73 177
107 th Congress
Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session
107 102
MAKING SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER
30, 2001, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
June 19, 2001.--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. 2216]
The Committee on Appropriations submits the following report in
explanation of the accompanying bill making supplemental appropriations
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, and for other purposes.
BILL HIGHLIGHTS
The bill recommended by the Committee provides a net discretionary
supplemental appropriation of $6,544,580,000 for fiscal year 2001, and
is consistent with the provisions for fiscal year 2001 supplemental
appropriations of H. Con. Res. 83, the fiscal year 2002 budget
resolution. Total spending provided in the bill is $7,481,283,000
including $6,750,352,000 for national security requirements,
$2,168,931,000 for nondefense requirements, and $1,438,000,000 in
offsetting reductions. The bill includes $6,455,380,000 for the
Department of Defense to cover increased operating costs, as well as to
cover requirements for pay, support, training and quality of life for
military personnel. It also includes $288,472,000 for defense-related
requirements at the Department of Energy. The bill includes $389,200,000
for disaster-related needs for the Corps of Engineers, Department of the
Interior, and the Forest Service. Additionally, the Low Income Home
Energy Assistance Program would be supplemented by $300,000,000; the
Education for the Disadvantaged account would be supplemented by
$161,000,000, and the Coast Guard would receive $92,000,000 for
operating expenses. The bill also includes $115,776,000 million for the
implementation of the recently enacted tax rebate. Additional mandatory
appropriations totalling $936,413,000 are included for veterans'
benefits.
TITLE I
NATIONAL SECURITY MATTERS
CHAPTER 1
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE--MILITARY
MILITARY PERSONNEL
The supplemental request included $515,000,000 for functions funded
in title I, Military Personnel, of the Department of Defense
Appropriations Act. The Committee recommends $515,000,000. The following
table summarizes the requested amounts and the Committee
recommendations.
[In thousands of dollars]
Program Request Committee recommendation
Legislated Pay Entitlements $116,000 $116,000
Basic Allowance for Housing Survey 210,000 210,000
Subsistence 28,000 28,000
Reserve Training 42,000 48,500
Officer Pay Table Reform 28,000 28,000
Permanent Change of Station Moves 58,000 58,000
Recruiting and Retention 33,000 26,500
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
The supplemental request included $2,885,700,000 for functions funded
in title II, Operation and Maintenance, of the Department of Defense
Appropriations Act. The Committee recommends $2,936,200,000. The
following table summarizes the requested amounts and the Committee
recommendations.
[In thousands of dollars]
Program Request Committee recommendation
Flying Hours $970,000 $970,000
Focused Relief 36,000 36,000
Base Operations 414,000 407,000
Second Destination Transportation 62,000 50,000
Force Protection 33,000 33,000
Contractor Logistics Support 63,000 63,000
Joint Exercises 11,000 11,000
EHIME MARU 36,000 36,000
Utilities 465,000 463,100
California Electrical Demand Reduction 24,500 41,500
Real Property Maintenance 186,000 144,300
Aircraft Depot Maintenance 276,000 276,000
Ship Depot Maintenance 200,000 200,000
Classified Programs 65,200 96,400
Recruiting and Advertising 0 25,000
U.S.S. COLE (funded in General Provisions) 44,000 44,000
Natural Disaster Damages (funded in General Provisions) 0 39,900
California Energy Demand Reduction
The Committee recommends $45,700,000 for implementation of the
Department of Defense's plan to reduce electricity demand in California
and the Western United States, an increase of $17,000,000 above the
request. These initiatives are intended to reduce electricity demand by
ten percent this year and a total of fifteen percent by summer 2002. The
Committee believes strongly that the Department must place greater
emphasis on utilizing available service resources and technologies that
can ultimately eliminate service dependence on the public power grids in
this region. The Committee encourages the Department of Defense to
allocate a significant portion of this funding increase to focus on this
area.
The additional funds, to remain available through fiscal year 2002,
are allocated as follows:
Operation and Maintenance, Army $6,800,000
Operation and Maintenance, Navy 7,200,000
Operation and Maintenance, Air Force 3,000,000
The Committee directs that in distributing funds for the Energy
Demand Reduction program, the Department should prioritize projects
based upon available data to include increases in installation utility
costs, the rate of savings in energy demand the project will produce,
and the availability of service resources to complete the project. The
Committee further directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to
the congressional defense committees within 45 days of enactment of this
Act that describes the complete criteria to be used and the proposed
projects for distribution of these funds.
Recruiting and Advertising
The Committee recommends a total of $25,000,000 to fund the Army's
advertising campaign sufficiently through the end of the fiscal year.
The Committee is aware of the Army's advertising efforts to focus on
certain audiences, including Hispanics, and directs that no less than
$5,000,000 of the funds provided be used to further increase existing
production efforts directed toward Hispanic recruits.
Natural Disaster Damages
The supplemental request includes $12,500,000 to repair damages
caused by natural disasters. Responding to Committee requests for
information, the military services provided details on the full extent
of natural disaster damages, including severe wind damage in the
northwestern United States in December 2000 and January 2001, the
February 2001 earthquake in the northwestern United States, and numerous
other occurrences of severe damage throughout the United States. In
order to meet these needs, the Committee has provided $27,400,000 in
additional funding, for a total of $39,900,000. The Committee has
realigned those funds in the request and these additional amounts, and
consolidated funding for these activities in a general provision in the
Committee bill.
Other Adjustments
Base Operations. --The Committee recommends a total of $407,000,000
for Base Operations. Within the amount recommended the Committee
recommends $300,000,000 for Army; $83,000,000 for Navy; $7,000,000 for
Army Reserve; $7,000,000 for Navy Reserve; and $10,000,000 for Army
National Guard. Funding for MH 47E unit beddown is deferred based on
consideration of other high priority requirements. The Department is
encouraged to seek restoration of Host Nation Support.
Real Property Maintenance. --The Committee recommends a total of
$144,300,000 for Real Property Maintenance. Within the amount
recommended, the Committee recommends $91,000,000 for Army; $31,500,000
for Navy; $6,800,000 for Air Force; and $15,000,000 for Army National
Guard. Funding for F 22 beddown is deferred.
Second Destination Transportation. --After review of the many high
priority requirements presented by the Department, the Committee
recommends a total of $50,000,000 for Second Destination Transportation,
a reduction of $12,000,000 to the supplemental request.
USE OF BIOFUELS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
The Committee commends the Department of Defense for its efforts to
maximize the use of ethanol, biodiesel and other agricultural-based
fuels and lubricants, and urges the Department to continue the effort.
PROCUREMENT
The supplemental request included $550,700,000 for functions funded
in title III, Procurement, of the Department of Defense Appropriations
Act. The Committee recommends $488,700,000. The following table
summarizes the requested amounts and the Committee recommendations.
[In thousands of dollars]
Program Request Committee recommendation
Training Munitions $73,000 $73,000
C 17 Overhead Costs 49,000 49,000
Ship Cost Growth 222,000 222,000
California Electrical Demand Reduction 4,200 4,200
Classified Programs 202,500 125,000
Global Positioning System NUDET 0 15,500
Training Munitions
The supplemental request includes $73,000,000 for various training
munitions. The Committee recommendation includes this amount. The Air
Force has informed the Committee that there is a near term shortfall of
$452,000,000 in training munitions and a $2,000,000,000 shortfall over
the Future Years Defense Plan. The Committee is dismayed to learn that
these shortfalls are a result of a decade of neglect in Air Force
budgets. The Committee further notes that the munitions procured with
the supplemental funds will not be available for two years. This is
clearly a requirement that must be addressed in an ongoing and
deliberate manner as part of the regular annual appropriation process
rather than supplemental appropriations. Accordingly, the Committee
directs the Air Force to budget adequately for training munitions in
future budget submissions.
Global Positioning System (Space)
The supplemental request includes $15,500,000 in a classified line
for acquisition of a nuclear detonation detection (NUDET) sensor for
installation on the GPS satellite. The Air Force has informed the
Committee that installation of this sensor on the GPS satellite is an
unclassified fact. The Committee believes that funding this sensor in a
classified line separately from the host GPS satellite unnecessarily
complicates budget formulation, justification, and execution.
Accordingly, the Committee recommendation includes a transfer of funding
for this effort to the GPS satellite procurement line-item. The
Committee directs that future budget requests for GPS NUDET be included
as part of the GPS satellite procurement line-item. The Committee
believes that this direction is not only preferable from a budgetary
standpoint, but also fully consistent with DoD's intent to expand the
Air Force's role and responsibilities in space.
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST AND EVALUATION
The supplemental request included $440,500,000 for functions funded
in title IV, Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, of the
Department of Defense Appropriations Act. The Committee recommends
$525,600,000. The following table summarizes the requested amounts and
the Committee recommendations.
[In thousands of dollars]
Program Request Committee recommendation
ISR Enhancements 0 $5,000
Airborne Laser $153,000 153,000
Launch Vehicle Demonstration 48,000 48,000
Global Hawk 25,000 17,000
Miniature Munitions 20,000 13,000
ISR Battle Management 0 5,000
Joint Experimentation 15,000 15,000
V 22 Aircraft 80,000 120,000
Naval Fires Network 0 5,000
Classified Programs 99,500 144,600
v 22
The supplemental request proposes a series of funding adjustments to
the V 22 program, intended to begin implementation of recommendations
made by the Panel to Review the V 22 Program (the so-called ``Blue
Ribbon Panel'') to hold V 22 production rates to minimum levels while
the program is restructured and restored to operation. To support
initial redesign and testing efforts, the supplemental request proposes
to increase the fiscal year 2001 budget request for V 22 research and
development by $80,000,000. The request also proposes rescissions of
fiscal year 2001 V 22 production funding totaling $475,000,000
($235,000,000 from ``Aircraft Procurement, Navy'', and $240,000,000 from
``Aircraft Procurement, Air Force''), in keeping with the Department's
revised procurement profile.
The Committee agrees with the thrust of the proposed changes
contained in the supplemental budget request. However, in order to
enable the Marine Corps to accelerate activities associated with risk
reduction, part redesign, and continued operational testing necessary
for the V 22 to return to flight status, the Committee recommends
$120,000,000 for V 22 research and development, an increase of
$40,000,000 over the supplemental request. The Committee has also
carefully scrutinized the funding requirements associated with the V 22
production program, and has determined that the supplemental request
uses overly conservative pricing assumptions by the Defense Department
on the remaining V 22 aircraft to be procured with fiscal year 2001
funds. Accordingly, the Committee believes the current planned fiscal
year 2001 procurement program can be executed at a lower cost, yielding
funding which is available to help finance a more accelerated and robust
V 22 testing and development effort, as well as other urgent needs in
this legislation. Therefore, while approving the rescissions of prior
year funds proposed in the request, the Committee recommends additional
rescissions of $95,000,000 to the ``Aircraft Procurement, Navy''
appropriation account and $20,000,000 to the ``Aircraft Procurement, Air
Force'' account.
AIRBORNE LASER
The supplemental request includes $153,000,000 for the Airborne Laser
to address program cost growth and to reduce schedule risk for a lethal
demonstration against a theater missile planned in 2003. The Committee
recommendation includes this amount.
SMALL DIAMETER BOMB
The supplemental request includes $20,000,000 for a new program to
develop a 250 pound Small Diameter Bomb (SDB). The Committee notes that
$12,000,000 was appropriated to initiate this effort in fiscal year
2001. The Committee also notes that contract award will likely not occur
until late fiscal year 2001 or early fiscal year 2002. Given the
availability of funds, and the delay in contract award, the Committee
recommendation includes $13,000,000 subject to the direction below. Any
additional fiscal year 2002 requirements should be addressed as part of
the DoD's fiscal year 2002 request.
Over the past several years, the Committee has supported an advanced
technology demonstration of a low cost seeker technology called Direct
Attack Munitions Affordable Seeker (DAMASK). DAMASK, developed at Naval
Air Warfare Center China Lake, uses a low cost commercial imaging
infrared sensor produced for the automobile industry. DAMASK provides a
passive, GPS independent, through the weather, lock-on after launch,
precision strike capability. In actual flight tests, the seeker has
demonstrated accuracy within one meter in a GPS denied environment.
DAMASK is estimated to cost $20,000 per seeker, less than half of the
amount allocated in the Air Force's SDB seeker estimates.
The Committee strongly encourages the Air Force to adopt the DAMASK
technology for use in the SDB program. At a minimum, the Committee
directs that evaluation of DAMASK technology be included in the SDB
Request for Proposal (RFP) and that DAMASK be the standard of comparison
in terms of cost and performance for all potential SDB seeker
candidates.
The Committee directs that prior to contract award for SDB, the
Secretary of the Air Force submit a report to the congressional defense
committees that includes: 1) a determination of whether the DAMASK
technology (using an articulated design if required) can be adapted to
accommodate the size requirements of the SDB; 2) an evaluation of DAMASK
as a viable solution to the anti-jam requirements for the SDB; 3) an
evaluation of DAMASK for use as an automatic target recognition seeker
for mobile targets (assuming a logical technology growth path); 4) a
cost and performance comparison between DAMASK and competing seeker
proposals; and 5) a comparison of the competing seeker proposals in
terms of technology readiness.
Joint Experimentation
The supplemental request included $15,000,000 for ``Research,
Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide'', which the Department
of Defense then intended to transfer to Joint Experimentation efforts
funded in the ``Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy''
appropriation. The Committee recommends appropriating the $15,000,000
directly to ``Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy'', to
avoid the delay.
Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) Programs
The supplemental request included $25,000,000 for Intelligence,
Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) programs, specifically an effort to
accelerate the development of the Global Hawk High Altitude Endurance
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The Committee recommends $32,000,000 for
overall ISR efforts, an increase of $7,000,000, as outlined below.
Global Hawk .--The Department requested $25,000,000 to accelerate
the development of the Global Hawk High Altitude Endurance Unmanned
Aerial Vehicle. The Committee recommends $17,000,000 for initiation of
the plan presented by the Air Force to accelerate development of the
Global Hawk.
The Committee is concerned that the Air Force plan reflects a highly
ambitious schedule, relying heavily on the rapid development and
delivery of a myriad of sensor systems. The Committee believes the Air
Force should use up to $5,000,000 of the funds provided to conduct a
competitive fly-off demonstration to evaluate existing sensor systems,
particularly electro-optical and infrared sensors and synthetic aperture
radars, that demonstrate potential for achieving the requirement without
the need for a significant investment in development cost and schedule.
This effort could significantly reduce the risk inherent in the current
schedule.
ISR Networking Enhancements.-- The Army, Navy, and Air Force are
initiating programs and conducting joint and service-specific exercises
that highlight networking and command and control of ISR assets, time
critical strike, and other network centric operations. These efforts,
although developed separately, are by necessity joint due to their
reliance on a common set of goals, assets, databases, and communication
links.
It is clear that central to the ability of each of the Services to
identify, track, attack, and assess damage, is the development of
methods to link available sensors into a network of shared data to
support decision makers at all levels. The Committee notes that funding
for many of the fiscal year 2001 networking efforts have been cobbled
together from a variety of projects that support related programs, but
specific funds for certain requirements have not been fully funded in a
budget request. Therefore, the Committee has provided a total of
$15,000,000 for the services to enhance and accelerate high priority
networking projects. The Committee directs the $15,000,000 be used as
follows:
For the Army, $5,000,000 for Intelligence, Surveillance,
Reconnaissance Enhancements.--$3,000,000 for UAV Radio Network Upgrades
to allow radios to be networked beyond the line of sight and $2,000,000
for the continued development of the Joint Common Data Base.
For the Navy, $5,000,000 for Naval Fires Network (NFN) testing,
evaluation, and deployment, an analysis of the requirement to upgrade
the tactical dissemination module, and training and long lead
requirements for a potential NFN prototype deployment with a CVBG.
