress
with respect to certain funding items identified in this account.
Language is included in the Department of Education, General
Provisions striking the authority of the Department to transfer funds
among accounts. Language is included in the General Provisions denying
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department the
ability to extend the availability of certain salary and expense funds
for an additional quarter. Language is included in the general
provisions amending Section 403 of the Social Security Act to make
technical corrections to set-asides within the Welfare to Work program.
Language is included that exempts the Architect of the Capitol from
section 3709 of the Revised Statutes in connection with the funds
provided for fire safety.
A general provision is included which authorizes the use of private
donations for construction, improvement, repair and maintenance of
Quarters Number 6 located at Marine Corps Barracks, Washington, D.C.
A general provision is included authorizing the Secretary of the Air
Force to carry out a demonstration project at Brooks Air Force Base,
Texas to improve mission effectiveness and reduce the cost of providing
installation support.
The bill includes a provision that rescinds $26,600,000 from
unobligated balances of funds transferred to the Department of
Transportation for Year 2000 conversion of federal information
technology systems and related expenses.
Language has been included that enacts an executive draft on federal
transportation in the national capital region.
In title IV of the bill, in connection with the appropriation
provided in Public Law 105 277 for Information Technology Systems and
Related Expenses, the Committee strikes ``$2,250,000,000'' and inserts
``$2,015,000,000''.
Language is included that restricts the availability of the funds to
the current fiscal year unless otherwise provided.
Language is included repealing sections 305 and 306 of H.R. 3425 that
was enacted by reference in Public Law 106 113 that shifted certain pay
dates from fiscal year 2000 to fiscal year 2001.
Language is included that amends section 1001(a) of Public Law 106
113 by making a technical correction to the budget scoring of that law
and prescribes the timing of the correction to immediately subsequent
to
enactment of that law.
Language is included waiving sequestration for any budget breach that
might be caused by this Act.
Language is included under the Department of Veterans Affairs,
Veterans health administration, medical care, allowing the use of funds
for planning and technical assistance to the 2002 Paralympic Games.
Language is included under the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, HOME investment partnerships program, providing $25,000,000
for the purpose of providing temporary rental assistance, and for
developing new affordable housing for victims of Hurricane Floyd and
surrounding events.
Language is included under the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, homeless assistance grants, clarifying that one percent of
the technical assistance funds may be used for management and
information systems.
Language is included under the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, management and administration, office of inspector general,
which extends existing appropriations by one additional fiscal year with
a limitation that certain funds become available on October 1, 2000.
Language is included under the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, administrative provisions, which adds a new provision
amending section 8(t)(1)(B) of the United Housing Act of the United
States Housing Act of 1937.
Bill language is included under the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, community development block grants, which clarifies that
a
project is located at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama.
Language is included under the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, administrative provisions, providing for the one-year
renewal of certain homeless assistance gains.
Billn language is included under the Environmental Protection Agency,
state and tribal assistance grants, which clarifies that a water and
wastewater projects is located within Haywood County, North Carolina.
Language is included under the Environmental Protection Agency,
environmental programs and management, which clarifies the authority to
make certain grants and which transfers funds to another account within
EPA.
Language is included under General Provisions which would prevent the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission from using funds appropriated in fiscal
year 2000 to relocate or plan for the relocation of the Technical
Training Center.
APPROPRIATIONS NOT AUTHROIZED
BY LAW
Pursuant to clause 3(f)(1)
of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the following table lists the appropriations in the
accompanying bill which are not authorized by law:
Department of Justice
Drug Enforcement Administration
Salaries and Expenses
Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Operations, Research, and
Facilities, with certain exceptions
Department of Defense--Military
Operation and Maintenance,
Army
Operation and Maintenance,
Navy
Operation and Maintenance,
Marine Corps
Operation and Maintenance,
Air Force
Operation and Maintenance,
Defense-Wide
Operation and Maintenance,
Army Reserve
Operation and Maintenance,
Army National Guard
Overseas Contingency Operations
Transfer Fund
Aircraft Procurement, Air
Force
Defense Health Program
Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug
Activities, Defense
Defense-Wide Working Capital
Funds
Assistance for Plan Colombia
and for Andean Regional Counternarcotics
Activities
Operating Expenses of the Agency for International Development
Assistance for Eastern Europe
and the Baltic States
International Military Education
and Training
Foreign Military Financing
Program
Military Construction, Defense-wide
Military Construction, Army
Reserve
Family Housing, Army
Family Housing, Navy and
Marine Corps
Family Housing, Air Force
Department of Housing and
Urban Development (except Public and Indian
Housing programs)
Environmental Protection Agency
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
TRANSFER OF FUNDS
Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2)
of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the following is submitted describing the transfer of
funds provided in the accompanying bill.
Account to Amount Account
from Amount
Department of Energy--Other
Defense Activities $4,000,000 Department of Energy--Biomass Energy Development
$4,000,000
Department of Defense--Military, Procurement of Weapons and Tracked Combat
Vehicles, Army 125,000,000 Department of Defense--Military, National Defense
Stockpile Transaction Fund 125,000,000
Department of Defense--Military, Aircraft Procurement, Air Force 90,000,000
Department of Defense--Air Force or Defense-Wide in titles I or II of
P.L. 106 79, or in title IV of P.L. 105 262, or in title III of P.L. 105
56 90,000,000
Environmental Protection Agency, State and Tribal Assistance Grants 2,600,000
Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Programs and Management
2,600,000
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, State and Private Forestry
500,000 Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Wildland Fire Management
500,000
RESCISSIONS
Pursuant to clause 3(f)(2)
of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the following table is submitted describing the
rescissions recommended in the accompanying bill:
RESCISSIONS RECOMMENDED IN THE BILL
Amounts
recommended
Department or Activity
for rescission
Department of Energy, Atomic
Energy Defense Activities, Defense Environmental Restoration and Waste
Management $13,000,000
Department of Energy, Atomic
Energy Defense Activities, Other Defense Activities 40,000,000
Department of Health and
Human Services, Office of the Secretary 20,000,000
Department of Transportation,
Federal Information Technology Systems and Related Expenses 26,600,000
COMPARISON WITH THE BUDGET RESOLUTION
Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII
of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires an explanation of compliance with section
308(a)(1)(A) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of
1974 (Public Law 93 344), as amended, which requires that the report
accompanying a bill providing new budget authority contain a statement
detailing how that authority compares with the reports submitted under
section 302 of the Act for the most recently agreed to concurrent
resolution on the budget for the fiscal year from the Committee's
section 302(a) allocation.
Appropriations in this bill are either designated emergency or offset
in budget authority therein. Prior to the development of this bill the
Committee had not received increases to its allocation to reflect the
actual appropriations enacted to date. Because of this, any comparison
to the Committee's current allocation, even adjusted for any anticipated
increases for the emergency appropriations in this bill, would not
provide an accurate picture of where the Committee stands against its
allocation. The bill includes several provisions that cause fiscal year
2000 outlays to increase. Even though these provisions are included,
they are not large enough to create an on-budget deficit for this year
or impact the Social Security Trust Fund surplus. Also, at the time of
reporting this bill, it was not certain whether the outlay increases
would be within the outlay allowance for discretionary appropriations.
FIVE-YEAR OUTLAY PROJECTIONS
In compliance with section
308(a)(1)(B) of the Congressional Budget
and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (Public Law 93 344), as amended, the
following table contains five-year projections associated with the
budget authority provided in the accompanying bill:
Millions
Budget Authority:
8,458
435
Outlays:
9,137
-2,739
1,596
476
226
ASSISTANCE TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
In accordance with section
308(a)(1)(C) of the Congressional Budget
and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (Public Law 93 344), as amended, the
financial assistance to State and local governments is as follows:
Millions
Budget Authority 1,336
Fiscal Year 2000 outlays
resulting therefrom 963
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY
Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII
of the Rules of the House of
Representatives states that:
Each report of a committee
on a bill or joint
resolution of a public character, shall include a statement
citing the specific powers granted to the Congress in the
Constitution to enact the law proposed by the bill or joint
resolution.
