Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 5132 - Dire Emergency Supplemental Appropriation for Disaster Assistance

(Senate Floor)
(Sponsor: Byrd (D), West Virginia)

The purpose of this Statement of Administration Policy is to express the Administration's Views on H.R. 5132, a bill to provide supplemental appropriations for disaster assistance, am reported by the senate Appropriations Committee.

The Administration supports the action of the Senate Appropriations Committee to provide funding for emergency supplemental appropriations that respond to the recent Presidentially-designated disasters. The President has committed to provide approximately $600 million in disaster assistance to the areas affected, and the Committee's action to provide aid through the Small Business Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster assistance programs is consistent with that commitment.

However, the Administration has serious concerns about the committee provision that would add $1.45 billion dollars for the Head Start, Compensatory Education, Summer Youth Employment, and Operation Weed and seed programs. All of the funds contained in the provision would be designated by Congress as an emergency for purposes of the Budget Enforcement Act (BEA). The language makes these funds available only to the extent that the President designates them ae an emergency as well.

The President's FY 1993 Budget proposes substantially increased funding for these activities within the domestic discretionary caps. While the Administration believes that these activities are highly important, they do not, for the most part, meet the definition of "emergency requirements" as specified in OMB's June 1991 Report on the Costs of Domestic and International Emergencies, which was required by P.L. 102-55. Specifically, "emergency requirements" must be necessary expenditures that are sudden, urgent, unforeseen, and are not permanent.

The issues raised by the $1.45 billion provision are among a larger set of related issues being discussed by the Bipartisan leadership and the Administration. Among these issues are matters of important program reform — above and beyond the issues of funding. It is not helpful to these discussions, at this stage, to attempt to advance funding increases for non- disaster programs without also addressing the crucial issues of reform.

This bill was intended to address the need to replenish certain Small Business Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency accounts in response to Presidentially-designated disasters, it would he regrettable if this particular bill were expanded to include items unrelated to the direct disaster assistance programs, such expansion could prevent or delay what should be a simple, direct replenishment of funds used to address these disasters.