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Skriven 2005-10-28 23:33:08 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0510286) for Fri, 2005 Oct 28
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Fact Sheet: President Bush Requests Rescission and Reallocation Packages
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 28, 2005

Fact Sheet: President Bush Requests Rescission and Reallocation Packages



Today's Presidential Action:

On October 28, 2005, President Bush Submitted To Congress A Savings Package
of $2.3 Billion In Rescissions And A Request To Reallocate $17 Billion of
Already Appropriated Funds To Begin Rebuilding Critical Infrastructure in
the Gulf Region And To Continue Recovery Efforts.

The Package Designates $17 Billion To Continue the Recovery and Begin
Rebuilding The Gulf. Funds will be used to replace critical infrastructure,
facilities, and equipment damaged during this year's hurricanes and support
additional recovery activities. Rebuilding efforts include two Veterans
Administration hospitals, military bases employing more than 22,000 people,
and highways and bridges damaged by the Hurricanes. Additional funds will
be provided to help the region and its citizens recover, including funds
for small business assistance, job training, housing relief, environmental
restoration, and social services.

Fiscal Responsibility Is Maintained While Recovery Assistance Continues.
The President pledged to continue fiscal discipline while meeting the
rebuilding and recovery needs of the Gulf Coast and hurricane victims.
Today's request is consistent with the President's principles for the
FY2006 Budget, including reducing non-security funding below last year's
level and maximizing mandatory savings in the reconciliation process.
  þ No New Federal Funds Are Requested. Of the $60 billion previously
    provided for FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund (DRF), this request would
    reallocate $17 billion in previously appropriated DRF funds not
    expected to be used by May and transfer them to $17 billion in
    rebuilding and recovery needs requiring funds through May. Sufficient
    funds will remain in the DRF after the reallocation to meet all ongoing
    recovery demands during that period without delay or interruption,
    including individual assistance and the Federal contribution to initial
    State and local government rebuilding costs.

  þ The Rescissions Package Would Cancel $2.3 Billion From Previous
    Appropriations. Unused balances in 55 Federal programs would be
    rescinded in keeping with the President's pledge to reduce unnecessary
    spending elsewhere in the budget as hurricane recovery efforts
    continue.

  þ Maximizing Savings in Mandatory Programs. The President is urging
    Congress to increase savings from mandatory spending beyond the $35
    billion* over five years provided in the budget resolution. The
    President's budget requested $69 billion* in gross mandatory savings
    over five years and he appreciates efforts in the House and Senate to
    achieve additional savings. (*As scored by the Congressional Budget
    Office.)

  þ Reducing Non-Security Spending Below Last Year's Level. The President's
    FY2006 budget is the first to propose reducing non-security spending
    below last year's level since the Reagan Administration and Congress is
    on track to meet that goal. The Administration is also working with
    Congress on a possible additional across-the-board cut.

A Continued Robust and Compassionate Recovery
  þ Repairing Critical Infrastructure
    Highways: $2.325 billion to repair and rebuild highways and bridges on
    Interstates and US Routes to facilitate commerce and restore the
    economy.
    Levees and Waterways: $1.6 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
    to rebuild levees, improve waterways and restore wetlands _ repairs
    that are important to the safety of the region, as well as to the
    maritime commerce that is a cornerstone of the Gulf economy; $4.6
    million to accelerate a levee upgrade study.
    Restoring Air Traffic: $40.6 million to rebuild damaged air traffic
    control facilities to ensure safety and facilitate the recovery of
    business and commercial aviation _ a critical first step in
    revitalizing the region's tourism industry.
    Community Development: $1.5 billion for Community Development Block
    Grants to help affected states restore basic community infrastructure
    that supports the revitalization of neighborhoods and business
    districts.

  þ Revitalizing the Economy
    Small Businesses: $466 million for credit enhancement and associated
    costs to support $3.4 billion in disaster loans for small businesses
    and homeowners.
    Agriculture: $410 million to help farmers, ranchers, and timberland
    owners remove debris and rehabilitate land; $15.2 million to repair and
    begin rebuilding Agricultural Research Service buildings and facilities
    in New Orleans and Poplarville, MS.
    Job Training: $125 million to continue delivering National Emergency
    Grants for disaster relief employment assistance and job training for
    unemployed hurricane victims.
    NASA: $269 million to rebuild NASA's Michoud and Stennis centers, among
    the largest employers in the Gulf area; $132 million for NASA to
    complete hurricane emergency operations and resume normal space
    programs.
    Fishing Industry: $13.2 million to begin repairs on the damaged
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) science center,
    which provides important support to the Gulf's fishing industry.

  þ Helping Families Rebuild Their Lives
    Affordable Housing: $497 million to repair affordable housing provide
    low-income housing vouchers.
    Urban Homesteading: $250 million for low-income sweat-equity
    homeownership efforts, including funding for self-help housing
    organizations and to offer Federally owned homes to low-income families
    who will repair them.
    Early Childhood Education: $90 million for Head Start programs,
    including repairing facilities in the Gulf area and ensuring that Head
    Start services are available for displaced children.
    Social Services Block Grant: $500 million to help meet child care,
    mental health, and other human services needs.