The Committee on Appropriations
bases its authority to report this
legislation from Clause 7 of Section 9 of Article I of the Constitution
of the United States of America which states:
No money shall be drawn from
the Treasury but in
consequence of Appropriations made by law . . .
Appropriations contained
in this Act are made pursuant to this
specific power granted by the Constitution.
COMPLIANCE WITH CLAUSE 3 OF RULE XIII (RAMSEYER RULE)
In compliance with clause
3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House
of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, as
reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is
enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, existing
law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman):
ACT OF AUGUST 19, 1958
[A]t any time Commodity Credit
Corporation has any grain available
for donation pursuant to clause (3) or (4) of the Food for Progress Act
of 1985, section 416 of the Agricultural Act of 1949, as amended,
section 210 of the Agricultural Act of 1956, or title II of the
Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act, as amended, the
Corporation, in lieu of processing all or any part of such grain into
human food products, may purchase such processed food products in
quantities not to exceed the equivalent of the respective grain
available for donation on the date of such purchase and donate such
processed food products pursuant to clause (3) or (4) of such the Food
for Progress Act of 1985, such section 416, and to such section 210, and
make such processed food products available to the President pursuant
to
such title II, and may sell, without regard to the provisions of section
407 of the Agricultural Act of 1949, as amended, a quantity of the grain
equivalent to the processed food products so purchased: Provided, That
no food product purchased pursuant to the authority contained herein
shall constitute less than 50 per centum by weight of the grain from
which processed (except that this limitation does not apply in the case
of the protein byproduct resulting from the production of fuel alcohol
from agricultural commodities), or contain any additive other than for
normal vitamin enrichment, preservative, and bleaching purposes.
SECTIONS 8175 AND 8176 OF
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT,
2000
Sec. 8175. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Department of Defense shall make progress payments based on progress no
less than 12 days after receiving a valid billing and the Department of
Defense shall make progress payments based on cost no less than 19 days
after receiving a valid billing: Provided, That this provision shall be
effective only with respect to billings received during the last month
of the fiscal year.
Sec. 8176. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Department of Defense shall make adjustments in payment procedures and
policies to ensure that payments are made no earlier than one day before
the date on which the payments would otherwise be due under any other
provision of law: Provided, That this provision shall be effective only
with respect to invoices received during the last month of the fiscal
year.
DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH
AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND
RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2000
* * * * * * *
TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
* * * * * * *
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
For necessary expenses for
the Mine Safety and Health Administration,
$228,373,000, including purchase and bestowal of certificates and
trophies in connection with mine rescue and first-aid work, and the hire
of passenger motor vehicles; including not to exceed $750,000 may be
collected by the National Mine Health and Safety Academy and, in
addition, not to exceed $750,000 may be collected by the National Mine
Health and Safety Academy for room, board, tuition, and the sale of
training materials, otherwise authorized by law to be collected, to be
available for mine safety and health education and training activities,
notwithstanding 31 U.S.C. 3302; the Secretary is authorized to accept
lands, buildings, equipment, and other contributions from public and
private sources and to prosecute projects in cooperation with other
agencies, Federal, State, or private; the Mine Safety and Health
Administration is authorized to promote health and safety education and
training in the mining community through cooperative programs with
States, industry, and safety associations; and any funds available to
the department may be used, with the approval of the Secretary, to
provide for the costs of mine rescue and survival operations in the
event of a major disaster.
* * * * * * *
TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
AND HUMAN SERVICES
* * * * * * *
ADMINISTRATION ON AGING
AGING SERVICES PROGRAMS
For carrying out, to the
extent not otherwise provided, the Older
Americans Act of 1965, as amended, and section 398 of the Public Health
Service Act, $934,285,000, of which $2,200,000 shall be for the
Anchorage, Alaska Senior Center and shall remain available until
expended: Provided, That notwithstanding section 308(b)(1) of the Older
Americans Act of 1965, as amended, the amounts available to each State
for administration of the State plan under title III of such Act shall
be reduced not more than 5 percent below the amount that was available
to such State for such purpose for fiscal year 1995: Provided further,
That in considering grant applications for nutrition services for elder
Indian recipients, the Assistant Secretary shall provide maximum
flexibility to applicants who seek to take into account subsistence,
local customs, and other characteristics that are appropriate to the
unique cultural, regional, and geographic needs of the American Indian,
Alaska and Hawaiian Native communities to be served.
* * * * * * *
GENERAL PROVISIONS
(TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Sec. 206. Not to exceed 1
percent of any discretionary funds
(pursuant to the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of
1985, as amended) which are appropriated for the current fiscal year for
the Department of Health and Human Services in this Act may be
transferred between appropriations, but no such appropriation shall be
increased by more than 3 percent by any such transfer: Provided, That
the Appropriations Committees of both Houses of Congress are notified
at
least 15 days in advance of any transfer: Provided further, That this
section shall not apply to funds appropriated under the heading
``Centers for Disease Control and Prevention--Disease Control, Research,
and Training'', funds made available to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention under the heading ``Public Health and Social Services
Emergency Fund'', or any other funds made available in this Act to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
* * * * * * *
Sec. 216. Of the funds appropriated
for the National Institutes of
Health for fiscal year 2000, $3,000,000,000 shall not be available for
obligation until September 29, 2000. Of the funds appropriated for the
Health Resources and Services Administration for fiscal year 2000,
$450,000,000 shall not be available for obligation until September 29,
2000. Of the funds appropriated for the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention for fiscal year 2000, $500,000,000 shall not be available for
obligation until September 29, 2000. Of the funds appropriated for the
Children and Families Services Programs for fiscal year 2000,
$400,000,000 shall not be available for obligation until September 29,
2000. Of the funds appropriated for the Social Services Block Grant for
fiscal year 2000, $425,000,000 shall not be available for obligation
until September 29, 2000. Of the funds appropriated for the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for fiscal year 2000,
$200,000,000 shall not be available for obligation until September 29,
2000. Such funds delayed by this section shall be available for
obligation until October 15, 2000.