For the Air Force, $5,000,000 for Intelligence, Surveillance,
Reconnaissance Battle Management to initiate a new start program to
develop a capability to dynamically command, control and visualize ISR
assets and information in the Air Operations Center (AOC).
The Committee agrees with the approach that each service is taking.
Nevertheless, it is essential that each service Chief monitor their
programs to ensure that service solutions are joint in application.
Architectures must be built in such a way that interoperability and
exchange of information is encouraged and not hindered.
OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (C3I)
Recent actions within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (ASD/C3I)
indicate that this office has failed in its responsibility to adhere to
congressional directives with respect to execution of funding for
particular programs, projects, and activities. The Committee believes
that these instances show a lack of judgment, questionable management
practices, and what appears to be at best an indifference for Congress'
role in the establishment of defense spending priorities. Such practices
not only undermine the appropriations process, but also weaken the
confidence given to ASD/C3I with respect to conducting its overall
responsibilities within the Department of Defense.
The Committee recognizes that ASD/C3I is an important organization
with far reaching oversight and management of important Department of
Defense programs. The Committee believes that such authority must be
combined with a more responsive management structure that is capable not
only of effectively managing its programs, but also ensuring that the
intent of Congress is implemented in a timely manner. The Committee
expects that the Secretary of Defense will ensure that any future
Assistant Secretary of Defense for ASD/C3I will take steps to correct
these types of actions and will address the issues identified by the
Committee.
REVOLVING AND MANAGEMENT FUNDS
DEFENSE WORKING CAPITAL FUNDS
The supplemental request included $178,400,000 for functions funded
in title V, Revolving and Management Funds, of the Department of Defense
Appropriations Act. The Committee recommends $178,400,000. The following
table summarizes the requested amounts and the Committee
recommendations.
[In thousands of dollars]
Program Request Committee recommendation
Utilities $178,400 $178,400
OTHER DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROGRAMS
The supplemental request included $1,453,400,000 for functions funded
in title VI, Other Department of Defense Programs, of the Department of
Defense Appropriations Act. The Committee recommends $1,655,300,000. The
following table summarizes the requested amounts and the Committee
recommendations.
[In thousands of dollars]
Program Request Committee recommendation
Defense Health Program $1,453,400 $1,653,400
Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, Defense (for utilities) 0 1,900
DEFENSE HEALTH PROGRAM COST GROWTH
The Committee notes that in 12 of the past 16 years, the Congress has
been compelled to act either by providing new appropriations or prior
approval reprogrammings to ensure sufficient funding for the Defense
Health Program. Including the amount recommended in this bill, the
Congress has provided a total of over $6,500,000,000 above amounts
requested by the Department of Defense for this program since fiscal
year 1986.
One reason for these shortfalls is the need to fully fund the cost of
contractually provided health care. To fund such shortfalls, the
Committee recommends $786,300,000, as requested by the administration,
for costs associated with the TRICARE global settlement, for price
adjustments in execution of fiscal year 2001, for requirements that
could not be met by the Department of Defense medical treatment
facilities, and for certain pharmacy costs. With respect to global
settlement, the Committee harbors concerns that this amount does not
reflect all valid contractor claims since July 2000. The Committee is
aware that numerous valid claims have yet to be adjudicated and that new
claims have been filed by TRICARE contractors since the beginning of
calendar year 2001. The Committee therefore directs the Secretary of
Defense to submit a report to the congressional defense committees,
prior to conference on the fiscal year 2001 Supplemental Appropriations
bill, that provides estimates of the outstanding liability for global
settlement and other change order requirements not previously identified
or estimated that exceed the funding provided in this bill.
In addition, the Committee is aware that the Department of Defense
suffers from chronic funding shortfalls due to the inaccuracy of current
DoD budgeting methods. Current practices have clearly failed to keep
pace with increases in medical care costs brought about by advances in
the technology of providing medical care, and by substantial increases
in pharmacy costs. An example of the discrepancy between budgeting
methods and reality is reflected in pharmacy costs, for which the
Department regularly budgets for cost growth of 4 5 percent per year
while actual cost growth since 1996 has averaged nearly 12 percent
annually. Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to
submit a report to the congressional defense committees, concurrent with
submission of the fiscal year 2002 budget request, which details
measures included in the fiscal year 2002 budget request to improve
budgeting methods for medical care in the fiscal year 2002 request and
for subsequent budget requests.
Military Treatment Facility Optimization and Advance Medical Practices
The Committee has provided an additional $200,000,000 above the
budget request as an initial increment to begin the process of reversing
the erosion in the ability of the direct military health care system to
provide the highest standards of care to service personnel, their
families, and to Medicare-eligible military retirees. The inability of
the Department to accurately forecast its TRICARE contractor costs,
combined with high cost growth in the commercial medical sector,
congressional action to expand health benefits to military retirees, and
a poorly structured base contract for TRICARE service providers has
resulted in an explosion in TRICARE costs that has exceeded forecast
levels by tens of billions of dollars over the past several years.
Besides putting strains on the DoD budget as a whole, the direct care
system of the military medical departments has been especially hard hit
as their budgets have been consistently raided to pay for TRICARE cost
overruns. For instance, this year the fourth quarter operating budgets
for the Army, Navy and Air Force direct care systems have all been used
to pay legitimate but unbudgeted TRICARE contractor claims. Without the
replenishment of over $1.4 billion in this bill, all three of the
services' direct care systems would be forced to shut down in July or
August.
This severe and persistent funding instability for the direct care
system has been highly disruptive to orderly administration and has had
an insidious ``penny-wise, pound-foolish'' effect on the entire system
over time. It has prevented military managers from making sound
investments to increase the longer-term efficiency of their system and
to maintain the highest quality standards of care. The Surgeons General
have repeatedly testified that this continued neglect of the direct care
system soon will lead to a decrease in quality of patient care, a
significant disruption in the normal delivery of health care services,
declining morale among the medical workforce, and more difficulty in
recruiting top medical talent.
The Committee also notes that sound investments in the direct care
system can save significant amounts of money. For instance, the Air
Force Surgeon General testified that the lack of funding for MTF
operating room supplies has caused his staff to transfer in-house
appendectomy patients to TRICARE contractors at a total cost of $6,000
to $7,000 per procedure instead of $300 at an MTF. The Committee is
aware that the Surgeons General have documented hundreds of individual
MTF investments that will not only improve the quality of care, but
allow them to provide care cheaper than if it were outsourced to TRICARE
contractors. These ``optimization'' projects make good business sense.
In addition, the Committee is concerned that the TRICARE financial
crisis has sapped the ability of the military direct care system to keep
abreast of and implement the latest advances in medical practices. Every
year, it is estimated that the military health system needs around $100
million a year to implement newly developed practices/procedures such as
laser refractive eye surgery, liquid based cytology, positron emission
tomography, or non-invasive colonoscopy. It is these same funds that are
held in reserve by the Department until the very end of the fiscal year
to cover TRICARE shortfalls, and are often reduced or eliminated. The
Committee believes this is a counter-productive budgetary practice.
The Committee has therefore provided $200,000,000 to begin the
process of reversing the disinvestments in the military's direct care
system. Of this amount, $150,000,000 is provided to expand the services'
MTF optimization efforts and $50,000,000 is provided to finance
necessary advances in medical practices that have been deferred to date.
Optimization projects may include increased staffing, minor facility
repairs and maintenance, expansion of services, equipment modernization,
pharmacy upgrades, or other activities that will improve health care
service and/or reduce overall cost to the government. The Committee bill
carries language requiring that business case models be prepared for
these projects to show that they will be ``self-financing'' within at
least three years of project initiation, in the sense that they save
more overall cost to the government (to include TRICARE contractor cost)
than is invested under this account. The bill language also gives the
ability to the Surgeons General to undertake other activities that may
not technically meet the cost savings criteria if they deem it necessary
to meet a critical health care deficiency that threatens health care
outcomes.
The Committee directs each Surgeon General to report to the
congressional defense committees by September 15, 2001 on what projects
or activities are to be funded with these funds (including the cost and
location of each), the expected overall return on investment of each
project, and a description of the need/benefits for each project. The
Committee also expects and has included language requiring that each
project or activity funded under this section be continued and
adequately financed in out year budget plans (the so-called POM
process). The bill requires the Secretary of Defense to so certify
before funds can be released.
DRUG INTERDICTION AND COUNTER-DRUG ACTIVITIES, DEFENSE
The Congress identified $5,000,000 in the fiscal year 2000 Department
of Defense Appropriations Act to provide logistical and demilitarization
support for the transfer of three excess A 10 aircraft to the Department
of State in support of its Latin American drug eradication efforts. This
action has yet to be finalized. In view of the increased threat
environment, the Committee recommends that the Secretary of Defense
renew consultations with the Department of State on this matter and
proceed with the transfer of these aircraft.
RELATED AGENCIES
NATIONAL DRUG INTELLIGENCE CENTER
The Congress funded the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) at a
fiscal year 2001 baseline level of $34,100,000 to implement changes in
operations and responsibilities specified by the General Counterdrug
Intelligence Plan (GCIP). The GCIP established the NDIC as the principal
center for domestic strategic counterdrug analysis in support of
policymakers and resource planners, and mandated the establishment or
expansion of key technological and analytical assets. The Committee
expects the intelligence community to ensure that this new baseline is
fully reflected in the fiscal year 2002 and out year budgets.
CLASSIFIED PROGRAMS
The Committee's recommendations regarding classified programs are
summarized in a classified annex accompanying this report.
GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS CHAPTER
The Committee bill amends a general provision requested in the
supplemental request concerning the availability of funds provided in
this chapter.
The Committee bill includes a general provision requested in the
supplemental request concerning funds for intelligence related programs.
The Committee bill amends a general provision requested in the
supplemental request which provides $44,000,000 of additional funds for
the repair of the U.S.S. COLE.
The Committee bill includes a general provision which rescinds
$834,000,000 from funds provided in previously enacted Defense
Appropriations Acts. The accounts and specific programs recommended for
rescission are as follows:
Rescissions
2000 Appropriations:
$3,000,000
2001 Appropriations:
81,000,000
330,000,000
5,000,000
260,000,000
65,000,000
85,000,000
5,000,000
The Committee bill includes a general provision which provides
funding to repair facilities damaged by natural disasters.
The Committee bill includes a general provision extending the
authorities provided in section 816 of the National Defense
Authorization Act of 1995, as amended, through January 31, 2002.
CHAPTER 2
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
WEAPONS ACTIVITIES
The Committee recommendation includes $140,000,000 for Weapons
Activities as proposed by the Administration. However, the Committee
recommendation modifies the distribution of the program funding.
Directed stockpile work .--An additional $54,000,000 has been
provided for directed stockpile work to be allocated as follows:
$18,900,000 for stockpile maintenance; $4,000,000 for stockpile
evaluation; and $31,100,000 for stockpile research and development,
including $24,000,000 for W 88 pit certification activities.
Campaigns .--An additional $9,000,000 has been provided for
campaigns to be allocated as follows: $1,800,000 for secondary
readiness; $1,600,000 for non-nuclear readiness; $1,600,000 for high
explosives manufacturing and weapons assembly/disassembly readiness; and
$4,000,000 for pit manufacturing readiness.
Readiness in technical base and facilities .--An additional
$47,000,000 has been provided for readiness in technical base and
facilities to be allocated as follows: $23,000,000 for operations of
facilities; $9,500,000 for program readiness; $4,500,000 for material
recycle and recovery; $8,800,000 for containers; and $1,200,000 for
storage.
The recommendation also adjusts funding for construction projects
provided in the fiscal year 2001 appropriations bill to more accurately
reflect the use of the funds. Funding of $9,500,000 provided in Project
01 D 103, Project Engineering and Design (PE&D), has been transferred to
Project 01 D 108, Microsystems and Engineering Science Applications
(MESA) Complex, at Sandia National Laboratories. Funding provided in
fiscal year 2001 for this project was for infrastructure upgrades which
should have been provided in the MESA construction line item, not PE&D.
Funding of $3,689,000 is provided for Project 01 D 107, Atlas
Relocation and Operations, at the Nevada Test Site. This reflects the
transfer of $3,689,000 from Project 01 D 103, PE&D, to relocate the
Atlas pulsed power facility to the Nevada Test Site by the end of fiscal
year 2003.
Facilities and infrastructure .--The Committee has provided
$30,000,000 to establish a new program, Facilities and Infrastructure,
to address the serious shortfall in maintenance and repairs throughout
the nuclear weapons complex. This funding should be used to reduce the
backlog of maintenance and repairs and dispose of excess facilities.
OTHER DEFENSE RELATED ACTIVITIES
DEFENSE ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORATION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
The Committee recommendation includes $100,000,000 for Defense
Environmental Restoration and Waste Management as proposed by the
Administration. Additional funding of $31,700,000 is provided for the
Savannah River Site for high-level waste activities and work in the F&H
areas. Additional funding of $18,300,000 is provided for the Hanford
site in Richland, Washington, for spent nuclear fuel activities, work on
the Plutonium Finishing Plant, and F-reactor interim storage activities.
For the Office of River Protection in Richland, an additional
$10,000,000 is provided for tank farm operations and $25,000,000 to
support the Hanford vitrification plant. Additional funding of
$7,000,000 has been provided to purchase TRUPACTS shipping containers in
support of operations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico;
$5,000,000 to restore funding for high level waste disposal activities
at Idaho; and $3,000,000 for groundwater contamination activities at the
Pantex plant in Texas.
DEFENSE FACILITIES CLOSURE PROJECTS
The Committee recommendation includes $21,000,000 for Defense
Facilities Closure Projects as proposed by the Administration.
Additional funding of $20,000,000 has been provided for the Fernald,
Ohio, project, and $1,000,000 for the Miamisburg, Ohio, project.
DEFENSE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PRIVATIZATION
The Committee recommendation includes $27,472,000 for Defense
Environmental Management Privatization, a reduction of $2,128,000 from
the Administration's request of $29,600,000. These additional funds will
be used to meet funding commitments for the Advanced Mixed Waste
Treatment Facility in support of legally enforceable deadlines for
shipping waste out of Idaho.
CHAPTER 3
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, ARMY
The Committee recommends appropriating $67,400,000 above the
President's request. Of this amount, $55,100,000 is to upgrade utility
systems in Korea that are in serious states of disrepair, and $6,900,000
is to renovate and upgrade substandard and environmentally unsafe
vehicle maintenance facilities in Germany. The following projects are
included:
Location/account/installation Project title Cost
Korea:
Army:
Camp Humphreys Electrical Upgrade $10,200,000
Camp Humphreys Sewer Upgrade 12,000,000
Camp Hovey Sewer Upgrade 13,400,000
Camp Casey Sewer Upgrade Phase 2 8,000,000
Camp Casey Electrical Upgrade 4,000,000
Camp Stanley Electrical Upgrade 7,500,000
Yongsan Army Garrison Underground Fuel Tanks 1,600,000
-------------
Subtotal, Korea 56,700,000
=============
Japan:
Army:
Camp Schwab Special Forces Training Range 3,800,00
-------------
Subtotal, Japan 3,800,000
=============
=============
Germany:
Army:
Darmstadt Vehicle Maintenance Shop 2,500,000
Kaiserslautern Vehicle Maintenance Shop 2,900,000
Bamberg Vehicle Maintenance Facility 1,500,000
-------------
Subtotal, Germany 6,900,000
=============
Total 67,400,000
In 1999 and 2000, the Command of United States Forces in Korea (USFK)
suffered 295 electrical power and 467 water supply outages from a
decaying infrastructure no longer capable of standing up to daily use
and severe weather, much less hostile action. Magnifying the problem is
the increasing need for sophisticated information technology systems
that are incompatible with existing infrastructure. To begin managing
these problems, the Committee has included funds to replace the
infrastructure with upgraded systems. Not only will this improve the
lives and working conditions of troops stationed in Korea, it will
strengthen the position of the Command to negotiate a land partnership
agreement with the government of the Republic of Korea.