  þ National Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Health Care
    National Security: $4.6 billion to repair and rebuild damaged DoD
    facilities and equipment, such as at Keesler Air Force Base in
    Mississippi and at the Naval Air Station in New Orleans. $1.6 billion
    to allow temporary operations to continue at damaged facilities. $0.4
    billion for military pay and allowances, primarily for Guard and
    Reserve members activated for the relief efforts, as well as aid to the
    Armed Forces Retirement Home.
    Homeland Security: $142 million to repair and rebuild damaged Customs,
    Immigration, and FEMA facilities and enhance public disaster alert and
    warning systems; $276 million to repair Coast Guard facilities and
    ships.
    Veterans Health Care: $1.155 billion to reconstruct facilities in New
    Orleans and Biloxi and $198 million to replace medical equipment and
    supplies.

  þ Preventing Waste, Fraud and Abuse
    Integrity in Recovery Contracts: $12.1 million to support FEMA's
    efforts to reduce waste, fraud and abuse with additional oversight of
    recovery contracts and procurements.
    Small Business Loans: $5 million to the Small Business Administration's
    Inspector General for fraud prevention.

  þ Environmental Stewardship and Weather Monitoring
    Parks and Refuges: $124.3 million to rebuild facilities in national
    parks and wildlife refuges, and replace and repair equipment used to
    monitor and protect the Gulf environment.
    Hurricane Forecasting: $41.4 million for NOAA to upgrade and repair
    weather monitoring equipment.
    Tank Clean-up: $15 million to begin environmental clean up of leaking
    underground storage tanks.

  þ Restoring The Federal Criminal and Civil Justice System
    Law Enforcement: $126 million to rebuild Federal law enforcement
    facilities, including offices for Federal agents and attorneys, damaged
    prisons and IT and communications capabilities.
    The Judiciary: $75 million for repair of Federal buildings and
    courthouses in the Gulf region.

More Than $64 Billion In Hurricane Relief Has Been Made Available To Date.
Since Hurricane Katrina struck, more than $64 billion has been made
available for Gulf hurricane recovery efforts including funds provided by
the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund, low-interest loans to local governments,
flood insurance, and funding relief from cost-share requirements.
  þ Disaster Relief Fund. Emergency funding bills signed by the President
    have provided $60 billion for relief and recovery efforts. Of this
    funding, as of October 26, more than $19.58 billion has been obligated
    to signed contracts, awarded as grants, or otherwise allocated to
    specific recovery efforts. Funding already obligated to specific
    efforts includes $7.15 billion for housing assistance; $1.45 billion
    for infrastructure; $615.3 million for human services needs; and $86.5
    million for disaster unemployment assistance.
  þ Flood Insurance: With nearly 30,000 claims paid to date, more than $2
    billion is expected to be paid out by Oct. 31. Total Federal flood
    insurance claims associated with the hurricane are expected to exceed
    $20 billion.
  þ State and Local Government Assistance. Since hurricanes Katrina and
    Rita struck, the Federal government has provided $429 million in relief
    to state and local governments by waiving Disaster Relief Fund
    cost-share requirements for debris clean up and emergency protective
    measures. Additionally, the President signed into law legislation
    providing up to $1 billion in low-interest loans for localities whose
    revenue bases have been damaged or eliminated.
  þ Army Corps of Engineers. Of the $4.5 billion provided to the Corps of
    Engineers for Hurricane relief and recovery, $4.1 billion is from the
    DRF for FEMA procurement, clearing debris, logistical support and other
    efforts, $324 million has been committed to specific projects,
    including $181.8 million for emergency dredging of navigation channels
    and waterways, and $140.7 million for repair and rehabilitation of
    flood and hurricane protection systems.

Hurricane Relief Funding By State To Date.
From the Request, Alabama would receive $185 million, Louisiana would
receive $6.4 billion and Mississippi would receive $6.2 billion, with the
balance going to these and other states.
  þ Louisiana: More than $10.4 billion has been allocated so far, including
    more than $3.87 billion for housing assistance, $864 million for state
    and local response and debris clearance, $204 million for human
    services needs, $2.3 billion for Army Corps of Engineer projects, and
    $71 million for emergency unemployment assistance.
  þ Mississippi: More than $5.7 billion has been allocated so far,
    including more than $1.32 billion for housing assistance, $391 million
    for state and local response and debris clearance, $25.4 million for
    human services needs, $940 million for Army Corps of Engineer projects,
    and $11.5 million for emergency unemployment assistance.
  þ Alabama: More than $1.4 billion has been allocated so far, including
    more than $1.08 billion for housing assistance, $21.5 million for state
    and local response and debris clearance, $42.6 million for human
    services needs, $183 million for Army Corps of Engineer projects, and
    $1 million for emergency unemployment assistance.

The President Will Work With Congress On Additional Recovery Initiatives
Through Other Legislation.
  þ Federal Education Assistance: Up to $2.6 billion to provide aid to
    affected states and to school districts taking in evacuated students,
    payments to States to enable displaced children to enroll in schools of
    their choice, and assistance to post-secondary institutions, students,
    and borrowers.
  þ Gulf Opportunity Zones: Approximately $2.3 billion over five years in
    tax relief and loans would be provided to businesses and entrepreneurs
    to help local economies in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
  þ Health Care Assistance: $1 billion for Federal assistance to states for
    providing Medicaid, SCHIP, and uncompensated care to evacuees.
  þ Worker Recovery Accounts: $650 million for self-managed accounts that
    would provide up to $5,000 to certain displaced workers to pay for
    employment counseling, job training, or job-necessary supplies, child
    care or transportation. Workers finding jobs within 13 weeks of
    receiving an account will receive a reemployment bonus of up to $1,000
    out of the funds remaining in their account.

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