* * * * * * *
TITLE III--DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION
* * * * * * *
EDUCATION RESEARCH, STATISTICS,
AND IMPROVEMENT
For carrying out activities
authorized by the Educational Research,
Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994, including part
E; the National Education Statistics Act of 1994, including sections 411
and 412; section 2102 of title II, and parts A, B, and K and section
10102, section 10105, and 10601 of title X, and part C of title XIII of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, and
title VI of Public Law 103 227, $596,892,000: Provided, That $50,000,000
shall be available to demonstrate effective approaches to comprehensive
school reform, to be allocated and expended in accordance with the
instructions relating to this activity in the statement of managers on
the conference report accompanying Public Law 105 78 and in the
statement of the managers on the conference report accompanying Public
Law 105 277: Provided further, That the funds made available for
comprehensive school reform shall become available on July 1, 2000, and
remain available through September 30, 2001, and in carrying out this
initiative, the Secretary and the States shall support only approaches
that show the most promise of enabling children to meet challenging
State content standards and challenging State student performance
standards based on reliable research and effective practices, and
include an emphasis on basic academics and parental involvement:
Provided further, That $30,000,000 of the funds provided for the
national education research institutes shall be allocated
notwithstanding section 912(m)(1)(B F) and subparagraphs (B) and (C) of
section 931(c)(2) of Public Law 103 227: Provided further, That of the
funds appropriated under section 10601 of title X of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, $1,500,000 shall be used
to
conduct a violence prevention demonstration program: Provided further,
That $45,000,000 shall be available to support activities under section
10105 of part A of title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965, of which up to $2,250,000 may be available for evaluation,
technical assistance, and school networking activities: Provided
further, That funds made available to local educational agencies under
this section shall be used only for activities related to establishing
smaller learning communities in high schools: Provided further, That
funds made available for section 10105 of part A of title X of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 shall become available
on
July 1, 2000, and remain available through September 30, 2001: Provided
further, That of the funds available for part A of title X of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, $10,000,000 shall be
awarded to the National Constitution Center, established by Public Law
100 433, for exhibition design, program planning and operation of the
center, $10,000,000 shall be provided to continue a demonstration of
public school facilities to the Iowa Department of Education, $1,000,000
shall be made available to the New Mexico Department of Education for
school performance improvement and drop-out prevention, $300,000 shall
be made available to Semos Unlimited, Inc., in New Mexico to support
bilingual education and literacy programs, $700,000 shall be awarded to
Loyola University Chicago for recruitment and preparation of new teacher
candidates for employment in rural and inner-city schools, $500,000
shall be awarded to Shedd Aquarium/Brookfield Zoo for science
education/exposure programs for local elementary school students,
$3,000,000 shall be awarded to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America to
expand school-based mentoring, $2,500,000 shall be awarded to the
Chicago Public School System to support a substance abuse pilot program
in conjunction with Elgin and East Aurora School Systems, $1,000,000
shall be awarded to the University of Virginia Center for Governmental
Studies for the Youth Leadership Initiative, $800,000 shall be awarded
to the Institute for Student Achievement at Holmes Middle School and
Annandale High School in Virginia for academic enrichment programs,
$100,000 shall be awarded to the Mountain Arts Center for educational
programming, $1,500,000 shall be awarded to the University of Louisville
for research in the area of academic readiness, $500,000 shall be
awarded to the West Ed Regional Educational Laboratory for the 24
Challenge and Jumping Levels Math Demonstration Project, $1,000,000
shall be awarded to Central Michigan University for a charter schools
development and performance institute, $950,000 shall be awarded to the
Living Science Interactive Learning Model partnership in Indian River,
Florida for a science education program, $825,000 shall be awarded to
the North Babylon Community Youth Services for an educational program
Town of Babylon Youth Bureau for an educational program , $1,000,000
shall be awarded to the Los Angeles County Office of
Education/Educational Telecommunications and Technology for a pilot
program for teachers, $650,000 shall be awarded to the University of
Northern Iowa for an institute of technology for inclusive education,
$500,000 shall be awarded to Youth Crime Watch of America to expand a
program to prevent crime, drugs and violence in schools, $892,000 shall
be awarded to Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania for an environmental
science program, $560,000 shall be awarded to the Western Suffolk St.
Johns-LaSalle Academy Science and Technology Mentoring Program,
$4,000,000 shall be awarded to the National Teaching Academy of Chicago
for a model teacher recruitment, preparation and professional
development program, $2,000,000 shall be awarded to the University of
West Florida for a teacher enhancement program, $1,000,000 shall be
awarded to Delta State University in Mississippi for innovative teacher
training, $1,000,000 shall be awarded to the Alaska Humanities Forum,
Inc., in Anchorage, Alaska, $250,000 shall be awarded to An Achievable
Dream in Newport News, Virginia to improve academic performance of
at-risk youths, $250,000 shall be awarded to the Rock School of Ballet
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to expand its community-outreach programs
for inner-city children and underprivileged youth in Camden, New Jersey
and southern New Jersey, $1,000,000 shall be awarded to the University
of Maryland Center for Quality and Productivity to provide a link for
the Blue Ribbon Schools, $1,000,000 shall be awarded to the Continuing
Education Center and Teachers' Institute in South Boston, Virginia to
promote participation among youth in the United States democratic
process to expand access to and improve advanced education, $1,000,000
shall be for the National Museum of Women in the Arts to expand its
``Discovering Art'' program to elementary and secondary schools and
other educational organizations, $400,000 shall be awarded to the Alaska
Department of Education's summer reading program, $400,000 shall be
awarded to the Partners in Education, Inc., to foster successful
business-school partnerships, $250,000 shall be for the Kodiak Island
Borough School District for development of an environmental education
program, $2,000,000 shall be for the Reach Out and Read Program to
expand literacy and health awareness for at-risk families, $1,000,000
shall be for the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News, Virginia for
an
educational program, $450,000 shall be for the Challenger Learning
Center in Hardin County, Kentucky for technology assistance and teacher
training, $250,000 shall be for the Crawford County School System in
Georgia for technology and curriculum support, $500,000 shall be for the
Berrien County School System in Georgia for technology development,
$35,000 shall be for the Louisville Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club
Diversion Enhancement Program, $100,000 shall be awarded to the
Philadelphia Orchestra's Philly Pops to operate the Jazz in the Schools
program in the Philadelphia school district, $500,000 for the
Mississippi Delta Education for a teacher incentive program initiative,
$500,000 shall be for A Community of Agile Partners in Education and the
Pennsylvania Telecommunications Exchange Network for a technology
resource sharing initiative, $500,000 shall be for enhanced teacher
training in reading in the District of Columbia, $100,000 shall be
awarded to the Project 2000 D.C. mentoring project, and $1,250,000 shall
be awarded to Helen Keller World Wide to expand the ChildSight vision
screening program and provide eyeglasses to additional children whose
educational performance may be hindered by poor vision, $750,000 shall
be awarded to the Explornet Technology Learning Project in North
Carolina, $1,750,000 shall be awarded to the Connecticut Early Reading
Success Institute to broaden the training of professionals in best
practices in reading instruction, $400,000 shall be awarded to the
National Academy of Recording Artists and Sciences Foundation for the
GRAMMY in the Schools program to provide music education to high school
students, $1,000,000 shall be awarded to the Rosa and Raymond Parks
Institute for Self-Development for the Pathways to Freedom program for
civil rights education for young people and for community learning
centers, $500,000 shall be awarded to the Milton S. Eisenhower
Foundation to replicate and scientifically evaluate full-service
community schools, $500,000 shall be awarded to the Henry Abbott
Technical High School in Danbury, Connecticut for workforce education
and training activities, $1,000,000 shall be awarded to the Educational
Performance Foundation, CPI music education program called ``From the
Top'', $250,000 shall be awarded to the Mount Vernon School District in
Mount Vernon, New York for the Institute of Student Achievement program,
$2,000,000 shall be awarded to the National Council of La Raza for a
project to improve educational outcomes and opportunities for Hispanic
children, $250,000 shall be awarded to the Oakland Unified School
District in California for an African American Literacy and Culture
Project California State University, Hayward, for an African-American
Literacy and Culture Project carried out in partnership with the Oakland
Unified School District in California, $300,000 shall be awarded to the
Vasona Center Youth Science Institute, $750,000 shall be awarded to the
Life Learning Academy Charter School in San Francisco, California,
$250,000 shall be awarded to the National Urban Coalition Say YES To A
Youngster's Future Program to provide math and science education,
$750,000 shall be awarded to the Wisconsin Academy Staff Development
Initiative in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin to provide math, science, and
technology teacher training, $500,000 shall be awarded to the University
of Missouri-St. Louis to develop a plan to improve the education system
in the City of St. Louis, Missouri, $313,000 shall be awarded to the
City of Houston for the ASPIRE after-school program, $900,000 shall be
awarded to the Boston Music Education Collaborative comprehensive
interdisciplinary music program and teacher resource center in Boston,
Massachusetts $462,500 shall be awarded to the Boston Symphony Orchestra
for the teacher resource center and $370,000 shall be awarded to the
Boston Music Education Collaborative for an interdisciplinary music
program, in Boston, Massachusetts, $250,000 shall be awarded to the
Baltimore Reads after-school tutoring program in Baltimore, Maryland,
$300,000 shall be awarded to the School of International Training in
Brattleboro, Vermont to develop an education curriculum addressing child
labor issues in collaboration with the Brattleboro Union High School,
$750,000 shall be awarded to the University of Puerto Rico for the
continuation and expansion of the Hispanic Educational Linkages Program
in New York City, including the South Bronx, New York, $250,000 shall
be
awarded to the Community Service Society of New York for mentoring,
tutoring and technology activities in New York City public schools,
including schools in the South Bronx, $250,000 shall be awarded to the
Smithsonian Institution for a jazz music education program in
Washington, D.C., $500,000 shall be awarded to Johnson Elementary School
in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to develop an innovative arts education model
which could be replicated in other schools, $2,000,000 shall be awarded
to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America for after-school programs,
$500,000 shall be for the University of New Orleans for a teacher
preparation and educational technology initiative, and $250,000 shall
be
for the Florida Department of Education for an Internet-based teacher
recruitment model, $250,000 shall be awarded to the Kennedy Center for
the Performing Arts for the ``Make a Ballet'' arts education program in
the New York City area American Ballet Theater for the ``Make a Ballet''
arts education program in the New York City area: Provided further, That
of the funds available for section 10601 of title X of such Act,
$2,000,000 shall be awarded to the Center for Educational Technologies
for production and distribution of an effective CD-ROM product that
would complement the ``We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution''
curriculum: Provided further, That, in addition to the funds for title
VI of Public Law 103 227 and notwithstanding the provisions of section
601(c)(1)(C) of that Act, $1,000,000 shall be available to the Center
for Civic Education to conduct a civic education program with Northern
Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and, consistent with the civics and
Government activities authorized in section 601(c)(3) of Public Law 103
227, to provide civic education assistance to democracies in developing
countries. The term ``developing countries'' shall have the same meaning
as the term ``developing country'' in the Education for the Deaf Act.