As a result, of the deteriorating infrastructive, troops do not have
internet access readily available. Nevertheless, a recent survey cited
phone and internet access as the top concern of service people stationed
in Korea. The Committee encourages the Commander of United States Forces
in Korea (USFK) to explore this matter and to make recommendations to
the Committee for improving its phone and internet services.
The Committee is also concerned that being stationed in Korea is
considered to be an assignment where soldiers suffer the greatest loss
of pay. For example, a Korea assignment is a 1-year unaccompanied
hardship tour similar to a 6-month unaccompanied hardship tour in the
Balkans. Yet soldiers serving in the Balkans are provided tax relief (no
federal taxes) and a Basic Allowance Subsistence (separate rations) of
approximately $237 per month. Soldiers serving in Korea, however, do not
receive similar benefits. Given the equally hazardous conditions in
Korea and the Balkans, this disparity seems unfair.
Additionally, $3,800,000 is provided for the Special Forces Special
Operations Training Facility at Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan. A new
training facility is needed to replace the existing facility that has
been condemned. $1,600,000 is provided for the replacement of
underground fuel storage tanks in Korea.
Finally, vehicle maintenance facilities in Germany are in need of
substantial renovation in order to ensure safe working conditions for
troops and to meet stringent environmental regulations. Consequently,
the Committee recommends $6,900,000 to renovate and upgrade three such
facilities.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, NAVY
The Committee recommends providing $10,500,000, above the President's
request, of which $9,400,000 is for the construction of an Emergent
Repair Facility in Guam for submarines and ships in transit in the South
Pacific. Additionally, $1,100,000 is provided for a 3rd Marine
Expeditionary Force Training Facility at Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan.
The existing training facility is incapable of containing ammunition
rounds and does not meet environment standards.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, AIR FORCE
The Committee recommends $8,000,000 for Military Construction, Air
Force, instead of $18,000,000 as proposed by the President. The
appropriation is for heat, ventilation, and fire protection systems in
hardened aircraft shelters at the Kunsan Air Base in Kunsan, Korea.
FAMILY HOUSING, ARMY
The Committee recommends $29,480,000 for the Family Housing, Army,
instead of $27,200,000 as requested by the President. Of the amount
provided, $2,280,000 is to convert and renovate 102 substandard low-rise
apartments in Hannam Village, Seoul, Korea. The remaining amounts are
necessary to pay for the increased cost of utilities due to rate
increases for natural gas and electricity.
FAMILY HOUSING, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS
The Committee recommends providing $20,300,000 for the Family
Housing, Navy and Marine Corps, as requested by the President. This
amount is necessary to pay for the increased cost of utilities due to
rate increases for natural gas and electricity.
FAMILY HOUSING, AIR FORCE
The Committee recommends providing $18,000,000 for the Family
Housing, Air Force, as requested by the President. This amount is
necessary to pay for the increased cost of utilities due to rate
increases for natural gas and electricity.
BASE REALIGNMENT AND CLOSURE, PART IV
The Committee recommends $9,000,000 for the Base Realignment and
Closure, Part IV, as requested by the President. This appropriation
enables the Air Force to fulfill contractual obligations incurred for
the environmental clean-up of McClellan Air Force Base.
GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS CHAPTER
The bill contains three provisions:
Section 1301 modifies the existing $77,500,000 cap to allow for
unanticipated increases in construction costs and related contingency
allowances at the Arvin Cadet Physical Development Center at the United
States Military Academy in New York. These increases, however, cannot
exceed the authorized amount of the project of $85,000,000. The
Secretary of the Army is directed to submit a report to the
congressional defense committees on the current cost estimates for the
project 15 days prior to expending funds on the final phase of
construction.
Section 1302 clarifies that amounts provided to the Department of
Defense under each of the headings in this Chapter are available for the
same time period as the amounts appropriated under each such heading in
Public Law 106 246.
Section 1303 rescinds $64,000,000 from funds provided in previous
Military Construction Appropriations Acts.
TITLE II
OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS
CHAPTER 1
GENERAL PROVISION--THIS CHAPTER
Section 2101. The Committee recommends a technical correction related
to the Rural Community Advancement Program. The Committee does not
recommend additional appropriations for the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service and for the Klamath Basin, as requested. It is the
view of the Committee that these funding requirements can be met by
administrative action through existing powers and authorities of the
Commodity Credit Corporation. The Committee urges and directs the
Department to take such action promptly in order to meet these needs
more expeditiously than would be possible by waiting for enacted
supplemental appropriations.
With regard to the budget request for $20,000,000 for financial
assistance to eligible producers in the Klamath Basin, the Committee
directs the Department of Agriculture to submit an apportionment request
forthwith to the Office of Management and Budget. This request shall
cover the release of not less than $20,000,000 from available funds of
the Commodity Credit Corporation for the purpose of providing assistance
to producers, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture. A copy of
this appointment request shall be submitted to the Committees on
Appropriations of the House and the Senate within three days of its
submission to the Office of Management and Budget. Further, the
Secretary of Agriculture is directed to keep the Committees fully
advised to the status and disposition of this apportionment request.
CHAPTER 2
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The Committee recommends an additional $95,677,000 for District of
Columbia activities during fiscal year 2001 consisting of $250,000 by
transfer from Federal funds previously appropriated, $93,276,000 from
local funds and $2,151,000 from enterprise funds. The District
government's request totals $94,677,000 to be financed completely from
local funds and was transmitted to the President by the Mayor on May 22,
2001. This supplemental request is necessitated by budget pressures of
$190,000,000 which District officials are addressing and at this time
have been able to resolve over 51 percent through internal adjustments
and the use of reserves. The balance is due primarily to increased
enrollment in the Medicaid program, the need to invest in support
services for children, youth, and their families, anticipated costs of
collective bargaining agreements, and unforeseen increases in natural
gas prices.
The supplemental recommended by the Committee is funded entirely with
local funds and a transfer of previously appropriated Federal funds.
There is no new Federal money included. District officials and the
control board certified $109,500,000 in additional local revenues above
the original projections of $3,263,000,000 that were developed in
December 1999 to support the fiscal year 2001 budget. The major areas of
revenue increases are taxes and licenses and permits.
GOVERNMENTAL DIRECTION AND SUPPORT
(including rescission)
The Committee recommends a net increase of $5,140,000 within this
appropriation title consisting of $5,400,000 to cover the 84 percent
increase in the price of natural gas experienced by the District
government and a rescission of $250,000 that was appropriated as a
Federal payment in Public Law 106 522 on the condition that the
Comptroller General assist the District in developing a solicitation for
the study and design of a system to simplify the administration of
personnel policies, including pay policies, for employees of the
District government. District officials have stated that they are
further along in their procurement effort and would be delayed if they
were to comply with the conditions placed on the use of the $250,000. As
a result the District's Chief Financial Officer requested that the funds
be rescinded and the District's Personnel Officer has assured the
Committee in a letter dated May 2, 2001 that ``they expect to have the
deliverables required by the Congress by the end of * * *'' fiscal year
2001.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATION
The Committee recommends an additional $1,625,000 for two programs
under this appropriation title. A total of $1,000,000 is recommended for
the Office of Business Services and Economic Development for the
implementation of the District government's New E-Conomy Transformation
Act of 2000 to attract and foster the growth of businesses involved in
the development, production, distribution, and sale of Internet-based
and other communications technologies. The amount of $625,000 is
recommended to fund the city's abatement and condemnation efforts of
nuisance properties as required under section 5 513 of the D.C. Code.
The Committee has not approved language concerning the transfer of
savings resulting from personnel vacancies or language that requires the
deposit of funds into revolving accounts or the request that funds for
the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs not be available until
certain actions are completed by June 1, 2001. That requirement would
have been unenforceable since the date of June 1, 2001 has since passed.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE
(including rescission)
The Committee recommends a net increase of $8,770,000 for several
activities within this appropriation account. A total of $2,800,000 is
recommended for the Metropolitan Police Department consisting $800,000
to implement the photo radar contract program to photograph the license
plates of speeders and $2,000,000 to pay an arbitration award made to
the members of the Fraternal Order of Police involving a grievance
concerning the curtailing of overtime pay to certain employees. The
Committee recommends $5,940,000 for the Fire and Emergency Medical
Services Department consisting of $5,540,000 for back payments and
accrued interest resulting from delays in implementing programs allowing
fire fighters to make pre-tax payments for pension and health and life
insurance benefits, and $400,000 to cover the remaining costs of placing
a fifth fire fighter on fire trucks. The Committee also recommends
$161,000 for the Child Fatality Review Committee to examine the past
events and circumstances leading to or causing the death of a child or
youth, a committed ward of child welfare, or person with mental
retardation and developmental disabilities. The Committee will operate
as a distinct entity within the Chief Medical Examiner's office. The
Committee also recommends the rescission of $131,000 for taxicab
inspectors. This program is funded under the Public Works appropriation
at the same level.
PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM
(Including transfer of funds)
The Committee recommends an additional $2,000,000 for the Public
Education System consisting of $1,750,000 in local funds and $250,000 by
transfer of previously appropriated Federal funds. A total of $1,000,000
is recommended for independent audits of public school enrollment counts
and residency verification in the D.C. Public Schools and the D.C.
Public Charter Schools as required by District statute. The Committee
questions why these funds were not included in the regular annual
budget, especially since the audit is required by law. The Committee
also recommends an additional $1,000,000 for the operation of the Excel
Institute Adult Education Program consisting of a transfer of $250,000
in Federal funds appropriated in Public Law 106 522 that are matched
with $750,000 in local funds. A total of $2,000,000 in local funds was
supposedly included by District officials in the District of Columbia
Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2001 but upon closer examination
there was only $1,000,000 that was included for construction and the
acquisition of construction services from the General Services
Administration on a reimbursable basis. Rather than rescind the $250,000
in Federal funds for the pay simplification system as requested by
District officials, the Committee has transferred those funds to this
appropriation title for the Excel Institute and recommends that those
funds be matched with $750,000 in local funds. The Excel Institute is an
Academic/Auto Technical Training School located in Northwest Washington.
The Institute offers young men and women in the District the opportunity
to train for a career, earn a high school equivalency diploma, and
obtain an unsubsidized job in the automotive industry. The Committee has
also approved language that requires any proceeds and interest accruing
from the sale of the University of the District of Columbia's radio
station WDCU held by the control board in an escrow account be used for
the University's Endowment Fund and invested in equity based securities
if approved by the District's Chief Financial Officer.
HUMAN SUPPORT SERVICES
The Committee recommends an additional $28,000,000 for activities
within the Human Support Services appropriation. The Committee
recommends $15,000,000 to cover the local share of Medicaid costs due to
an increase in the number of clients receiving inpatient and specialty
hospital services and an increase in enrollments in the managed care
program. A total of $4,000,000 is recommended to cover modifications in
the funding formula that has resulted in higher Disproportionate Share
to Hospitals (DSH) payments for uncompensated care provided to District
residents by local hospitals. The Committee recommends $3,000,000 for
the District's Disability Compensation Fund to cover medical and
compensation costs for an increased caseload, $1,000,000 for the Office
of Latino Affairs to provide Latino Community Education grants to 6,000
families in the Latino community, and $5,000,000 for the Children
Investment Trust to support a non-profit entity referred to as the
Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation. This corporation will
coordinate the services provided to youth at the community level and
disburse funds to community-based organizations that serve children,
youth and their families with services that include early childhood
development opportunities, safe and enriching centers for learning in
and out of school, and other training, recreational, and educational
services. The board of the corporation consists of members appointed by
the Mayor and Council as well as four government officials who serve as
advisory members of the board.
PUBLIC WORKS
The Committee recommends $131,000 from local funds for the Taxicab
Commission for taxicab inspectors. This function was previously
performed by the Metropolitan Police Department which had reduced the
number of hack inspectors from six to three. The Taxicab Commission is
expected to place a higher priority on taxicab enforcement and reducing
the number of complaints.
WORKFORCE INVESTMENTS
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $40,500,000 from local
funds to fund anticipated compensation increases from current labor
negotiations. The District's major bargaining units are renegotiating
contracts that expired on September 30, 2000.
WILSON BUILDING
The Committee recommends an additional $7,100,000 from local funds to
make up a shortfall in budgeting by District officials for funds needed
for the relocation of various District agencies to the John A. Wilson
Building.
CAPITAL OUTLAY
The Committee recommends approval of the reallocation of $4,850,000
from five existing projects that have had no implementation activity
since fiscal year 1999 to six projects involving buildings of historical
significance in the District and the funding of a program manager. The
six government buildings selected will be renovated. The dormant
projects are: Electrical Modernization-Old Juvenile Court, $2,650,000;
Asbestos Abatement-Oak Hill Juvenile Court, $525,000; Condition
Assessments, $159,080; Electrical Modernization-Various DC Facilities,
$1,000,000; Building Renovations--Old Juvenile Court, $525,000. These
dormant projects total $4,859,080. The properties to be renovated are:
Recorder of Deeds at 5th and D Street, N.W., $2,000,000; Old Navy
Hospital at 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E., $400,000; Tivoli Theater at
14th Street and Park Road, N.W., $1,000,000; 10th Precinct Building at
750 Park Road, N.W., $450,000; Lamond Recreation Center, $400,000;
Riggs-Lasalle Recreation Center at 501 Riggs Road, N.E., $400,000. The
reallocation also includes $200,000 for the program manager.
ENTERPRISE AND OTHER FUNDS
WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY AND THE WASHINGTON AQUEDUCT
The Committee recommends an additional $2,151,000 from local funds
for the Water and Sewer Authority to cover the costs of the Public Space
Occupancy Permit Rental Fee (``right-of-way'' fee) imposed by the
District on WASA and increased costs for compliance activities related
to the District's stormwater permit.
CHAPTER 3
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE--CIVIL
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
CORPS OF ENGINEERS--CIVIL
FLOOD CONTROL, MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES, ARKANSAS, ILLINOIS,
KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, AND TENNESSEE
The Committee has provided $18,000,000 for the Mississippi River and
Tributaries project for the Corps of Engineers to address emergency
needs resulting from severe localized spring flooding and other natural
disasters. The funds would be used to address the damages caused by
flooding by placing more revetment squares; repairing scours that
threaten a pumping station, a public road and tributary levees; and
replacing relief wells that threaten the stability of a pumping station.
Funds would also be used to dredge silted channels, remove drift and
repair levee slides. 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.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, GENERAL
The Committee has provided $115,500,000 for the Corps of Engineers to
address emergency needs resulting from recent Midwestern and other
floods, ice storms, an earthquake, and other natural disasters. The
funds would be used to dredge commercial navigation channels, remove
debris, repair damaged revetments and dam embankments, and repair
damaged buildings and equipment at Corps of Engineers projects. The
Committee has also included language which directs the Corps of
Engineers to undertake the project authorized by section 518 of the
Water Resources Development Act of 1999. 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.
Corps of Engineers projects in the Tulsa, Little Rock, and Vicksburg
Districts were particularly hard hit by winter ice storms and the funds
provided will enable the Corps to make necessary repairs to damaged
facilities.
Areas of Louisiana, Alabama and Texas received over 30 inches of rain
over a eight day period as a result of Tropical Storm Allison. The funds
provided will enable the Corps to address flooding problems, restore
appropriate depths of navigable waterways and other damages in the New
Orleans, Galveston and Mobile districts.
FLOOD CONTROL AND COASTAL EMERGENCIES
The Committee has provided $50,000,000, the same as the amount
requested by the Administration, for Flood Control and Coastal
Emergencies for the repair of eligible Federal and non-Federal
facilities damaged by natural disasters. 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.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
ENERGY PROGRAMS
NON-DEFENSE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
The Committee recommendation includes $11,950,000 for Non-Defense
Environmental Management, an increase of $550,000 over the request of
$11,400,000. Additional funding of $10,000,000 is provided to continue
cleanup at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, and
$1,950,000 is provided to study remediation options at the former Atlas
Corporation's uranium mill tailings site near Moab, Utah.