* * * * * * *
GENERAL PROVISIONS
* * * * * * *
(TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Sec . 304. Not to exceed
1 percent of any discretionary funds
(pursuant to the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of
1985, as amended) which are appropriated for the Department of Education
in this Act may be transferred between appropriations, but no such
appropriation shall be increased by more than 3 percent by any such
transfer: Provided, That the Appropriations Committees of both Houses
of
Congress are notified at least 15 days in advance of any transfer.
* * * * * * *
TITLE V--GENERAL PROVISIONS
* * * * * * *
Sec . 513. Except as otherwise
specifically provided by law,
unobligated balances remaining available at the end of fiscal year 2000
from appropriations made available for salaries and expenses for fiscal
year 2000 in this Act, shall remain available through December 31, 2000,
for each such account for the purposes authorized: Provided, That the
House and Senate Committees on Appropriations shall be notified at least
15 days prior to the obligation of such funds : Provided further, That
the provisions of this section shall not apply to any funds appropriated
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or to the Department
of Education.
* * * * * * *
SECTION 403 OF THE SOCIAL
SECURITY ACT
SEC. 403. GRANTS TO STATES.
(a) Grants. --
(1) * * *
* * * * * * *
(5) Welfare-to-work grants.--
(A) * * *
* * * * * * *
(F) Funding for indian tribes.
--1 percent of the amount specified
in subparagraph (I) for fiscal year 1998 and $1,500,000 $15,000,000 of
the amount so specified for fiscal year 1999 shall be reserved for
grants to Indian tribes under section 412(a)(3).
(G) Funding for evaluations of welfare-to-work programs. --0.6
percent of the amount specified in subparagraph (I) for fiscal year 1998
and $900,000 $9,000,000 of the amount so specified for fiscal year 1999
shall be reserved for use by the Secretary to carry out section 413(j).
(H) Funding for evaluation of abstinence education programs.--
(i) In general. --0.2 percent
of the amount specified in
subparagraph (I) for fiscal year 1998 and $300,000 $3,000,000 of the
amount so specified for fiscal year 1999 shall be reserved for use by
the Secretary to evaluate programs under section 510, directly or
through grants, contracts, or interagency agreements.
* * * * * * *
PUBLIC LAW 105 277
* * * * * * *
DIVISION B--EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL
APPROPRIATIONS
* * * * * * *
TITLE III--YEAR 2000 CONVERSION
OF FEDERAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
SYSTEMS
FISCAL YEAR 1999 EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS
FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO THE
PRESIDENT
Information Technology Systems
and Related Expenses
(including transfer of funds)
For an additional amount
for emergency expenses related to Year 2000
conversion of Federal information technology systems and related
expenses, $2,250,000,000 $2,015,000,000 , to remain available until
September 30, 2001, of which $5,500,000 shall be transferred to the
Legislative Branch. * * *
* * * * * * *
DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT,
INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2000--PUBLIC LAW 106 74
* * * * * * *
HOMELESS ASSISTANCE GRANTS
For the emergency shelter
grants program (as authorized under
subtitle B of title IV of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance
Act, as amended);
* * * * * * *
Provided further, That up
to 1 percent of the funds appropriated
under this heading may be used for technical assistance and management
and information systems: Provided further, That all balances previously
appropriated in the ``Emergency Shelter Grants'', ``Supportive
Housing'', ``Supplemental Assistance for Facilities to Assist the
Homeless'', ``Shelter Plus Care'', ``Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation
Single Room Occupancy'', and ``Innovative Homeless Initiatives
Demonstration'' accounts shall be transferred to and merged with this
account, to be available for any authorized purpose under this heading.
* * * * * * *
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
For necessary expenses of
the Office of Inspector General in carrying
out the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, $83,000,000, to
remain available until September 30, 2001 of which $22,343,000 shall be
provided from the various funds of the Federal Housing Administration
and $10,000,000 shall be provided from the amount earmarked for
Operation Safe Home in the appropriation for ``Drug elimination grants
for low-income housing'': Provided, That of the amounts provided herein,
$6,000,000 shall become available on October 1, 2000: Provided further,
That the Inspector General shall have independent authority over all
personnel issues within the Office of Inspector General.
* * * * * * *
TITLE V--PRESERVATION OF
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
* * * * * * *
SUBTITLE C--RENEWAL OF EXPIRING
RENTAL ASSISTANCE CONTRACTS AND
PROTECTION OF RESIDENTS
* * * * * * *
SEC. 538. UNIFIED ENHANCED
VOUCHER AUTHORITY
(a) * * *
``(t) Enhanced vouchers.
--
``(1) In General. --* * *
``(A) * * *
``(B) during any period that
the assisted family continues residing
in the same project in which the family was residing on the date of the
eligibility event for the project, if the assisted family may elect to
remain in the same project in which the family was residing on the date
of the eligibility event for the project, and if, during any period the
family makes such and election and continues to so reside, the rent for
the dwelling unit of the family in such project exceeds the applicable
payment standard established pursuant to subsection (o) for the unit,
the amount of rental assistance provided on behalf of the family shall
be determined using a payment standard that is equal to the rent for the
dwelling unit (as such rent may be increased from time to time), subject
to paragraph (10)(A) of subsection (o);
* * * * * * *
PUBLIC LAW 106 113, APPENDIX
E--H.R. 3425
* * * * * * *
TITLE III--FISCAL YEAR 2000
OFFSETS AND RESCISSIONS
* * * * * * *
Sec . 305. Notwithstanding
section 3324 of title 31, United States
Code, and section 1006(h) of title 37, United States Code, the basic pay
and allowances that accrues to members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps,
and Air Force for the pay period ending on September 30, 2000, shall be
paid, whether by electronic transfer of funds or otherwise, no earlier
than October 1, 2000.
Sec . 306. The pay of any Federal officer or employee that would be
payable on September 29, 2000, or September 30, 2000, for the preceding
applicable pay period (if not for this section) shall be paid, whether
by electronic transfer of funds or otherwise, on October 1, 2000.
SECTION 1001 OF PUBLIC LAW
106 113
Sec . 1001. Paygo Adjustments.
--(a) Notwithstanding Rule 3 of the
Budget Scorekeeping Guidelines set forth in the joint explanatory
statement of the committee of conference accompanying Conference Report
No. 105 217, legislation enacted in this division by reference in the
paragraphs after paragraph 4 of subsection 1000(a) paragraph (5) of
section 1000(a), and the provisions of titles V, VI, and VII of the
legislation enacted in this division by reference in such paragraph (5),
that would have been estimated by the Office of Management and Budget
as
changing direct spending or receipts under section 252 of the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 were it included in an
Act other than an appropriations Act shall be treated as direct spending
or receipts legislation as appropriate, under section 252 of the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, but shall be
subject to subsection (b).
(b) * * *
FULL COMMITTEE VOTES
Pursuant to the provisions
of clause 3(a)(1)(b) of rule XIII of the
House of Representatives, the results of each roll call vote on an
amendment or on the motion to report, together with the names of those
voting for and those voting against, are printed below:
Rollcall No. 1
Date: March 9, 2000.
Measure: Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations Bill, FY 2000.
Motion by: Mr. Obey.
Description of Motion: To
reduce funding for equipping and training
Colombian army forces for counternarcotics efforts and to provide
expedited procedures for restoring this assistance by July 15, 2000, if
the House has not already done so.
Results: Rejected 20 yeas to 36 nays.
Members Voting Yea
Members Voting Nay
Mr. Boyd
Mr. Aderholt
Mr. Cramer
Mr. Bonilla
Mr. Cunningham
Mr. Callahan
Mr. Hinchey
Ms. DeLauro
Mr. Hoyer
Mr. Dickey
Ms. Kaptur
Mr. Dicks
Ms. Kilpatrick
Mr. Edwards
Mrs. Lowey
Mrs. Emerson
Mrs. Meek
Mr. Farr
Mr. Obey
Mr. Forbes
Mr. Olver
Mr. Frelinghuysen
Mr. Pastor
Mr. Goode
Ms. Pelosi
Mr. Hobson
Mr. Porter
Mr. Istook
Mr. Price
Mr. Kingston
Ms. Roybal-Allard
Mr. Knollenberg
Mr. Sabo
Mr. Kolbe
Mr. Serrano
Mr. Latham
Mr. Visclosky
Mr. Lewis
Mr. Wicker
Mr. Miller
Mr. Mollohan
Mr. Moran
Mr. Murtha
Mr. Nethercutt
Mrs. Northup
Mr. Packard
Mr. Peterson
Mr. Regula
Mr. Rogers
Mr. Skeen
Mr. Taylor
Mr. Tiahrt
Mr. Walsh
Mr. Wamp
Mr. Wolf
Mr. Young
FULL COMMITTEE VOTES
Pursuant to the provisions
of clause 3(a)(1)(b) of rule XIII of the
House of Representatives, the results of each roll call vote on an
amendment or on the motion to report, together with the names of those
voting for and those voting against, are printed below:
Rollcall No. 2
Date: March 9, 2000.
Measure: Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations Bill, FY 2000.
Motion by: Ms. Pelosi.
Description of Motion: To
provide $1.3 billion for substance abuse
treatment and prevention.
Results: Rejected 23 yeas to 31 nays.
Members Voting Yea
Members Voting Nay
Ms. DeLauro
Mr. Aderholt
Mr. Dicks
Mr. Bonilla
Mr. Edwards
Mr. Boyd
Mr. Farr
Mr. Callahan
Mr. Forbes
Mr. Cramer
Mr. Hinchey
Mr. Cunningham
Mr. Hoyer
Mrs. Emerson
Mr. Jackson
Mr. Frelinghuysen
Ms. Kaptur
Mr. Goode
Ms. Kilpatrick
Mr. Hobson
Mrs. Lowey
Mr. Kingston
Mrs. Meek
Mr. Knollenberg
Mr. Mollohan
Mr. Kolbe
Mr. Murtha
Mr. Latham
Mr. Obey
Mr. Lewis
Mr. Olver
Mr. Miller
Mr. Pastor
Mr. Nethercutt
Ms. Pelosi
Mr. Packard
Mr. Price
Mr. Peterson
Ms. Roybal-Allard
Mr. Porter
Mr. Sabo
Mr. Regula
Mr. Serrano
Mr. Rogers
Mr. Visclosky
Mr. Skeen
Mr. Sununu
Mr. Taylor
Mr. Tiahrt
Mr. Walsh
Mr. Wamp
Mr. Wicker
Mr. Wolf
Mr. Young
FULL COMMITTEE VOTES
Pursuant to the provisions
of clause 3(a)(1)(b) of rule XIII of the
House of Representatives, the results of each roll call vote on an
amendment or on the motion to report, together with the names of those
voting for and those voting against, are printed below:
Rollcall No. 3
Date: March 9, 2000.
Measure: Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations Bill, FY 2000.
Motion by: Mr. Edwards.
Description of Motion: To
provide $400 million for veterans'
substance abuse dependency prevention and treatment.
Results: Rejected 23 yeas to 30 nays.
Members Voting Yea
Members Voting Nay
Mr. Boyd
Mr. Aderholt
Mr. Cramer
Mr. Bonilla
Ms. DeLauro
Mr. Callahan
Mr. Dicks
Mr. Cunningham
Mr. Edwards
Mr. Dickey
Mr. Farr
Mrs. Emerson
Mr. Forbes
Mr. Frelinghuysen
Mr. Hoyer
Mr. Goode
Ms. Kaptur
Mr. Hobson
Ms. Kilpatrick
Mr. Kingston
Mrs. Lowey
Mr. Kolbe
Mrs. Meek
Mr. Latham
Mr. Mollohan
Mr. Lewis
Mr. Moran
Mr. Miller
Mr. Murtha
Mr. Nethercutt
Mr. Obey
Mrs. Northup
Mr. Olver
Mr. Packard
Ms. Pelosi
Mr. Peterson
Mr. Price
Mr. Porter
Ms. Roybal-Allard
Mr. Regula
Mr. Sabo
Mr. Rogers
Mr. Serrano
Mr. Skeen
Mr. Visclosky
Mr. Sununu
Mr. Taylor
Mr. Tiahrt
Mr. Walsh
Mr. Wamp
Mr. Wicker
Mr. Wolf
Mr. Young
FULL COMMITTEE VOTES
Pursuant to the provisions
of clause 3(a)(1)(b) of rule XIII of the
House of Representatives, the results of each roll call vote on an
amendment or on the motion to report, together with the names of those
voting for and those voting against, are printed below:
rollcall no. 4
Date: March 9, 2000.
Measure: Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations Bill, FY 2000.
Motion by: Mr. Visclosky.
Description of Motion: To
provide $6.6 million to complete
preconstruction and engineering and design of an emergency outlet at
Devils Lake, North Dakota.
Results: Rejected 24 yeas to 30 nays.