URANIUM FACILITIES MAINTENANCE AND REMEDIATION
The Committee recommendation includes $18,000,000 for Uranium
Facilities Maintenance and Remediation, to be derived from the Uranium
Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund, as proposed by the
Administration. Additional funding of $9,000,000 has been provided to
support cleanup activities at Paducah, Kentucky, and $9,000,000 has been
provided to continue decontamination and decommissioning activities at
the former gaseous diffusion plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
POWER MARKETING ADMINISTRATIONS
CONSTRUCTION, REHABILITATION, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE, WESTERN AREA
POWER ADMINISTRATION
The Committee recommendation for the Western Area Power
Administration (Western) is $1,578,000 to complete the planning and
environmental studies to support the proposed 84-mile, 500-kilovolt
transmission line between Los Ban AE6os and Gates (also known as ``Path
15'') in California. Path 15 is presently a bottleneck in the
transmission of electricity between northern and southern California.
The additional funds will allow Western to complete the planning for the
proposed transmission project, including coordination with potential
nonfederal sponsors for the project. Funds are also provided for Western
to update the environmental impact documentation originally completed in
1986. These funds are non-reimbursable so that existing Western
customers do not have to repay these costs to the Federal government.
GENERAL PROVISION--THIS CHAPTER
The Committee has included bill language to direct the Corps of
Engineers to use $500,000 of the funds provided in Public Law 106-377 to
complete work on the Chickamauga Lock, Tennessee feasibility study.
CHAPTER 4
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
OPERATION OF INDIAN PROGRAMS
The Committee recommends $50,000,000 for operation of Indian
programs, as requested by the Administration, to allow for the repayment
by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to the land acquisition accounts of the
Bureau of Land Management, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service,
and the National Park Service. 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.
In May 2001, the Secretary of the Interior used her transfer
authority in Section 102 of the FY 2001 Interior and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, Public Law 106 291, to provide a total of
$41,000,000 to prevent the shutdown of the San Carlos Irrigation Project
(SCIP) electric power operations in Arizona. The transfers are expected
to cover the cost of power purchases for May through the end of August.
The additional funds above the amount required for reimbursement are to
ensure that there are sufficient funds to cover the cost of summer power
requirements. The need for this funding is due to: (1) SCIP's regional
linkage to the California power market and low western reservoirs, which
contribute to high electricity prices; (2) the lack of alternative power
providers in SCIP's service area, which leaves certain residents, such
as diabetics on dialysis, vulnerable to illness or death should power be
cut off; (3) and the inability of SCIP to obtain sufficient funding to
purchase power by other means. The potential loss of power would have a
disastrous effect on the economy and human population of south-central
Arizona. The Department of the Interior is drafting legislation to
authorize the divestiture of SCIP assets and the Administration hopes to
proceed expeditiously.
UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
CONSTRUCTION
The Committee recommends $17,700,000 for construction, to remain
available until expended, to repair damages to U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service facilities caused by floods, ice storms, and earthquakes in the
States of Washington, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin,
New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. 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 PARK SERVICE
UNITED STATES PARK POLICE
The Committee recommends $1,700,000 for United States park police for
unbudgeted increases in pension costs for retired United States park
police officers. These funds will allow for reinstatement of the recruit
training class that has been delayed to pay the increased retirement
costs.
RELATED AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
FOREST SERVICE
STATE AND PRIVATE FORESTRY
The Committee recommends $22,000,000 for State and private forestry
for emergency activities associated with ice storm damage in the States
of Arkansas and Oklahoma, and for emergency pest suppression in several
areas of the country. The recommendation includes $10,000,000 for ice
storm damage and $12,000,000 for pest suppression and prevention
activities on Federal, State, Tribal, and private lands. The funds to
address ice storm damage are for technical forestry and community
assistance, development of recovery plans, forest regeneration on
non-Federal lands, and community fire assistance including community
fire presuppression, suppression and prevention activities. The funds
for pest suppression and prevention activities should be focused on
emergency needs such as suppression of southern pine beetles in the
South, addressing the increasing sudden oak death needs in California
and Oregon, suppression of bark beetles in the West, restoration of
forests destroyed by spruce and mountain pine beetles, and emergency
development, production, and release of beetles for the purpose of
Hemlock woolly adelgid biocontrol. 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 FOREST SYSTEM
The Committee recommends $12,000,000 for the national forest system
for emergency activities associated with ice storm damage in the States
of Arkansas and Oklahoma, and for emergency response to the emerging
problem of illegal marijuana cultivation and trafficking in California
and Kentucky. Within the amount recommended, $10,000,000 is to address
ice storm damage for activities associated with forest restoration
including the preparation and sale of forest products, re-establishment
of forested areas, restoration of wildlife habitat, and recreation site
cleanup; and $2,000,000 is to address the emerging illegal cultivation
and trafficking of marijuana in California and Kentucky. Such funds
shall be available for increased agency law enforcement activity and
increased cooperative support to State and local agencies. 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.
WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT
The Committee recommends $100,000,000 for wildland fire management to
address additional requirements for the 2001 fire season. Current
indications are that the agency's fire fighting capability and available
resources are likely to be insufficient to meet demand. The Committee
reminds the Administration, that a significant debt of over $300,000,000
exists, due to borrowing from the Knutson-Vandenburg funds for past fire
suppression activities. It is important that repayment of such borrowing
be a high priority, should year-end Wildland Fire Management balances
afford such an opportunity. 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.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE
The Committee recommends $4,000,000 for capital improvement and
maintenance to repair damages caused by ice storms in Arkansas and
Oklahoma. Such funds are available for activities including maintenance
and reconstruction of roads accessing national forest and research sites
and facilities, maintenance and restoration of trails, and maintenance
and minor reconstruction of administrative and recreation facilities.
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.
GENERAL PROVISIONS--THIS CHAPTER
The Committee recommends bill language to permit completion of a
wilderness study at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, WI by the
National Park Service. An amount of $200,000 was provided in fiscal year
2001 to complete this study. Because the study will not be completed
until fiscal year 2003, the Committee recommends extending the
availability of these funds.
The Committee recommends bill language extending the availability of
funds provided in fiscal year 2001 for maintenance, protection and
preservation of land in the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site,
South Dakota. The projects for which $5,000,000 was made available to
the National Park Service, through the Air Force operations and
maintenance account, cannot be completed this fiscal year.
The Committee recommends bill language to correct a Public Law
reference in section 338 of the Interior and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2001.
The Committee recommends bill language modifying a provision in
Public Law 106 558 in order to authorize the payment of full overtime
rates for fire fighters in fiscal year 2001.
The Committee recommends bill language to permit the Forest Service
to receive reimbursement for expenditures for projects that otherwise
qualify for the use of Federal-aid highways funds. Emergency relief for
Federally-owned roads is routinely made available to the Forest Service
in the form of Federal-aid highways funds (Department of the Treasury
account 12 69X8083). These monies provide critical funding for the
repair of forest roads made necessary by storms, floods, and other
natural occurrences. However, timely repair work is often needed prior
to Federal-aid highways funds being made available to the Forest Service
by the Federal Highway Administration. This time lag in the provision of
Federal-aid highways funds necessitates the interim use of agency funds,
which were budgeted specifically for other projects, to complete such
repairs. The ability to reimburse accounts that were used to fund
projects, which would otherwise qualify for the use of Federal-Aid
Highways funds, is necessary to assure that both needed emergency repair
work and regularly planned, budgeted, and approved projects are
completed.
CHAPTER 5
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION
TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
(Rescission)
The bill includes a rescission of $359,000,000 from funds provided in
P.L. 106 554 to support the activities of the Workforce Investment Act
(WIA). The rescission is from amounts provided on an advance basis for
fiscal year 2002 to support WIA activities in program year 2001. No
rescission was requested by the Administration.
The Department of Labor estimates that States will carry-in balances
of $1,778,000,000 on July 1, 2001, the beginning of program year 2001.
The Committee understands from the Department that historically States
have carried-in approximately $1,000,000,000 annually among the three
WIA block grants.
The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education,
and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 provided advance
appropriations for the adult and dislocated worker employment and
training activities totaling $1,772,000,000. At the time the Committee
provided these advance appropriations, it did not anticipate such high
levels of unexpended balances in WIA block grant programs.
In view of the large carry-in balances, the Committee recommendation
rescinds $359,000,000 from these advanced amounts, of which $100,000,000
is from adult employment and training activities and $259,000,000 is
from dislocated worker employment and training activities. Even with the
rescission, States will have available an estimated $5,107,000,000 to
support WIA activities in program year 2001, $455,000,000 over amounts
available in program year 2000.
The President's fiscal year 2002 budget recommends reducing WIA
funding by $359,000,000 for program year 2002 in order to reduce the
high level of carry-in balances in each of the three WIA block grants.
The Committee believes that rescinding a portion of the advance
appropriations for these activities now will provide more time for the
States, the Administration, and the Congress to examine program
expenditure patterns and assess future WIA training and employment
service needs.
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
It has come to the Committee's attention that a number of communities
are experiencing delays in the Department of Labor's processing of
petitions for Trade Adjustment Assistance. For localities whose workers
have been adversely affected by imports and trade agreements these job
training and reemployment benefits are crucial. The Committee urges the
Department of Labor to expedite the investigation and certification
processes for these benefits.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES
The funding available for construction and renovation of Scripps
Memorial East County Hospital in El Cajon, California shall be divided
equally between Sharps Grossmont Hospital, located in San Diego County
and El Centro Regional Medical Center, located in Imperial County.
ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE
The bill includes $300,000,000 to serve as a reserve to provide home
energy assistance to low-income households, including the needs of
low-income households arising from extreme summer heat or other
emergencies, as defined in section 2603 of the Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1981. This is $150,000,000 above the
Administration's supplemental request. The Departments of Labor, Health
and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act, 2001 (P.L. 106 554) provided $300,000,000 in contingent emergency
funds for LIHEAP. These funds were released in their entirety on
December 30, 2000, to address high heating fuel prices.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
EDUCATION REFORM
The bill includes a provision to make a technical correction relating
to a project specified in the statement of the managers on the
conference report accompanying the Departments of Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
2001.
EDUCATION FOR THE DISADVANTAGED
The bill includes a provision to make a technical correction relating
to the amount of funding available for Basic Grants in school year 2001
2002.
The bill also includes an additional $161,000,000 for the Title I
Grants to States program. It is the intent of the Committee that, when
taken together with the technical correction to the basic grants amount,
these additional resources will result in a final fiscal year 2001
appropriation of $7,397,971,000 for basic grants and $1,364,750,000 for
concentration grants. The Committee further intends that these
additional resources will be used to provide each state and local
educational agency the greater of either the amount it would receive at
levels specified in the conference report to accompany H.R. 4577 under
the 100-percent hold harmless or what it would receive using the
statutory formulas. The additional funds are necessary to fully
implement this agreement using updated poverty and expenditure data that
became available in January 2001.
IMPACT AID
The bill includes a provision requiring Impact Aid construction funds
to be distributed in accordance with the formula provisions outlined in
section 8007 of the Impact Aid program as that section existed in fiscal
year 2000.
SPECIAL EDUCATION
The bill includes a provision to make a technical correction relating
to a project specified in the statement of the managers on the
conference report accompanying the Departments of Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
2001.
EDUCATION RESEARCH, STATISTICS, AND IMPROVEMENT
The bill includes a provision to make technical corrections relating
to the amount of funding available for projects specified in the
statement of the managers on the conference report accompanying the
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001.
CHAPTER 6
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
CONGRESSIONAL OPERATIONS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PAYMENTS TO WIDOWS AND HEIRS OF DECEASED MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
The bill provides the traditional death gratuity for the widow of
Norman Sisisky, late a Representative from the Commonwealth of Virginia,
and the heir of John Joseph Moakley, late a Representative from the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
MEMBERS' REPRESENTATIONAL ALLOWANCES, STANDING COMMITTEES, SPECIAL AND
SELECT, COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, ALLOWANCES AND EXPENSES
The bill includes an additional $44,214,000 for Members'
Representational Allowances (MRA's), standing committees, special and
select, the Committee on Appropriations and allowances and expenses.
Funds for MRA's and committees have been requested by the House in the
Administration's supplemental submission to support the increased
authorizations recently approved by the House of Representatives. Funds
are also provided for increased benefit costs associated with the
related staff increases.
Since the Committee on House Administration Committee funding
resolution spans the biennial period of the 107th Congress, the bill
provides $9,776,000 within the above amount to remain available until
December 31, 2002, for committee salaries and expenses.
SALARIES, OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES
The bill provides an additional amount for salaries and expenses of
the Office of the Clerk and the Office of the Chief Administrative
Officer totaling $17,448,000. The Clerk is provided $3,150,000 including
$2,500,000 for the continuation of the project to replace the current
Legislative Information Management Systems (LIMS) and $650,000 to fund
anticipated expenses of the Office of the House Employment Counsel.
The Chief Administrative Officer is provided $14,298,000. This
funding will allow upgrades to hardware and infrastructure for improved
and higher speed network connectivity between Member Washington and
district offices and within the House campus.
OFFICE OF COMPLIANCE
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
The bill provides $35,000 to the Office of Compliance for unexpected
requests for counseling and mediation services.
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
CONGRESSIONAL PRINTING AND BINDING
The bill provides $11,900,000 to fund a shortfall based on the
increased volume of printing of publications and associated information
products and services ordered by Congress during fiscal years 2000 and
2001.
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE REVOLVING FUND
The Committee recognizes the need to replace the air conditioning
system at the Government Printing Office. The chillers, which date back
to the 1970's, are in critical need of replacement. They have outlived
their useful life and are obsolete, energy inefficient, and pose a
threat to the environment through the use of chlorofluorocarbons. In
order to avoid the potential failure of the entire system and provide
for energy efficient lighting, the bill provides the necessary funding
of $6,000,000.
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
The Library of Congress and the United States Military Academy
initiated a collaborative telecommunications project during fiscal year
2001 to ensure that the undergraduate cadet population has effective
access to digitized primary source material which is available through
the Library's Internet site. To further the project, the Committee has
provided an additional $600,000 to upgrade the current network
infrastructure within the cadet barracks.
The Committee acknowledges that the Library of Congress is
endeavoring to acquire the 1507 world map by Waldseemueller and is
seeking private funding to support the acquisition. The committee fully
supports the initiative to acquire this major treasure for its library.
The 1507 World Map by Martin Waldseemueller, the first work of any kind
to designate as America the newly discovered Western Hemisphere, is
often called ``America's birth certificate.'' As such this nearly
500-year old map is a significant historical document that should be
held by the people of the United States and exhibited in Congress'
library. The Committee urges the librarian to seek an extension from the
German Ministry of Culture to its June 30, 2001, deadline for the
expiration of the export license to allow the Library of Congress every
opportunity to acquire for America this most important historical
document.
CHAPTER 7
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
GRANTS-IN-AID FOR AIRPORTS
(Airport and Airway Trust Fund)
(Rescission of Contract Authorization)
The bill rescinds $30,000,000 in contract authority for the
``Grants-in-aid for airports'' program. This funding is above annual
obligation limitations on this program, and is therefore not available
for use in the program. As such, the rescission will have no effect on
current operations.
COAST GUARD
OPERATING EXPENSES
The recommendation includes an additional $92,000,000, as requested,
for Coast Guard operating expenses. Funding has been made available
until September 30, 2002. These funds are needed to address: increased
fuel costs ($37,000,000); additional pay and benefits mandated or
authorized under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2001 ($31,000,000); shortages in aviation spare parts ($20,000,000); and
costs of deploying port security units to the Middle East ($4,000,000).