Members Voting Yea
Members Voting Nay
Mr. Boyd
Mr. Aderholt
Mr. Cramer
Mr. Bonilla
Ms. DeLauro
Mr. Callahan
Mr. Dicks
Mr. Cunningham
Mr. Edwards
Mr. Dickey
Mr. Farr
Mrs. Emerson
Mr. Forbes
Mr. Frelinghuysen
Mr. Hinchey
Mr. Goode
Mr. Hoyer
Mr. Hobson
Ms. Kaptur
Mr. Kingston
Ms. Kilpatrick
Mr. Knollenberg
Mrs. Lowey
Mr. Kolbe
Mrs. Meek
Mr. Latham
Mr. Mollohan
Mr. Lewis
Mr. Moran
Mr. Miller
Mr. Obey
Mr. Nethercutt
Mr. Olver
Mrs. Northup
Mr. Pastor
Mr. Packard
Ms. Pelosi
Mr. Peterson
Mr. Price
Mr. Porter
Ms. Roybal-Allard
Mr. Regula
Mr. Sabo
Mr. Rogers
Mr. Serrano
Mr. Skeen
Mr. Visclosky
Mr. Taylor
Mr. Tiahrt
Mr. Walsh
Mr. Wamp
Mr. Wicker
Mr. Wolf
Mr. Young
FULL COMMITTEE VOTES
Pursuant to the provisions
of clause 3(a)(1)(b) of rule XIII of the
House of Representatives, the results of each roll call vote on an
amendment or on the motion to report, together with the names of those
voting for and those voting against, are printed below:
rollcall no. 5
Date: March 9, 2000.
Measure: Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations Bill, FY 2000.
Motion by: Ms. Kaptur.
Description of Motion: To
provide $130 million for grants and loans
for equity capital to establish farmer-owned cooperatives for processing
agricultural commodities (including livestock).
Results: Rejected 19 yeas to 27 nays.
Members Voting Yea
Members Voting Nay
Mr. Boyd
Mr. Bonilla
Mr. Cramer
Mr. Callahan
Ms. DeLauro
Mr. Cunningham
Mr. Edwards
Mr. Dickey
Mrs. Emerson
Mr. Frelinghuysen
Mr. Farr
Mr. Goode
Mr. Hinchey
Mr. Hobson
Ms. Kaptur
Mr. Kingston
Ms. Kilpatrick
Mr. Knollenberg
Mrs. Lowey
Mr. Kolbe
Mrs. Meek
Mr. Latham
Mr. Obey
Mr. Lewis
Mr. Olver
Mr. Miller
Mr. Pastor
Mr. Moran
Mr. Price
Mr. Nethercutt
Ms. Roybal-Allard
Mrs. Northup
Mr. Sabo
Mr. Packard
Mr. Serrano
Mr. Peterson
Mr. Visclosky
Mr. Regula
Mr. Rogers
Mr. Skeen
Mr. Taylor
Mr. Tiahrt
Mr. Walsh
Mr. Wamp
Mr. Wolf
Mr. Young
FULL COMMITTEE VOTES
Pursuant to the provisions
of clause 3(a)(1)(b) of rule XIII of the
House of Representatives, the results of each roll call vote on an
amendment or on the motion to report, together with the names of those
voting for and those voting against, are printed below:
rollcall no. 6
Date: March 9, 2000.
Measure: Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations Bill, FY 2000.
Motion by: Mr. Regula.
Description of Motion: To
report the bill, to authorize the Chairman
to seek a rule for consideration of the bill, and to authorize the
Chairman to move that the House disagree to the amendments of the Senate
and agree to a conference requested by the Senate.
Results: Adopted 33 yeas to 13 nays.
Members Voting Yea
Members Voting Nay
Mr. Bonilla
Mr. Cunningham
Mr. Boyd
Mr. Farr
Mr. Callahan
Mr. Hinchey
Mr. Cramer
Ms. Kaptur
Ms. DeLauro
Ms. Kilpatrick
Mr. Dickey
Mrs. Meek
Mr. Edwards
Mr. Obey
Mrs. Emerson
Mr. Olver
Mr. Frelinghuysen
Mr. Pastor
Mr. Goode
Mr. Sabo
Mr. Hobson
Mr. Serrano
Mr. Kingston
Mr. Tiahrt
Mr. Knollenberg
Mr. Visclosky
Mr. Kolbe
Mr. Latham
Mr. Lewis
Mrs. Lowey
Mr. Miller
Mr. Moran
Mr. Nethercutt
Mrs. Northup
Mr. Packard
Mr. Peterson
Mr. Price
Mr. Regula
Mr. Rogers
Ms. Roybal-Allard
Mr. Skeen
Mr. Taylor
Mr. Walsh
Mr. Wamp
Mr. Wolf
Mr. Young
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DISSENTING VIEWS
Most Americans know that
Colombia is a major exporter of illegal
drugs. But many do not know that illegal drug trafficking is only one
of
the serious problems facing that country. Colombia has suffered for more
than 50 years from periods of political chaos and extreme violence. It
has by far the highest murder rate in the world and military conflicts
account for only a portion of the murders. It has not one but two major
leftist guerrilla movements that control major portions of the nation's
land area. It has armed terrorist right-wing para-militaries that like
the guerrillas derive significant funds from drug trafficking,
kidnapping and other illegal activities. It has a population deeply
divided along racial, social and economic lines. Adding greatly to the
complexity of Colombia's difficulties is the fact that all of these
problems are deeply intertwined with one another.
There are a number of things that the United States can do to reduce
drug trafficking in Colombia and increase the opportunities for
Colombians to build a safer and more lawful society that do not inject
the United States into the middle of the long standing social and
economic conflicts in that country and do not risk an ever widening U.S.
commitment. Some of those things are contained in this package. The
approximately $200 million for monitoring and interdiction of narco-air
traffic offers by far the greatest hope for reducing the flow of drugs
to the United States and Europe and reducing revenues to the guerrilla
movements, the para-militaries and various other criminal elements. It
turns the difficult terrain of that country to the advantage of those
wishing to stop the sale of drugs rather than to the advantage of those
who wish to sell them.
But the $522 million appropriated in this bill for the creation and
support of three elite infantry battalions in the Colombian Army could
have exactly the opposite effect. It is unlikely to have significant
impact on drug trafficking, and it will inject the United States into
a
whole range of internal Colombian issues, which we as a nation neither
fully understand nor have the ability, on our own, to control.
Furthermore, the executive branch and the House Republican leadership
are asking the Congress to place the country on this course without full
hearings or an informed and deliberate debate. Neither the Armed
Services, the Foreign Relations, the Intelligence nor the Appropriations
Committees have had the opportunity to hold the type of hearings that
would in my opinion represent minimum due diligence for a decision of
this magnitude.
It is true that Colombia is an important country. Its peace,
stability and prosperity have an important effect on all of Central and
South America and they are important to U.S. national interests.
Colombia now has a President who is saying and apparently trying to do
the right things after years of governments in that country that did
mostly the wrong things. But it would be a grave mistake for us to fail
to differentiate between the national leader and the country he is
attempting to lead. An alliance between President Pastrana and the
United States cannot defeat the FARC, cannot stop the drug traffic,
cannot stop the violence by paramilitaries and other criminal
organizations and cannot bring peace, security and prosperity to
Colombia. Only the Colombian people can do that.
I do not know whether the people of that country are ready to do all
or any of the things we envisage for them. The true level of resolve
among the bankers, businessmen, landowners, middle class professionals,
or peasants in Colombia to undertake this battle is not easy to
determine. If they are fully committed there would be excellent
prospects for success. But if this is a situation where we are training
and supplying a military force that in the end receives more support
from us than the country it represents, we are crossing a line today
that will be remembered for many years. It is a line we have crossed
before and almost always with deep regret.
While I do not know the degree to which Colombians are committed to
the course that this appropriation presumes they should take, there are
some troubling signs. Ralph Peters, a retired U.S. Army Officer who
served in the Andes and in the Office of National Drug Control Policy
wrote in the Washington Post recently:
Does the Colombian government--feckless,
corrupt
and inconstant--deserve our help to survive *** Plenty of
Colombians profit from the disorder and do not really want the
rule of law. They only want a little more room to maneuver.