CHAPTER 8
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
DEPARTMENTAL OFFICES
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
The Committee has not provided the President's request for an
additional $60,601,000 to fund operational and perimeter security
support for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. The
Committee supports this funding, which would cover both increased
Treasury Department workload as well as travel, overtime and related
costs of agencies providing security support. The Committee expects to
include such funding in the fiscal year 2002 appropriation.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE
Salaries and Expenses
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $49,576,000 for the
Financial Management Service to implement a tax rate reduction credit as
specified in section 101 of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief
Reconciliation Act of 2001. The funding supports the purchase of check
stock and other related paper supplies, as well as postage and other
costs associated with processing and mailing tax rate reduction credit
checks to taxpayers. The Committee directs the Financial Management
Service to provide a detailed report on the expenditures made pursuant
to this appropriation 120 days after the enactment of this Act.
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
Processing, Assistance, and Management
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $66,200,000 for the
Internal Revenue Service to implement a tax rate reduction credit as
specified in section 101 of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief
Reconciliation Act of 2001. The funding supports advance mailings to
taxpayers of the tax rate reduction credit schedule as well as related
customer service and account reconciliation activities. The Committee
directs the Internal Revenue Service to provide a detailed report on the
expenditures made pursuant to this appropriation 120 days after the
enactment of this Act.
CHAPTER 9
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
Compensation and Pensions
The Committee recommends an additional $589,413,000 for compensation
and pension payments to eligible veterans. Supplemental funds are needed
in fiscal year 2001 in order to meet cost of living adjustments, and
program enhancements and benefits contained in legislation enacted after
passage of the fiscal year 2001 appropriations bill.
Readjustment Benefits
The Committee recommends an additional $347,000,000 to meet
Montgomery GI Bill benefit enhancements contained in legislation enacted
after passage of the fiscal year 2001 appropriations bill.
VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
Medical and Prosthetic Research
The Committee recognizes that the VA research program must undertake
a certain level of travel to properly optimize the function and
oversight of this worthwhile program and includes language increasing
the current fiscal year 2001 travel limitation from $2,500,000 to
$3,500,000.
DEPARTMENTAL ADMINISTRATION
General Operating Expenses
(including transfer of funds)
The Committee recommends $19,000,000 be transferred from the Medical
Care account to General Operating Expenses exclusively for the Veterans
Benefits Administration (VBA). VBA is aggressively pursuing a proactive
approach to solving the mounting claims problem by hiring and training
additional claims adjudicators immediately. The additional $19,000,000
from Medical Care, plus $7,000,000 of reprogrammed GOE funds, will allow
VBA to hire and train approximately 400 new personnel.
As a result of the hiring plan, VBA will need an increased travel
limitation in FY 2001 over the originally requested level to support
this training effort. The new fiscal year 2001 GOE travel limitation is
$17,500,000.
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
PUBLIC AND INDIAN HOUSING
HOUSING CERTIFICATE FUND
(Rescission)
The Committee recommendation includes a rescission of $114,300,000 of
unobligated appropriations to the Housing Certificate Fund and its
predecessor programs.
COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Community Development Fund
The Committee has included language which clarifies Congressional
intent with respect to appropriations made for construction at a New
Jersey university medical center, to improve cyber-districts in
Massachusetts, and for wastewater and combined sewer overflow
infrastructure improvements in Massachusetts.
HOUSING PROGRAMS
Manufactured Housing Fees Trust Fund
The recommendation includes language to provide authority for the
expenditure of fees collected and deposited into the Manufactured
Housing Fees Trust Fund for fiscal year 2001. The Manufactured Housing
Improvement Act of 2000, enacted on December 27, 2000, created this new
fund and made expenditures from the fund subject to annual
appropriations. Technical drafting errors in the statute have resulted
in HUD being unable to spend fees collected in fiscal year 2001,
threatening a shutdown of the program. Therefore, language is included
to rectify this situation.
FEDERAL HOUSING ADMINISTRATION
FHA--Mutual Mortgage Insurance Program Account
The recommendation includes language giving the Department authority
to use existing fiscal year 2001 appropriations to take corrective
action in response to a probable fiscal year 2000 violation of the
Anti-Deficiency Act. In fiscal year 2000, FHA funded a $33,000,000
advertising campaign promoting HUD programs. A portion of this program's
funding was derived from a non-appropriated account, the authorized use
of which is limited to disposition of FHA properties. According to HUD
officials, the use of this fund has resulted in a likely violation of
the Anti-Deficiency Act that is estimated by HUD to total $6,900,000
plus interest. The Committee's recommendation includes language to allow
HUD flexibility to pay the obligation and accrued interest from within
existing fiscal year 2001 appropriations for FHA administrative expenses
and for HUD's salaries and expenses.
FHA--General and Special Risk Program Account
The recommendation includes an additional $40,000,000 in credit
subsidy appropriations for the General Insurance and Special Risk
Insurance (GI/SRI) program account. The Committee notes that for the
second consecutive year, FHA has sought a supplemental appropriation
because of the inability of the programs to operate within the resources
provided. This additional appropriation, when combined with a premium
increase for apartment development programs as assumed in the
Administration's supplemental funding request, will provide FHA
sufficient resources to guarantee all multi-family loans meeting FHA
underwriting criteria through the remainder of this fiscal year. Changes
in the premium structure will ensure that most FHA apartment development
programs operate in a self-sustaining manner like most other FHA
programs, including the single-family insurance program, thereby
averting further shutdowns in the program. Therefore, language is also
included to condition the release of this additional amount upon
implementation of an interim final rule revising premium structure for
programs provided for under this heading.
The Committee is also concerned that insufficient FHA management and
oversight has contributed to the inability of the programs to operate
within the funding provided. Increased FHA management and oversight of
these programs, coupled with reduced reliance on direct appropriations,
will enable FHA programs to operate in an uninterrupted manner. The
Committee expects FHA to take all actions necessary to strengthen its
management and financial oversight of these programs, and to provide a
report to the Committee no later than August 15, 2001, identifying the
corrective actions taken to address these issues.
INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE--CIVIL
CEMETERIAL EXPENSES, ARMY
Salaries and Expenses
The Committee recommends an additional $243,059 for Arlington
National Cemetery to pay a disputed water bill consistent with statutory
requirements in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2001 (Public Law
106 554).
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Environmental Programs and Management
The Committee has included language in the bill which clarifies
Congressional intent with respect to an appropriation made in fiscal
year 2001 for work on New York watersheds.
State and Tribal Assistance Grants
The Committee has included language in the bill which clarifies
Congressional intent with respect to appropriations made for four
specific projects. The Committee has also included a technical amendment
which states the correct appropriations level provided in Public Law 106
377 for state and tribal assistance grants.
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
DISASTER RELIEF
(rescission)
The Committee has included a provision rescinding $389,200,000 from
the disaster relief fund. These funds are not required by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency at this time.
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Human Space Flight
The Committee has included language in the bill which would remove a
restriction placed on $40,000,000 of the funding provided in the fiscal
year 2000 appropriation for Human Space Flight. The fiscal year 2000
language restricted the use of the funding for a shuttle research
mission to be accomplished after STS 107 and December of 2001. With
delays in the overhaul of the space shuttle Columbia, and other delays
caused by changes to the shuttle manifest, NASA's STS 107 research
mission has been rescheduled for May of 2002 and the follow-on mission
is not currently manifested. NASA has already used $8,000,000 of the
$40,000,000 set-aside to prepare for the follow-on mission. With this
language change, NASA will be able to use $17,000,000 to cover the costs
associated with the delay of STS 107 mission and $15,000,000 will be
used for research to be carried out on the International Space Station.
The Committee remains concerned about the level of research conducted on
the International Space Station and wishes to stress the importance of
utilizing the laboratory facilities for scientific research.
The Committee is concerned to learn that the follow-on research
mission is not even scheduled until 2004. This mission was intended as a
gap-filler to support the scientific community during construction of
the International Space Station. Pushing this mission back another three
years will only further exacerbate existing strains on the underfunded
life and microgravity science community.
The supplemental request had sought authority to offset further costs
for preparing STS 107 from the $15,000,000 set aside for space station
research. This request is denied. If further funding is required for STS
107 in fiscal year 2002, NASA is directed to submit a budget amendment
to identify funds for this purpose. According to the Congressional
Research Service, $462,000,000 has been transferred from space station
research to construction from fiscal years 1996 98. These constant
transfers have undermined the preparedness of the research community to
utilize the station and created an atmosphere of significant
uncertainty. The Committee is also aware that NASA has proposed a
significant space station research realignment in fiscal year 2002.
Further transfers would be extremely detrimental to research efforts.
Therefore, the Committee language requires that $15,000,000 only be used
for space station research. The Committee supports the completion of the
STS 107 mission but believes that whenever possible future year
liabilities should be addressed through regular order instead of through
anticipated reprogrammed actions.
GENERAL PROVISION--THIS CHAPTER
Sec. 2901. The bill includes a provision that clarifies congressional
intent that funds appropriated for the Community development fund shall
be available for two fiscal years.
TITLE III
GENERAL PROVISION--THIS ACT
Section 3001. This provision provides that no part of any
appropriation contained in this Act shall remain available for
obligation beyond the current fiscal year unless expressly so provided
in this Act.
Section 3002. The bill includes a general provision that requires,
within five days of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State to
report to the Committee on Appropriations on the projected uses of the
unobligated balances of funds available under the heading ``Agency for
International Development, International Disaster Assistance'',
including plans for allocating additional resources to respond to the
damage caused by the earthquakes that occurred in El Salvador in January
and February, 2001.
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 designations that
may be construed as legislative in nature.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military, in
``Operation and Maintenance, Army'', which extends the availability of
funds for California energy demand reduction.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military, in
``Operation and Maintenance, Navy'', which extends the availability of
funds for California energy demand reduction.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military, in
``Operation and Maintenance, Air Force'', which extends the availability
of funds for California energy demand reduction.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military, in
``Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy'', which provides funds for transfer
to other shipbuilding programs.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military, in
``Defense Health Program'', which provides funds to cover increases in
TRICARE contract costs associated with the provision of health care
services to eligible beneficiaries of all the uniformed services.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military, in
``Defense Health Program'', which provides funds to improve the quality
of care provided at military treatment facilities.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military, which
restricts the availability of funds provided in this Act to the same
time period as the amounts appropriated in Public Law 106 259 unless
otherwise specified.
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 funds for the repair of the U.S.S. COLE.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military, which
rescinds funds from various activities funded in previously enacted
Defense Appropriations Acts.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military, which
provides funds for facilities repair and damages resulting from natural
disasters.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military, which
extends the authorities provided in section 816 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for 1995 (Public Law 103 337), as amended, through
January 31, 2002.
The bill includes language under Title I, Chapter 3, which provides
funds for Military Construction, Army, Military Construction, Navy,
Military Construction, Air Force, Family Housing, Army, Family Housing,
Navy and Marine Corps, Family Housing, Air Force, and the Department of
Defense Base Realignment and Closure Account 1990.
A general provision is included authorizing the Department of the
Army to expend funds in addition to amounts specified in section 138 of
Public Law 106 246 for the Cadet Physical Development Center only for
the purposes of meeting unanticipated price increases.
A general provision is included making funds provided in Chapter 3
available for the same time period as the amounts appropriated under
each such heading in Public Law 106 246.
The bill includes a general provision that directs the Corps of
Engineers to use $500,000 of the funds provided in Public Law 106 377 to
complete work on the Chickamauga Lock, Tennessee feasibility.
A general provision is included rescinding funds from previous
Military Construction Appropriations Acts.
The bill includes language which makes technical corrections
regarding the Rural Community Advancement Program.
The bill includes a provision that clarifies the authorized uses of
funds under a small business grant program.
The bill includes rescissions under ``Governmental Direction and
Support'' and under ``Public Safety and Justice''.
The bill includes the transfer of funds under ``Public Education
System''.
The bill includes language under ``Public Education System'' which
requires proceeds and interest accruing thereon from the sale of the
University of the District of Columbia radio station WDCU that are in an
escrow account of the control board to be used for the University's
Endowment Fund and allows the funds to be invested in equity based
securities if approved by the District's Chief Financial Officer.
The bill includes language which directs the Corps of Engineers to
undertake the project authorized by section 518 of Public Law 106 53.
The bill includes language under Weapons Activities providing for the
initiation of two construction projects in fiscal year 2001.
The bill includes language under Western Area Power Administration
providing that the funds to complete the planning and environmental
studies to support the proposed transmission line shall be
non-reimbursable.
The bill includes a provision that extends the availability of
funding for a wilderness study at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and
for maintenance, protection and preservation of land at the Minuteman
Missile National Historic Site; correcting a citation in a provision
from the fiscal year 2001 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act; changing the effective date of a provision dealing with overtime
pay for fire fighters; and permitting the reimbursement of Federal-aid
highways funds for Forest Service emergency road reconstruction.
The bill includes a provision that provides additional Low Income
Home Energy Assistance funding under emergency authority without the
emergency designation requirement.
The bill includes a provision that requires Impact Aid construction
funds to be distributed in accordance with the formula provisions
outlined in section 8007 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
of 1965 as that section existed in fiscal year 2000.
The bill includes language under the Department of Veterans Affairs,
medical and prosthetic research and general operating expenses, which
changes the limitation on travel expenditures.
The bill includes language under the Department of Veterans Affairs,
which transfers money from medical care to general operating expenses
for the purpose of expediting claims processing.
The bill includes language under the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, manufactured housing fees trust fund, providing authority
for expenditure of fees collected in the Fund in fiscal year 2001.
The bill includes language under the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, FHA--mutual mortgage insurance fund program account,
permitting funds available in fiscal year 2001 for FHA administrative
expenses and HUD salaries and expenses to be used to liquidate
deficiencies, which occurred in fiscal year 2000.
The bill includes language under the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, FHA--general and special risk insurance, limiting the
availability of funds until implementation of a final interim rule
revising the premium structure of program provided under this account.
The bill includes language under the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, human space flight, which deletes a restrictive proviso
included in the fiscal year 2000 appropriation.
The bill includes a provision that provides that of the unobligated
balances available under the heading ``National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, Human space flight,'' $15,000,000 shall be used only for
research to be carried out on the International Space Station.
The bill includes a provision that requires within five days of
enactment of this Act the Secretary of State to report to the Committee
on Appropriations on the projected uses of the unobligated balances of
funds available under the heading ``Agency for International
Development, International Disaster Assistance.''
In several instances, funds are provided to remain available until
expended.
APPROPRIATIONS NOT AUTHORIZED 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:
[In thousands of dollars]
Agency/Program Last year of authorization Authorization level Appropriations in last year of authorization Appropriations in this bill
Department of Defense--Military: 2001 (\1\) $22,175,357 $164,000
Department of Energy: 1984 (\2\) (\2\) 11,950
Department of Education: 2000 (\4\) 7,941,397,000 161,000,000
House of Representatives: 290,200
Department of Transportation: 1999 3,006,200 3,013,506 92,000,000
Department of Housing and Urban Development: 1994 4,168,000 4,825,000 5,057,550
\1\The Fiscal Year 2001 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 106 398) authorizes $75,801,666,000 for military personnel.
\2\Funding for environmental cleanup activities included in this account was previously
included as part of regular facility operations and spread throughout many of the Department
of Energy programs. The last year of authorization for these programs was 1984. However, in
1989 the cleanup activities were separated from regular facility operations and merged into the
non-defense environmental management appropriation account. There has not been a separate
authorization for this account.
\3\Funding for each of these projects was authorized as part of Project 01 D 103, Project
Engineering and Design. However, the activities to be performed in fiscal year 2001 are
construction, not design, necessitating a transfer of the funds to new line-item construction
projects.
\4\Such sums.
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
District of Columbia Funds Public Education Systeml l$250,000 lFederal fundsl l$250,000
Department of Veterans Affairs, General Operating Expensesl l19,000,000 lDepartment of Veterans Affairs, Medical Care l19,000,000
Language has been included in Department of Defense--Military, which
provides for the transfer of $222,000,000 from ``Shipbuilding and
Conversion, Navy'', to certain shipbuilding programs.
Language has been included for Department of Defense--Military, which
allows for transfers of funds between ``Operation and Maintenance,
Navy'', and appropriations accounts for Procurement, for activities
associated with the repair of the U.S.S. COLE.
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 Defense:
$3,000,000
81,000,000
330,000,000
5,000,000
260,000,000
65,000,000
85,000,000
5,000,000
Department of Defense, Previous Military Construction Appropriations Acts 70,500,000
District of Columbia funds:
250,000
131,000
Department of Labor: Employment and Training Administration, Training and Employment Services 359,000,000
Department of Transportation: Grants-in-Aid for Airports (contract authority) 30,000,000
Department of Housing and Urban Development: Public and Indian Housing Certificate Fund \1\114,300,000
Federal Emergency Management Agency: Disaster Relief 389,200,000
\1\In addition, the bill rescinds an undesignated amount to be
determined on September 30, 2001.
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. This information follows:
[In millions of dollars]
Remaining section 302(a) allocation This bill
Discretionary: 6,874 6,545
Mandatory: 937 937
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 7,482
Outlays:
2,276
4,229
758
20
-83
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 54
Fiscal Year 2001 outlays resulting therefrom 100
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.
STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the following is a statement of general performance
goals and objectives for which this measure authorizes funding:
The Committee on Appropriations considers program performance,
including a program's success in developing and attaining
outcome-related goals and objectives, in developing funding
recommendations.
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):
AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND
RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2001
* * * * * * *
TITLE III--RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
* * * * * * *
RURAL COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM
For the cost of direct loans, loan guarantees, and grants, as
authorized by 7 U.S.C. 1926, 1926a, 1926c, 1926d, and 1932, except for
sections 381E H, 381N, and 381O of the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act, $762,542,000, to remain available until expended, of
which $53,225,000 shall be for rural community programs described in
section 381E(d)(1) of such Act; of which $644,360,000 shall be for the
rural utilities programs described in sections 381E(d)(2), 306C(a)(2),
and 306D of such Act; and of which $64,957,000 shall be for the rural
business and cooperative development programs described in section
381E(d)(3) of such Act: Provided , That of the total amount appropriated
in this account, $24,000,000 shall be for loans and grants to benefit
Federally Recognized Native American Tribes, including grants for
drinking and waste disposal systems pursuant to section 306C of such
Act, of which $250,000 shall be available for a grant to a qualified
national organization to provide technical assistance for rural
transportation in order to promote economic development: Provided
further , That of the amount appropriated for rural community programs,
$6,000,000 shall be available for a Rural Community Development
Initiative: Provided further , That such funds shall be used solely to
develop the capacity and ability of ability of low income rural
communities and private, nonprofit community-based housing and community
development organizations serving low-income rural communities,
including Federally Recognized Indian tribes to undertake projects to
improve housing, community facilities, community and economic
development projects in rural areas: Provided further , That such funds
shall be made available to qualified private, nonprofit intermediary
organizations (including tribal) proposing to carry out a program of
financial and technical assistance to assistance and to other public
entities with a record of achievement in providing technical and
financial assistance to housing and community development organizations
in rural areas: Provided further , That such intermediary organizations
shall provide matching funds from other sources, including Federal funds
for related activities, in an amount not less than funds provided:
Provided further , That of the amount appropriated for rural community
programs, not to exceed $5,000,000 shall be for hazardous weather early
warning systems: Provided further , That of the amount appropriated for
the rural business and cooperative development programs, not to exceed
$500,000 shall be made available for a grant to a qualified national
organization to provide technical assistance for rural transportation in
order to promote economic development; $5,000,000 shall be for rural
partnership technical assistance grants; and $2,000,000 shall be for
grants to Mississippi Delta Region counties: Provided further , That of
the amount appropriated for rural utilities programs, not to exceed
$20,000,000 shall be for water and waste disposal systems to benefit the
Colonias along the United States/Mexico borders, including grants
pursuant to section 306C of such Act; not to exceed $20,000,000 shall be
for water and waste disposal systems for rural and native villages in
Alaska pursuant to section 306D of such Act, with up to 1 percent
available to administer the program and up to 1 percent available to
improve interagency coordination; not to exceed $16,215,000 shall be for
technical assistance grants for rural waste systems pursuant to section
306(a)(14) of such Act; and not to exceed $9,500,000 shall be for
contracting with qualified national organizations for a circuit rider
program to provide technical assistance for rural water systems:
Provided further , That of the total amount appropriated, not to exceed
$42,574,650 shall be available through June 30, 2001, for authorized
empowerment zones and enterprise communities and communities designated
by the Secretary of Agriculture as Rural Economic Area Partnership
Zones; of which $34,704,000 shall be for the rural utilities programs
described in section 381E(d)(2) of such Act; and of which $8,435,000
shall be for the rural business and cooperative development programs
described in section 381E(d)(3) of such Act.
* * * * * * *
D.C. CODE, SECTION 31 1408
SUBCHAPTER I--FEDERAL CITY COLLEGE
31 1408. Appropriation in lieu of donation of public lands
In lieu of extending to the District of Columbia those provisions of
the Act of July 2, 1862 (7 U.S.C. 301 to 305, 307, and 308), relating to
donations of public lands or land scrip for the endowment and
maintenance of colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic
arts, there is authorized to be appropriated to the District of Columbia
the sum of $7,241,706. Amounts appropriated under this section shall be
held and considered to have been granted to the District of Columbia
subject to those provisions of that Act applicable to the proceeds from
the sale of land or land scrip, except that the funds appropriated in
this section also may be invested in equity based securities if approved
by the Chief financial Officer of the District of Columbia. In addition,
any proceeds and interest accruing thereon, which remain from the sale
of the former radio station WDCU in an escrow account of the District of
Columbia Financial Management and Assistance Authority for the benefit
of the University of the District of Columbia, shall be used for the
University of the District of Columbia's Endowment Fund. Such proceeds
may be invested in equity based securities if approved by the Chief
Financial Officer of the District of Columbia.
* * * * * * *
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT,
2001
* * * * * * *
TITLE III--GENERAL PROVISIONS
* * * * * * *
Sec. 338. The authority to enter into stewardship and end result
contracts provided to the Forest Service in accordance with section 347
of title III of section 101(e) of division A of Public Law 105 825 105
277 is hereby expanded to authorize the Forest Service to enter into an
additional 28 contracts subject to the same terms and conditions as
provided in that section: Provided, That of the additional contracts
authorized by this section at least 9 shall be allocated to Region 1 and
at least 3 to Region 6.
* * * * * * *
NATIONAL FOREST AND PUBLIC LANDS OF NEVADA ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 1988
* * * * * * *
SEC. 2. OVERTIME PAY FOR CERTAIN FIREFIGHTERS.
(a) * * *
(b) Effective Date. --The amendments made by this section shall take
effect on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on
or after the end of the 30-day period beginning on the date of the
enactment of this Act, and shall apply only to funds appropriated after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
(b) Effective Date. --The amendments made by this section shall take
effect on the date of enactment of this Act.
* * * * * * *
DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND
RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2001
* * * * * * *
TITLE III--DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
* * * * * * *
EDUCATION FOR THE DISADVANTAGED
For carrying out title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965, and section 418A of the Higher Education Act of 1965,
$9,532,621,000, of which $2,731,921,000 shall become available on July
1, 2001, and shall remain available through September 30, 2002, and of
which $6,758,300,000 shall become available on October 1, 2001 and shall
remain available through September 30, 2002, for academic year 2001
2002: Provided , That $7,332,721,000 $7,237,721,000 shall be available
for basic grants under section 1124: Provided further , That
$225,000,000 of these funds shall be allocated among the States in the
same proportion as funds are allocated among the States under section
1122, to carry out section 1116(c): Provided further , That 100 percent
of these funds shall be allocated by States to local educational
agencies for the purposes of carrying out section 1116(c): Provided
further , That all local educational agencies receiving an allocation
under the preceding proviso, and all other local educational agencies
that are within a State that receives funds under part A of title I of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (other than a local
educational agency within a State receiving a minimum grant under
section 1124(d) or 1124A(a)(1)(B) of such Act), shall provide all
students enrolled in a school identified under section 1116(c) with the
option to transfer to another public school within the local educational
agency, including a public charter school, that has not been identified
for school improvement under section 1116(c), unless such option to
transfer is prohibited by State law, or local law, which includes school
board-approved local educational agency policy: Provided further , That
if the local educational agency demonstrates to the satisfaction of the
State educational agency that the local educational agency lacks the
capacity to provide all students with the option to transfer to another
public school, and after giving notice to the parents of children
affected that it is not possible, consistent with State and local law,
to accommodate the transfer request of every student, the local
educational agency shall permit as many students as possible (who shall
be selected by the local educational agency on an equitable basis) to
transfer to a public school that has not been identified for school
improvement under section 1116(c): Provided further , That up to
$3,500,000 of these funds shall be available to the Secretary on October
1, 2000, to obtain updated local educational agency level census poverty
data from the Bureau of the Census: Provided further , That
$1,364,000,000 shall be available for concentration grants under section
1124A: Provided further , That grant awards under sections 1124 and
1124A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
shall be not less than the greater of 100 percent of the amount each
State and local educational agency received under this authority for
fiscal year 2000 or the amount such State and local educational agency
would receive if $6,883,503,000 for Basic Grants and $1,222,397,000 for
Concentration Grants were allocated in accordance with section
1122(c)(3) of title I: Provided further , That notwithstanding any other
provision of law, grant awards under section 1124A of title I of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 shall be made to those
local educational agencies that received a Concentration Grant under the
Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2000, but are not eligible
to receive such a grant for fiscal year 2001: Provided further , That
the Secretary shall not take into account the hold harmless provisions
in this section in determining State allocations under any other program
administered by the Secretary in any fiscal year: Provided further ,
That $8,900,000 shall be available for evaluations under section 1501
and not more than $8,500,000 shall be reserved for section 1308, of
which not more than $3,000,000 shall be reserved for section 1308(d):
Provided further , That $210,000,000 shall be available under section
1002(g)(2) 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 the 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 in carrying out this initiative, the Secretary
and the States shall support only approaches that show the most promise
of enabling children served by title I 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.
* * * * * * *
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, parts A, B, K, and L and sections
10102 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, $732,721,000: Provided , That of the funds appropriated for
part A of title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
as amended, $5,000,000 shall be made available for a high school reform
program of grants to State educational agencies to improve academic
performance and provide technical skills training: Provided further ,
That of the funds appropriated for part A of title X of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, $5,000,000 shall be
made available to carry out part L of title X of the Act: Provided
further , That of the amount available for part A of title X of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, $5,000,000
shall be available for grants to State and local educational agencies,
in collaboration with other agencies and organizations, for school
dropout prevention programs designed to address the needs of populations
or communities with the highest dropout rates: Provided further , That
of the amount made available for part A of title X of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, $50,000,000 shall be made
available to enable the Secretary of Education to award grants to
develop, implement, and strengthen programs to teach American history
(not social studies) as a separate subject within school curricula:
Provided further , That $53,000,000 of the amount available 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 and $20,000,000 of that
$53,000,000 shall be made available for the Interagency Education
Research Initiative: Provided further , That of the funds appropriated
for part A of title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as
amended, $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, 2001, and remain available through September 30, 2002, 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 $139,624,000 $139,853,000 of the
funds for section 10101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 shall be available for the projects and in the amounts specified in
the statement of the managers on the conference report accompanying this
Act: Provided further , That of the funds appropriated under section
10601 of title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
as amended, $2,000,000 shall be used to conduct a violence prevention
demonstration program: Provided further , That of the funds available
for section 10601 of title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965, as amended, $150,000 shall be awarded to the Center for
Educational Technologies to complete 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, of
the funds for title VI of Public Law 103 227 and notwithstanding the
provisions of section 601(c)(1)(C) of that Act, $1,200,000 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.
* * * * * * *
DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND
INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2001
* * * * * * *
TITLE III
* * * * * * *
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
STATE AND TRIBAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS
For environmental programs and infrastructure assistance, including
capitalization grants for State revolving funds and performance
partnership grants, $3,628,740,000 $3,641,341,386, to remain available
until expended, of which * * * and that the fiscal year 1999 and any
subsequent funds may be used for any required non-federal share of the
costs of projects funded by the federal government under section 580 of
Public Law 106 53.
* * * * * * *
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT
For necessary expenses, not otherwise provided for, in the conduct
and support of human space flight research and development activities,
including research, development, operations, and services; maintenance;
construction of facilities including repair, rehabilitation, and
modification of real and personal property, and acquisition or
condemnation or real property, as authorized by law; space flight,
spacecraft control and communications activities including operations,
production, and services; and purchase, lease, charter, maintenance and
operation of mission and administrative aircraft, $5,510,900,000, to
remain available until September 30, 2001: Provided, That $40,000,000 of
the amount provided in this paragraph shall be available to the space
shuttle program only for preparations necessary to carry out a life and
micro-gravity science mission, to be flown between STS 107 and December
2001.
FULL COMMITTEE VOTES
Pursuant to the provisions of clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the House
of Representatives, the results of each rollcall 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: June 14, 2001.
Measure: Supplemental Appropriations Bill, FY 2001.
Motion by: Ms. DeLauro.
Description of motion: To provide $600,000,000 in contingency
emergency appropriations to the low-income home energy assistance
program, to provide $1.4 billion to the low-income home energy
assistance program as an advance appropriation for fiscal year 2002, and
to reduce the Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster relief
rescission by $300,000,000.
Results: Rejected 29 yeas to 32 nays.
Members Voting Yea
Members Voting Nay
Mr. Aderholt
Mr. Bonilla
Mr. Clyburn
Mr. Callahan
Mr. Cramer
Mr. Cunningham
Ms. DeLauro
Mr. Doolittle
Mr. Dicks
Mr. Frelinghuysen
Mr. Edwards
Mr. Goode
Mrs. Emerson
Ms. Granger
Mr. Farr
Mr. Hobson
Mr. Fattah
Mr. Istook
Mr. Hinchey
Mr. Kingston
Mr. Jackson
Mr. Knollenberg
Ms. Kaptur
Mr. Kolbe
Mr. Kennedy
Mr. LaHood
Ms. Kilpatrick
Mr. Latham
Mrs. Lowey
Mr. Lewis
Mrs. Meek
Mr. Miller
Mr. Mollohan
Mr. Nethercutt
Mr. Moran
Mrs. Northup
Mr. Murtha
Mr. Regula
Mr. Obey
Mr. Rogers
Mr. Olver
Mr. Sherwood
Mr. Pastor
Mr. Skeen
Ms. Pelosi
Mr. Sununu
Mr. Price
Mr. Sweeney
Mr. Rothman
Mr. Taylor
Ms. Roybal-Allard
Mr. Tiahrt
Mr. Sabo
Mr. Vitter
Mr. Serrano
Mr. Walsh
Mr. Visclosky
Mr. Wamp Mr. Wicker Mr. Wolf Mr. Young
FULL COMMITTEE VOTES
Pursuant to the provisions of clause 3(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: June 13, 2001.
Measure: Supplemental Appropriations Bill, FY 2001.
Motion by: Mr. Visclosky.
Description of motion: To authorize the Secretary of the Army to make
direct loans and loan guarantees, not exceeding $40,000,000 in
aggregate, for improvements at existing non-federal hydropower
facilities, to provide $85,000,000 for repairs and improvements to
federal hydropower facilities, and to designate these amounts as
contingent emergency appropriations.
Results: Rejected 24 yeas to 31 nays.