Expatriate Colombians, lolling on Florida beaches or shopping
in Madrid, would be perfectly willing to fight to the last
American G.I.
I don't know how to square
the argument that Colombia is ready to
shoulder this burden with the fact that they have recently signed an
agreement with the IMF to cut back on military expenditures. I don't
know
how to square that argument
with the fact that neither the
elites of Colombia nor their upper-middle class counterparts will be
represented in either the officer or enlisted ranks of these new
battalions. I certainly don't understand how to square it with the fact
that more than half of the Colombian Army is exempt by law from serving
in a combat situation by virtue of the fact that they hold a high school
diploma.
There are some in the administration and in the Speaker's Office who
would say that we have no choice but to move forward with this package
at this time. President Pastrana has taken risks. He is in a precarious
situation. He must have our support. If that is true, then it
immediately raises a second question. What if we go forward with this
package, train and equip these 3,000 Colombian troops and they get the
devil beaten out them by the 15,000 FARC running around in the same
jungle in Eastern and Southern Colombia to which they are being
deployed? What will be the options before the Congress and the American
people then?
If we have a difficult choice today how much difficult will it be
after a military defeat of the force we have trained and equipped. Will
we drop President Pastrana or his successor like a hot potato. Will we
train another brigade to take the place of the one that was lost and let
it face the possibility of the same fate? Or will we up the ante?
Pastrana or his successor will at that point have taken even greater
risks at our urging and direction, and will be even more politically
vulnerable as a result. The dilemma we face today is a relatively simple
one compared to the one we would face, if our new units are less
successful than the optimists who favor this policy are predicting. If
you don't wish to face the dilemma you might want to vote to take a
little more time in providing this money because the prospects for one
or more of these units being mauled appears to be significant.
The FARC are by all accounts the best-armed and equipped guerilla
force in modern history. They have better uniforms, better weapons and
better pay than the Colombian army. An article published in Janes
Intelligence Review a little more than a year ago described an encounter
between the 52nd Counter-Guerilla Battalion and two FARC units in
Caqueta during the spring of 1998. As the Colombian Army units
approached the FARC they:
* * * determined their speed
and direction and set
up a ``U''-shaped trap around an opening in the jungle and
occupied all of the high ground and crestlines. They drew the
army battalion into the mouth of the `U' and then sealed the
open end. * * * Outside this ring the guerillas set up a
second echelon consisting of ambushes against both aircraft
and ground forces. Between Sunday March 1 and Tuesday March 3,
the guerillas launched vicious assaults against the army
troops in the trap. Using mortars, machine guns, rocket
launchers and small arms, the guerillas pounded the army unit
until it effectively ceased to exist.
Jane's concluded that the
FARC have rapidly developed new operational
capabilities. These include:
The capability to attack
and overrun small and
medium garrisons.
The ability to directly confront and defeat army
units in open combat.
The capability to simultaneously mass large units
against multiple targets around the country.
They are a long way from being capable of
overthrowing the government. They are, however, in a position
of strength in terms of demanding favorable political terms.
Some degree of territorial autonomy seems to be prominent in
both the FARC and the ELN's thinking.
Before we provide these funds
we need to decide exactly what we want
the three hundred men we are going to train to do with respect to the
15,000 to 25,000 rebels in the FARC and the ELN. According to the best
information we have available, they will be assigned to patrol two of
the ten provinces that lie in Colombia's portion of the Amazon Jungle
Basin. Those two provinces alone occupy and area of more than 40,000
square miles, an area almost the size of Pennsylvania, an area that is
virtually without roads, an area that in covered with a dense jungle
canopy.
If we succeeded in driving the FARC out of those two provinces, what
would we have accomplished, politically in behalf of Colombia, or in
terms of reducing drug supplies? There will be 150,000 to 200,000 square
miles of Colombian Jungle left--an area about the size of California.
And that entire area is merely a fraction of the entire Amazon Jungle
Basin that covers significant portions of not only Columbia but
Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and Bolivia as well. What we may actually be
doing is forcing a massive deforestation of successive sectors of the
rain forest as we push coca growers from one region to the next.
Currently, neither the FARC
nor the ELN have a strong base among the
peasants they claim to represent in most of the populated areas of
Colombia. But, we may very well change that with a counter insurgency
operation run out of Washington, D.C. If the Colombians truly want to
shoulder the burden of forcing these organizations to the table, we
should help them. But we will make a terrible and tragic mistake to get
out in front of the people of Colombia in solving this problem.
Finally I would point out that Plan Colombia is a six-year plan. Only
last week the Pentagon laid out their understanding of the military
aspects of the plan. Phase I will take the first two years and will be
concentrated in Putamayo and Caqueta. Phase II will be during years
three and four and will focus on the rest of the South Eastern Colombia
and in the Central Jungle Areas. Phase III will be focused on the
Northwestern Provinces where the overwhelming portion of the population
resides. We may or may not know the price tag for the first year, but
as
far as I know there are no estimates for the cost for the whole six
years. To assume that it will take only six years is to assume that
everything will go as planned. Does anybody think they have a
responsibility to have at least some ballpark estimate of how much we
are going to have to spend over the next decade if we obligate ourselves
to this course of action?
There are good pieces in this package. The air interdiction can and I
believe will be quite effective both in reducing FARC revenues and
reducing drug traffic. The assistance in institution building can be
very positive if it is effectively executed. Efforts to make the
Colombians realize that a nation of ``haves'' and total ``have-nots''
will never produce a truly stable society or reach its economic
potential are extremely important. Also efforts to provide education,
nutrition, housing and medical care to that nation's poor are essential
to any real or lasting change. But we should think very carefully about
the path that calls for us to train and equip a counter-guerrilla
military brigade. It certainly should not be decided in a bum's rush to
act first and ask questions later.
It is not enough to say that Madeline Albright, or Thomas Pickering,
or General McCaffery is convinced that this is the right thing to do--or
that the Speaker favors this. The Constitution requires that each member
of Congress must make that judgement, and if you feel that you do not
have the information to make the right judgement, you should demand that
this decision be delayed until you have sufficient information to make
that judgement.
The amendment I offered in Committee would have deferred
consideration of this matter until we bring the regular bills to the
floor--hopefully in June. (See Committee Rollcall Vote No. 1 on page 63
of the Report) If no action is taken by the House on this matter by July
15, my amendment would have brought the matter immediately to the floor
under an expedited procedure. Whether we resolve this in April or July
will not in my judgement materially affect President Pastrana's ability
to move the peace process forward. It will on the other hand greatly
affect our ability to understand exactly what obligations we are making
on behalf of the American people before we make them.
Dave Obey.
DISSENTING VIEWS OF HON. NANCY PELOSI AND HON. DAVID OBEY
Along party lines, the Committee
voted 23 31 (rollcall vote No. 2) in
rejecting an amendment offered by Ms. Pelosi that would have invested
$1.3 billion for domestic drug demand reduction services. This amount
equals the amount included in this bill for international source-country
cocaine supply reduction. The Pelosi amendment would have provided an
additional $1,300,000,000 over four years for state and local substance
abuse prevention and treatment services funded through the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at the Department of
Health and Human Services.
The Majority has included funds in this bill to support a
``comprehensive strategy to combat the flow of drugs from Colombia and
the region into the United States.'' However, it is not a comprehensive
strategy to reduce overall cocaine and other illegal drug consumption
in
the United States, which is the ultimate policy objective of our
national war on drugs. By rejecting the Pelosi amendment, the Committee
failed to recognize that our national drug control strategy must focus
on demand reduction, as well as supply reduction--especially since a
large portion of illegal drugs consumed in the United States is
domestically produced.