Members Voting Yea
Members Voting Nay
Mr. Cramer
Mr. Aderholt
Ms. DeLauro
Mr. Callahan
Mr. Dicks
Mr. Cunningham
Mr. Edwards
Mr. Doolittle
Mr. Farr
Mrs. Emerson
Mr. Fattah
Mr. Frelinghuysen
Mr. Hinchey
Mr. Hobson
Mr. Hoyer
Mr. Istook
Mr. Jackson
Mr. Kingston
Ms. Kaptur
Mr. Knollenberg
Mr. Kennedy
Mr. Kolbe
Ms. Kilpatrick
Mr. LaHood
Mrs. Lowey
Mr. Latham
Mrs. Meek
Mr. Lewis
Mr. Nethercutt
Mr. Miller
Mr. Obey
Mr. Mollohan
Mr. Olver
Mr. Murtha
Ms. Pelosi
Mrs. Northup
Mr. Price
Mr. Regula
Mr. Rothman
Mr. Rogers
Ms. Roybal-Allard
Mr. Sherwood
Mr. Sabo
Mr. Skeen
Mr. Serrano
Mr. Sununu
Mr. Visclosky
Mr. Sweeney Mr. Taylor Mr. Tiahrt Mr. Vitter Mr. Walsh Mr. Wamp
Mr. Wicker Mr. Young
FULL COMMITTEE VOTES
Pursuant to the provisions of clause 3(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: June 14, 2001.
Measure: Supplemental Appropriations Bill, FY 2001.
Motion by: Mr. Farr.
Description of motion: To authorize the Secretary of Energy to make
direct loans and loan guarantees, not exceeding $350,000,000 in
aggregate, for improvements to existing non-federal electric power
transmission systems, and to designate this amount as a contingent
emergency appropriation.
Results: Rejected 24 yeas to 35 nays.
Members Voting Yea
Members Voting Nay
Mr. Clyburn
Mr. Aderholt
Ms. DeLauro
Mr. Callahan
Mr. Dicks
Mr. DeLay
Mr. Edwards
Mr. Doolittle
Mr. Farr
Mrs. Emerson
Mr. Fattah
Mr. Frelinghuysen
Mr. Hinchey
Mr. Goode
Mr. Hoyer
Ms. Granger
Mr. Jackson
Mr. Hobson
Ms. Kaptur
Mr. Istook
Mr. Kennedy
Mr. Kingston
Ms. Kilpatrick
Mr. Knollenberg
Mrs. Lowey
Mr. Kolbe
Mrs. Meek
Mr. LaHood
Mr. Moran
Mr. Latham
Mr. Obey
Mr. Lewis
Mr. Olver
Mr. Miller
Mr. Pastor
Mr. Mollohan
Ms. Pelosi
Mr. Nethercutt
Mr. Price
Mrs. Northup
Mr. Rothman
Mr. Peterson
Ms. Roybal-Allard
Mr. Regula
Mr. Serrano
Mr. Rogers
Mr. Visclosky
Mr. Sherwood Mr. Skeen Mr. Sununu Mr. Sweeney Mr. Taylor Mr.
Tiahrt Mr. Vitter Mr. Walsh Mr. Wamp Mr. Wicker Mr. Wolf Mr. Young
FULL COMMITTEE VOTES
Pursuant to the provisions of clause 3(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: June 14, 2001.
Measure: Supplemental Appropriations Bill, FY 2001.
Motion by: Mrs. Lowey.
Description of motion: to provide $100,000,000 to the Agency for
International Development, Child Survival and Disease Programs Fund, to
provide $50,000,000 to Development Assistance, to provide $100,000,000
to a global trust fund to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, and
to designate these amounts as contingent emergency appropriations.
Results: Rejected 25 yeas to 30 nays.
Members Voting Yea
Members Voting Nay
Mr. Boyd
Mr. Aderholt
Mr. Clyburn
Mr. Bonilla
Ms. DeLauro
Mr. Cunningham
Mr. Dicks
Mr. Doolittle
Mr. Edwards
Mrs. Emerson
Mr. Farr
Mr. Frelinghuysen
Mr. Fattah
Mr. Goode
Mr. Hinchey
Ms. Granger
Ms. Kaptur
Mr. Hobson
Mr. Kennedy
Mr. Istook
Ms. Kilpatrick
Mr. Kingston
Mrs. Lowey
Mr. Knollenberg
Mrs. Meek
Mr. Kolbe
Mr. Mollohan
Mr. LaHood
Mr. Murtha
Mr. Latham
Mr. Obey
Mr. Lewis
Mr. Olver
Mr. Miller
Mr. Pastor
Mr. Nethercutt
Ms. Pelosi
Mr. Peterson
Mr. Price
Mr. Regula
Mr. Rothman
Mr. Rogers
Ms. Roybal-Allard
Mr. Sherwood
Mr. Sabo
Mr. Skeen
Mr. Serrano
Mr. Sununu
Mr. Visclosky
Mr. Sweeney Mr. Vitter Mr. Walsh Mr. Wamp Mr. Wolf Mr. Young
FULL COMMITTEE VOTES
Pursuant to the provisions of clause 3(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: June 14, 2001.
Measure: Supplemental Appropriations Bill, FY 2001.
Motion by: Ms. Kaptur.
Description of motion: To provide an additional $35,000,000 for
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Salaries and expenses.
Results: Rejected 27 yeas to 35 nays.
Members Voting Yea
Members Voting Nay
Mr. Boyd
Mr. Aderholt
Mr. Clyburn
Mr. Bonilla
Ms. DeLauro
Mr. Callahan
Mr. Dicks
Mr. Cunningham
Mr. Edwards
Mr. DeLay
Mr. Farr
Mr. Doolittle
Mr. Fattah
Mrs. Emerson
Mr. Frelinghuysen
Mr. Goode
Mr. Hinchey
Ms. Granger
Mr. Hoyer
Mr. Hobson
Mr. Jackson
Mr. Istook
Ms. Kaptur
Mr. Kingston
Mr. Kennedy
Mr. Knollenberg
Ms. Kilpatrick
Mr. Kolbe
Mrs. Lowey
Mr. LaHood
Mrs. Meek
Mr. Latham
Mr. Mollohan
Mr. Lewis
Mr. Obey
Mr. Miller
Mr. Olver
Mr. Murtha
Mr. Pastor
Mr. Nethercutt
Ms. Pelosi
Mr. Peterson
Mr. Price
Mr. Regula
Mr. Rothman
Mr. Rogers
Ms. Roybal-Allard
Mr. Sherwood
Mr. Sabo
Mr. Skeen
Mr. Serrano
Mr. Sununu
Mr. Visclosky
Mr. Sweeney Mr. Taylor Mr. Tiahrt Mr. Vitter Mr. Walsh Mr. Wamp
Mr. Wicker Mr. Wolf Mr. Young
FULL COMMITTEE VOTES
Pursuant to the provisions of clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the House
of Representatives, the results of each roll 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: June 14, 2001.
Measure: Supplemental Appropriations Bill, FY 2001.
Motion by: Ms. Pelosi.
Description of motion: To require the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission to impose ``cost-of-service'' limits on the price of
wholesale electricity sold in the Western region for the next two years.
Results: Rejected 27 yeas to 34 nays.
Members Voting Yea
Members Voting Nay
Mr. Boyd
Mr. Aderholt
Mr. Clyburn
Mr. Bonilla
Ms. DeLauro
Mr. Callahan
Mr. Dicks
Mr. Cunningham
Mr. Farr
Mr. DeLay
Mr. Fattah
Mr. Doolittle
Mr. Hinchey
Mr. Edwards
Mr. Hoyer
Mrs. Emerson
Mr. Jackson
Mr. Frelinghuysen
Ms. Kaptur
Mr. Goode
Mr. Kennedy
Ms. Granger
Ms. Kilpatrick
Mr. Hobson
Mrs. Lowey
Mr. Istook
Mrs. Meek
Mr. Kingston
Mr. Mollohan
Mr. Knollengberg
Mr. Moran
Mr. Kolbe
Mr. Murtha
Mr. LaHood
Mr. Obey
Mr. Latham
Mr. Olver
Mr. Lewis
Mr. Pastor
Mr. Miller
Ms. Pelosi
Mr. Nethercutt
Mr. Price
Mr. Peterson
Mr. Rothman
Mr. Regula
Ms. Roybal-Allard
Mr. Sherwood
Mr. Sabo
Mr. Skeen
Mr. Serrano
Mr. Sununu
Mr. Visclosky
Mr. Sweeney Mr. Tiahrt Mr. Vitter Mr. Walsh Mr. Wamp Mr. Wicker
Mr. Wolf Mr. Young
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DISSENTING VIEWS OF HON. DAVID OBEY
The problems facing Americans today are in some respects quite
different from those the country faced last fall when Appropriations
were enacted for the current fiscal year. With gasoline prices up as
much as 50 cents a gallon, a two car family can expect to pay about $600
dollars a year more to the oil companies and they will be paying a
similar increase in heating and electrical costs. This is about a
thousand or so dollars per household that won't be available for
replacing the family car, buying new clothes or saving for college
education. As a result many businesses are suffering and the whole
economy has gotten softer.
While higher energy prices have affected households in every part of
the United States, the impact on the West Coast has been much more
severe. Many Americans in other parts of the United States are still not
aware of how serious the situation is in the West and how much it may
impact the overall national economy. Because more than one in eight
Americans live in the three West Coast states and because so much of our
export oriented and high tech industries are concentrated in those
states, serious economic disruptions on the coast are certain to have a
big impact on the economies of virtually all of the 47 other states.
Ironically, this supplemental is before the Congress largely because
of energy problems. When fuel prices rise, the cost of flying planes,
fueling ships and driving tanks also goes up and the military needs more
money. This bill at least partially addresses those costs. (Many who
follow the defense budget in detail, however, believe that the armed
services may still have to scale back training, maintenance and other
activities in the final months of the fiscal year because of our failure
to fully offset these higher fuel costs.)
But the major failing of this Supplemental is that it does not
address the energy crisis with respect to any other segment of the
society or the American economy. It does not take a number of simple and
straightforward steps that could be critical in boosting the near term
availability of electrical power, protecting consumers from the extreme
price gouging occurring in some segments of the industry and insulating
the American economy from further damage from rising energy prices.
Finally, it does far less than is necessary to protect low income and
elderly households from the devastating impact that high-energy prices
have on their ability to afford food, medicine and other necessities.
The Energy Problem
Fluctuations in the cost of energy have played a major role in the
performance of the American economy since the early 1970s. Rising fuel
prices have contributed to at least three recessions over the last three
decades and falling fuel prices have caused dislocations and
bankruptcies in our own energy producing states and wreaked serious
havoc with the entire international financial system.
The current situation differs from those of the past in that it is
caused not only by an imbalance between the demand and supply of fossil
fuels but also by serious emerging structural problems in the industries
that generate and transmit electricity. While California and the West
Coast provide the most obvious examples of these problems they are not
strictly West Coast problems.
The deregulation and restructuring of the electrical utility industry
that began more than a decade ago has left investors with considerable
uncertainty as to how far deregulation will eventually go and how
competitive the market for electricity will be. As a result there has
been little growth in capacity for either generating or transmitting
electrical power even though the economy has grown at a remarkable pace
for most of that same period. As demand for electricity began to
approach the capacity to generate it some producers came to realize that
by withholding output they could force significantly higher prices in
the newly deregulated environment. As a result, consumers are faced with
a market that is neither competitive nor regulated.
There are three fundamental reasons that this problem is more severe
in California and on the West Coast. First, California's attempt at
deregulation was particularly inept. Wholesale prices were unleashed
while retail prices remained regulated. That worked only as long as the
price of the oil and natural gas used for generating electricity
continued to fall. Once oil and gas
prices began to rise, retail suppliers were caught in an
untenable squeeze and consumers were given no incentive to conserve.
Second, the national power grid has never had significant capacity to
transmit electricity from east of the Rockies to California and the West
Coast. As a result, there is much less competition in the wholesale
electricity market in the West than in other parts of the country.
Third, the West has relied more heavily on hydroelectric power than
most other parts of the country. Hydroelectric power is dependent on
rainfall and the Pacific Northwest where most of the dams are located
has been suffering from a severe drought.
The combination of these factors has produced not only dramatic
increases in the price of electricity but also in blackouts that
jeopardize production and profitability in a wide array of industries.
Producers are typically charging between 10 and 30 times the historical
rate for electricity and in some instances they have been able to charge
as much as 129 times the historical rate. Typical homeowners in many
parts of the state have seen their monthly electricity bills go from
$100 to more than $800. In some communities more than half of all small
businesses are either in bankruptcy or in the process of applying for
bankruptcy protection. A significant number of larger employers have
actually shut down operations. In total, electricity costs in California
have gone from $7 billion a year to around $70 billion. Even in a state
with a trillion dollar a year economy, that is a huge diversion of GDP
from other sectors of the economy to the utility companies.
That means that states like Wisconsin that produce capital goods have
seen their California markets evaporate and now have surplus
inventories. States like Michigan, Ohio and Missouri are seeing layoffs
in the automobile industry. Sales are off in the publishing, recording
and household products industries largely because of the bite the
electricity market in California is taking out of that state's ability
to grow and consume products from other parts of the United States.
what can be done?
The United States faces both short-term and long-term problems with
respect to energy. Under existing technologies our growing economy
requires more and more energy, makes us more and more dependent on oil
from the Persian Gulf, and therefore inevitably more vulnerable to
political disruptions in that part of the world. At the same time it
increases air and water pollution and jeopardizes the global climate.
Finding ways to reduce our consumption of energy will help control
prices, improve the quality of our air and water and reduce the
vulnerability of our economy to events in Southwest Asia. Finding
alternative forms of energy will also help achieve all three of those
objectives. Those activities require the kind of long term and high-risk
investments that the private sector is not likely to undertake and they
should be funded in our regular appropriation bills as the high priority
investments that any sensible assessment of our economic and security
needs indicate they deserve.
But the electricity crisis could do serious damage to our current
prosperity if we do not take action now for short-term remedies. The
Democratic members of the Appropriations Committee put forward a series
of such initiatives when the Committee met to consider this Supplemental
on June 14th. Action on this legislation had been delayed for months
based on the President's decision not to send forward a budget request
until the Congress had completed action on the tax bill. As a result
remedies to the energy crisis that could be underway are only now being
considered. Unfortunately, even when the Supplemental budget request
finally did reach the Committee, Republican Congressional leaders
maintained rigid discipline in dissuading committee members of their
party from supporting these proposals. As a result none were adopted.
That is deeply disturbing since this Supplemental is the single best
and--perhaps only--legislative vehicle that can put resources to use
this summer in mitigating the crisis.
There were four separate amendments presented to the committee, each
dealing with a separate portion of the energy crisis.
Temporary cost-of-service price limits in Western states (Roll Call
#6);
$350 million for national electric power grid improvement loans
(Roll Call #3);
$125 million for national hydroelectric power improvement loans
(Roll Call #2); and
$600 million in fiscal year 2001 and $1.4 billion in fiscal year
2002 for increased emergency funding for the Low-Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (LIHEAP) (Roll Call #1).
Temporary Cost-of-Service Price Limits (Roll Call #6)
It is essential to address the price-limit issue on this emergency
supplemental appropriations funding bill. No one disagrees that the
current wholesale energy market in the West is dysfunctional. Wholesale
spot-market electricity rates that used to be around $30 per megawatt
hour in the past have ranged between $200 and $300 a megawatt hour this
spring, with typical peaks as high as $1,000 per megawatt hour.
Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) orders issued to date
this year put in place market-based limits and close loopholes which
previously allowed energy generators to avoid FERC regulation, for
example by shipping power out-of-state and then reimporting it during
emergencies at unreasonable prices. FERC orders to date, however, do not
prohibit all energy providers from overcharging since FERC still uses
market-based instead of cost-of-service based rates. Recent FERC orders
to date do not effectively rectiviy overcharges that have occurred since
June 2000, nor compel refunds in cases where prices have not been fair
and reasonable.