Substance abuse is a critical and persistent public health problem
facing the Nation's major cities and smallest communities. The impact
of
substance abuse on families, public safety, employment and productivity
is deep and well documented. While drug treatment is proven to work,
cities and towns still have waiting lists for treatment services. In
fact, there is a large ``treatment gap'' identified by public surveys
and acknowledged by the Office of National Drug Control Policy in its
reports. Our public treatment systems are able to serve only 2.1 million
out of an estimated 5.7 million people in need of treatment--leaving 3.6
million people in severe need of substance abuse treatment. As a result,
people working to overcome their addictions cannot get into treatment.
While Federal funding for these programs has increased in recent years,
it has not come close to covering the need.
A Rand Corporation study on reducing cocaine consumption, sponsored
by the U.S. Army and the Office of National Drug Control Policy, found
that achieving a one percent reduction would cost $723 million for
source-country control, or $366 million for interdiction, or $246
million for domestic enforcement, or $34 million for treatment. In other
words, funds spent on domestic drug treatment were 23 times more
effective than source-country control, 11 times more effective than
interdiction, and 7 times more effective than law enforcement.
An even greater crisis awaits us if we fail to reach millions of
today's youth experimenting with drugs or reaching a vulnerable age with
effective substance abuse prevention services. Effective model
prevention programs have been identified by the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, the National Institute on Drug
Abuse within the NIH, and other agencies. For every dollar invested in
prevention, communities can save four to five dollars in costs for drug
treatment and counseling; and estimated treatment needs are projected
to
increase by 57% by 2015 if current initiation rates continue without
prevention intervention.
The Pelosi amendment would
have provided treatment for an additional
303,000 addicted individuals and proven prevention services to an
estimated 2.4 million youth. It would provide help to those who need it
most, by establishing a priority for high-need populations such as
youth, minority and rural communities, pregnant and postpartum women,
and individuals who are homeless, at-risk for HIV infection, or have
co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders.
The amendment would have increased the Substance Abuse Prevention and
Treatment Block Grant by $650,000 over the next years, and guaranteed
that all states receive at least a 6.25% increase this year over the
current allotments. An additional $650,000 would have been awarded
competitively to local providers in three-year grants to implement or
expand proven drugs treatment and prevention programs at the community
level. Most of these funds would be dedicated to Targeted Capacity
Expansion grants to boost local treatment capacity. Some of the
additional funds, when combined with current funding, would also allow
SAMHSA to support State Incentive Grants in all states to fill gaps and
improve quality through the development of comprehensive, state-wide
plans to coordinate all prevention services and funding streams within
the state. A portion of the funds would also be competitively awarded
to
local providers under the research-based Knowledge Development and
Application program to develop and test new strategies for providing
opioid treatments for injection drug users, and support the existing
Family Strengthening Initiative to provide parenting skills to high-risk
parents such as those addicted to drugs whose children are at greater
risk of substance abuse.
We are facing a true public health crisis in this country. Illicit
drugs make their way into our communities, our schools, our places of
work. While rates of drug use among teens have leveled off after a rapid
increase since 1992, over half of all high schools seniors are still
using illicit drugs; and rates among young adults age 18 25 have
continued to rise. Regular abuse of illicit drugs is rising among
certain minority populations. Drug use has increased 40% in the past
five years among African-Americans and 17% among Hispanics. Substance
abuse costs the nation about $246 billion a year. These figures do not
even capture the lost potential, wrecked families and other human costs
resulting from substance abuse.
While cocaine is a prevalent drug among adults, and deserving of
special eradication efforts, it is worth noting that it is used far less
frequently by our nation's youth than other drugs. Fifty percent of the
nation's high school seniors have used marijuana, 15% have used
inhalants, and 14% have used hallucinogens, while 10% have used cocaine
and 5% have used crack. Even if were to succeed at reducing the foreign
supply of drugs, drugs with rising popularity are often produced here
at
home. Cocaine consumption peaked in 1993 and has leveled off, while
abuse of other drugs such as methamphetamines and marijuana has been
rising. In many communities, methamphetamines have risen to epidemic
proportions. According to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency,
methamphetamines are rampant in the Western and Midwestern states. In
1998 in San Diego, California, one in every three arrestees tested
positive for methamphetamines. Production and trafficking have risen in
the Northeast and Southeast regions as well. The point of considering
these usage statistics is that a balanced approach must take measure of
the entirety of our national drug problems.
The Majority's refusal to support an equivalent increase for domestic
drug abuse treatment and prevention ignores the reality that these are
the most effective tools available to reduce the burden of drug abuse
on
our society. A five-year evaluation of SAMHSA substance abuse treatment
services found treatment has significant and lasting benefits. Patients
receiving treatment reported 50% decrease in drug and alcohol use 1 year
after completing treatment, 53% decrease in alcohol/drug related medical
visits, 43% decrease in criminal activity, 56% decrease in sexual
encounters for money or drugs, 51% decrease in sexual encounters with
an
injection drug user, 43% decrease in homelessness, and a 19% increase
in
employment. A $1 investment in drug abuse prevention will likely save
$15 in reduced health, justice, and other costs to society, according
to
a SAMHSA-sponsored study that used findings from the National Household
Survey on Drug Abuse.
Stopping imported drugs like cocaine and heroin before they reach our
borders is an important and difficult endeavor. But it is only a part
of
what is needed to prevent and control the human and economic cost of
substance abuse. The Pelosi amendment would have addressed the abuse of
all drugs, including those abused most by our nation's youth, with
proven effective prevention and treatment services. The Majority's
refusal to support this amendment means that, even if the Colombia
strategy proves effective, we will continue to ignore the needs of
millions of Americans and get far less return for our investment.
Nancy Pelosi.
Dave Obey.
ADDITIONAL VIEWS
As the ranking minority member
of the Energy and Water Development
Subcommittee, I submit these additional views on the bill as reported
by
the Committee on Appropriations. The bill includes substantial new
funding requested by the President for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
to pay for emergency flood control and disaster assistance projects
around the country, which I strongly support. However, I strongly object
to the majority's refusal to include $6.6 million in funding to complete
engineering and design work on the proposed Devil's Lake flood control
project in North Dakota. This was a decision that could result in
continued flooding in and around the communities located near Devil's
Lake.
The problem of flooding in Devil's Lake is an emergency that must be
addressed. The lake has expanded westward seven miles since 1992 and is,
among other things, about to possibly swamp a local high school. The
lake has risen twenty-five vertical feet since 1992 and has completely
submerged several roads leading to and from the lake. The town of
Devil's Lake (pop. 9,000) is temporarily protected by newly-constructed
levees, but this is not a permanent solution to the problem of the
lake's continued expansion and almost certain uncontrolled overflow into
the Sheyenne River. To date, the Federal Government has expended
approximately $300 million in the Devil's Lake region for levee
construction, road raisings, relocation assistance, commodity relief,
and public assistance payments. None of these expenditures represent a
permanent fix.
The solution that the Corps is proposing is to cut an outlet from the
Western side of the lake to relieve the pressure of rising water and
allow the purest lake water to be released in a controlled manner to the
Sheyenne River. The Corps is convinced that the outlet will work, and
the problem would be permanently solved. The funding requested was
simply to complete the study, design, engineering and environmental
impact statement so that informed decisions could be made as soon as
possible on whether to proceed with the overall project. During full
committee consideration of the bill, I offered an amendment (Roll Call
No. 4), to include $6.6 million in funding for Devil's Lake. While I
support this process and regret the majority's decision to not include
funding to help the people of North Dakota, I am hopeful that some
funding for Devil's Lake will be included in the final version of this
supplemental appropriations bill.
Peter J. Visclosky.
As of March 17, 2000, this
document is also available at ftp://ftp.loc.gov/pub/thomas/cp106/hr521.txt