During this past year, while ordinary citizens and small businesses
were suffering, a few energy generators and energy marketers made record
high profits on the backs of the Western states. On June 5, Duke Energy
confirmed that it sold electricity in California for as much as $3,880 a
megawatt hour (129 times the historical rate)--double the rate that
Governor Grey Davis cited as an ``obscene'' example of price gouging.
In May, 41 Member of Congress introduced H.R. 1468, the Energy Price
and Economic Stability Act of 2001. The bill has two main features: (1)
It sets a temporary limit for wholesale energy prices in the Western
United States at a cost-of-service (rather than a market based) rate, to
include a reasonable risk premium or a return on invested capital; and
(2) it allows States which are charged unjust and unreasonable
electricity rates since June 1, 2000 to obtain refunds, if they are
successful in bringing action in U.S. district court. The bill's
provisions expire in March, 2003. The price limits in this amendment are
essential to stabilizing the power market in Western states until
sufficient supply can be brought on-line to allow competitive market
forces to ensure fair and reasonable prices.
H.R. 1468 is a very reasonable, moderate, flexible, and temporary
response to the severe energy crisis in the Western states. The
amendment proposed by Democrats an amendment to this supplemental
appropriations bill would simple enact H.R. 1468 as part of the larger
bill, to provide immediate temporary relief to millions of American
citizens in a number of Western states. A senior Republican leader said
when the amendment was offered that ``California made its bed, and now
California should sleep in it''. The Majority voted along party lines to
reject it (Roll Call #6).
Electric Power Grid Improvement Loans (Roll Call #3).
Electricity competition has led to significant changes in the
operation of the bulk power grid (the powers plants and high-voltage
transmissions facilities that make up the wholesale power market). More
and more electricity is being shipped longer distances over a
transmission system that was originally designed only to provide limited
power and reserve-sharing among neighboring utilities.
Competition in electricity has already dramatically increased the
movement of power within and between regions of the country. Over the
next ten years, the Department of Energy predicts that demand for
electric power will increase by 25 percent, and more than 200,000
megawatts of new capacity will be required. However, under current plans
electric transmission capacity will not be nearly enough to keep pace.
This shortage could lead to serious transmission congestion and electric
reliability problems. Regional shortages of generating capacity and the
increasing stress placed on the existing transmission system are
combining today to reduce the overall reliability of electric supply in
the country and are reducing the quality of power delivered to
end-users.
The best example of how this has developed into an emergency
situation is Path 15 in California, which consists of two 84-mile 500
kilovolt transmission lines between the northern and southern parts of
the state. There is consensus that Path 15 is a major bottleneck which
contributes to blackouts in the state. Between April, 1998 and January,
2001 there were 226 incidents where the flow on Path 15 exceeded the
south-to-north stability limits. As a result, electricity was diverted
to other transmission
lines and routed through Nevada and Oregon. The California
Independent System operator concluded that for the period between
September 1999 and December 2000 congestion on Path 15 cost consumers
$222 million.
California utilities would like to add a third transmission line
along the existing path at an approximate cost of $250 million to
increase transfer capability by approximately 1,500 megawatts. The
Secretary of Energy recently testified before the Committee that
constructing the third Path 15 line would increase transmission system
reliability, reduce the likelihood of blackouts, and lead to greater
competition and lower prices. Unfortunately, due to the recent energy
crisis, California utilities that are in very poor financial condition
have no means to undertake such a project at this time.
The Secretary of Energy also recently testified that the electric
price spikes in the Midwest in the summer of 1998 were caused in part by
transmission constraints limiting the ability of the region to import
electricity from other regions of the country with available electric
power. During the summer of 2000, cool weather in the Midwest and hot
temperatures in the deep South created a heavy north-to-south flow of
lower-cost, efficient Midwestern electricity to serve air conditioning
loads. However, because the transmission system was unable to
accommodate the heavy loads, the South had to turn on inefficient, older
generation units. The Secretary also testified that transmission
constraints have been a persistent cause of price spikes in New York in
recent years.
The obsolescence of the nation's electric power transmission grid has
become an emergency that requires immediate attention. The problem is
not one limited to just California, or even the Western states: it is
clearly a national problem that potentially affects all citizens. To
address it does not mean that there has to be a Federal ownership or
operational role in local or regional power transmission. A loan program
can provide the up-front cash to accelerate projects around the country
that will quickly lead to improved, lower-cost, and more efficient power
transmission. As upgraded or new power lines or systems are used, the
recipients of loans can reimburse the government over time in a manner
that minimizes burden on local communities yet fully recoups the cost of
the government's loan which in the long term would be zero.
The Democrats proposed an amendment to this bill to allow the
Secretary of Energy to provide $350 million in loans to states,
companies, and other outdated equipment would improve system reliability
by reducing the number of generators going out of service and improve
generator efficiency.
In the Pacific Northwest, up to 70 percent of electricity is
generated from hydropower. A continued lack of funding has reduced the
Corps' ability to sustain the reliability of its hydropower production
at its facilities in the Pacific Northwest which are essential for
providing power in the Western states. Facilities in Oregon, Washington,
and Idaho have a backlog of repair items affecting not only the power
plant facilities, but also associated dam and reservoir maintenance to
assure continued safety and environmental protection including fish
habitat. The Army Corps of Engineers needs $45 million to repair
earthquake damage to hydropower facilities and to correct major
environmental deficiencies in the Pacific Northwest in the states of
Washington and Oregon. Performance of this maintenance would also
increase power generation reliability through use of modern technology.
The Democrats proposed an amendment for $125,000,000 as follows: up
to $40 million for loans to operators of non-federal dams for energy
efficiency improvements, $45 million for repairs and improvements to
dams in the Pacific Northwest, and $40 million for repairs and upgrades
to dams operated by the Army Corps of Engineers or the Bureau of
Reclamation within the Department of the Interior. None of these funds
could be used in a manner which increases environmental damage above
current levels.
The Majority voted along party lines to reject it (Roll Call #2).
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (Roll Call #1)
Whether it is families in the Northeast that heat their homes with
fuel oil, families that use natural gas in the Midwest, or families
using electricity in California and the West, nearly every family in
America has experienced the shock of receiving a heating or cooling bill
double or triple the amount they paid the year before. For example,
residential heating oil prices were 48 percent higher in November 2000
than in November 1999, and residential natural gas prices in the fourth
quarter of 2000 were 44 percent above the previous year.
These extraordinary energy price hikes have hurt our senior citizens
and low-income families the most. They already struggle to heat and cool
their
organizations for improvements to existing electric power
transmission systems. The Majority voted along party lines to reject it.
Hydroelectric Power Improvements (Roll Call #2)
Hydropower is a low-cost renewable resource producing no airborne
emissions that contribute to acid rain or the greenhouse effect.
Hydropower is the nation's leading renewable energy source, accounting
for 81 percent of the nation's total renewable energy generation, and is
considered to be the least environmentally damaging major source of
power. The United States is one of the largest producers of hydropower
in the world, second only to Canada. Hydropower ranges between 10 to 12
percent of U.S. electrical generation. Without hydropower, the United
States would have to burn an additional 126 million tons of coal, 25
million barrels of oil, and 452 billion cubic feet of natural gas
annually. Simply increasing the efficiency of the nation's existing
hydroelectric equipment by one percent would result in an increase in
annual power generation of about 3.3 billion kilowatt hours. A 1998
Department of Energy report suggests that our nation has the ability to
generate up to 4,316 megawatts of additional electric power by upgrading
equipment at hydroelectric facilities now operating.
There are non-Federal dams in all 50 States at 2,162 sites. Some
non-federal owners of hydroelectric dams continue to operate turbines
that were installed more than a century ago.
The Army Corps of Engineers has 75 hydropower facilities throughout
the country that account for about 24 percent of the hydroelectric power
capacity and about 3 percent of electric power in the nation, making the
Army Corps the 4th largest utility in the nation. The backlog of
maintenance for these facilities is $400 million.
At a recent hearing conducted by the Subcommittee on Energy and
Water, the Chief of the Army Corps of Engineers testified that many of
the Corps' 75 hydroelectric dam power plants have generating equipment
that is 30 to 40 years old which is in need of upgrade or replacement.
The Chief further testified that the Corps had $23.7 million of
hydropower critical maintenance backlogs that threaten efficient power
generation of dams in Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, North
Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Virginia. Repair
and replacement of homes, put food on the table, buy medicines, and meet
other basic necessities. Recent estimates show that this fiscal year
low-income families will pay, on average, about $1,530 for annual
residential energy costs or about 20 percent of their annual income--a
burden four times higher than the average 5 percent of annual income
paid by other families. Extraordinary energy bills are taking their toll
on these vulnerable families and senior citizens.
For years, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has
been one of the few critical lifelines for our most vulnerable seniors
and families to deal with energy costs. But with record high energy
prices, it is more important now than ever. Nearly 80 percent of LIHEAP
recipients have incomes at or below the federal poverty level ($17,650)
and about a third of LIHEAP households include at least one elderly
person in the household. Another 29 percent of LIHEAP families have a
child age 5 years or under, and 30 percent of LIHEAP households have at
least 1 person who is unable to work due to disability.
Unfortunately, in recent years, we have seen the regular LIHEAP
appropriation drop from a high of $2.1 billion in 1986 to $1.4 billion
today, The number of households that receive assistance under LIHEAP has
declined from 7.1 million when the program first began--serving 36
percent of the total eligible population--to only 5 million
today--serving only 17 percent of the eligible population at a time of
the highest energy prices in recent years. Community action agencies
throughout the nation that administer LIHEAP report having to turn away
hundreds of eligible clients because of lack of resources. In all, 20
states including Wisconsin, Alabama, California, Georgia, Kentucky,
Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York
and Rhode Island have exhausted or nearly exhausted their LIHEAP
funding. And, those who are fortunate enough to get LIHEAP assistance
receive only enough to pay about one quarter of their total residential
energy bill.
The $150 million requested by the President and the $300 million
included in this bill by the majority are grossly inadequate to respond
to this detrimental decline in LIHEAP funding. If LIHEAP served the same
proportion (36 percent) of eligible seniors and low-income families that
it served twenty years ago at a benefit level commensurate with recent
energy price increases, the fiscal year 2001 LIHEAP appropriation would
need to be $4.6 billion--$2.3 billion more than the (regular and
emergency) resources
currently available. The Democratic Amendment offered by Mrs.
DeLauro would have enacted an immediate $600 million emergency
appropriation for LIHEAP while also providing a $1.4 billion fiscal year
2002 appropriation for the regular LIHEAP block grant to ensure that
energy assistance to poor families is not disrupted this fall in the
event that the enactment of the fiscal year 2002 Labor-HHS-Education
bill is delayed beyond the start of the new fiscal year. This amendment
was a much more appropriate response to this funding shortfall than
either the White House or Republican Leadership, but was rejected by the
majority by a vote of 29:32.
The Democratic amendment (Roll Call #1) to provide an additional $600
million for LIHEAP would have accomplished several purposes. First--it
would have extended energy assistance to an additional 1 million
low-income senior citizens. Second, the amendment would have provided
the funds needed to prevent utility shut offs for thousands of families
with unpaid bills from this past winter. Third, the amendment would have
provided a cushion to take care of any heat emergencies this summer.
Fourth, the amendment would have provided for any unforeseen energy
emergencies such as the flooding that occurred last week in Texas and
Louisiana, which may create an additional need for energy assistance.
Fifth, by providing supplemental funding now, the Democratic amendment
would have enabled states to stretch available LIHEAP resources by
purchasing heating fuel in the summer months when it is the cheapest.
Finally, the amendment would have provided a $1.4 billion FY 2002
appropriation for the regular LIHEAP block grant, ensuring no
interruption in the delivery of critical energy assistance to needy
families this fall.
As the energy crisis continues and more families and seniors go
without adequate LIHEAP assistance, utility companies across the country
are reporting huge increases in arrearages. Survey results from 19
states show a total of $910 million owed in May 2001 for unpaid utility
bills by 4.3 million families. A tally for all 50 states could easily be
$2 billion or more in outstanding utility bills. For instance:
In California, Southern California Gas experienced a 96 percent
increase in delinquencies among its residential customers from February
2000 to February 2001, and arrearages increased from $51 million to $100
million, with over half a million customers in arrearage.
Georgia reported 200,000 families owing $80 million in arrearages
and facing disconnections.
Iowa reported 180,000 families owing more than $34.5 million, more
than double last years amount.
Kentucky reported $31 million in natural gas arrearages with 94,000
pending shutoffs.
Michigan reported 1.3 million customers with $98 million in arrearages.
In New Jersey, the state's largest utility has sent out shut off
notices to 276,000 families with arrearages of $271 million.
Pennsylvania reported between 150,000 and 200,000 families in
arrears. Pennsylvania utilities report a 64 percent increase in people
with outstanding heating bills.
Entergy Texas reported a 41 percent increase in arrearages from $7.3
million to $10.3 million.
In Wisconsin, nearly 500,000 households were in arrears on electric
and gas utility bills, with $98 million owed--an increase of 38 percent
over last year.
Following these Minority Views, we have attached (1) a table
displaying the number and percentage of eligible households served by
LIHEAP in each state, (2) a survey conducted by the National Energy
Assistance Directors' Association summarizing the funding status of
LIHEAP in the states, and (3) information provided by the National
Energy Assistance Directors' Association on utility arrearages in 19
states and the District of Columbia.
Other Problems with this supplemental
A ``Puzzling'' Rescession: FEMA (Roll Call #1)
This supplemental appropriations bill takes funds from several
critical items in order to offset other funding within this bill. First,
the bill rescinds $389 million from the Federal Emergency's Management
Agency's Disaster Relief Fund. The rationale provided is that since
there is close to two billion dollars currently in the Fund, a $389
million rescission will still leave enough funds to future disasters.
The fact is, however, that these disaster assistance dollars, both for
disaster victims and for public facilities such as
repair of roads and bridges, are already earmarked for
previous disasters or for projected disasters. When these funds are
needed, this proposed rescission could preclude prompt assistance to
individuals or municipalities affected by a disaster. Additionally, the
Administration, in their response to the proposed supplemental
appropriations bill states, ``* * * we are puzzled by the proposed
rescission of $389 million in disaster relief funds for the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The rescission would eliminate much
of the normal FEMA funding needed by the agency to provide quick and
effective assistance to disaster-stricken communities and victims,
should such action be requested in the future * * *'' Given the latest
storm, Tropical Storm Allison, which is larger than the ``average''
disaster, this is not the time to be rescinding funds from FEMA's
Disaster Relief Fund.
HUD
Second, this bill rescinds $114.3 million from the Department of
Housing and Urban Development's Housing Certificate Fund. At this time,
$114.3 million from this account is not available in fiscal year 2001
and interfering with this fund threatens HUD's ability to assist
low-income individuals. These recaptured funds are excess funds that are
more than one year old. HUD officials cannot be certain that there will
be sufficient excess funds to rescind. Because this rescission must come
from this account only, the only option is for HUD to take $114.3
million from reserves. Taking funds from HUD reserves or having this
rescission in any way affect low-income people is unacceptable.
Job training
The bill rescinds $359 million from FY 2002 advance appropriations
for job training formula grants. This rescission is unwise, ill-timed,
and damaging. It takes back funds which states and localities are
already counting on for use during the job training program year
beginning on July 1, 2001--just two weeks from now. The rescission
represents and 11 percent cut for adult job training and a 16 percent
cut in programs to aid workers dislocated by plant closings and mass
layoffs. With unemployment and layoffs rising, this is exactly the wrong
time to be cutting back on programs that assist unemployed workers
obtain the skills training and job search assistance they need to find
new, decent-paying jobs.
The rationale given by the Committee for this rescission is that
balances of unexpended funds held by state and local job training
agencies have apparently been growing during the current year. However,
the main reason for this growth in unexpended balances is delays caused
by the need to revamp local programs and governing bodies to conform to
the new federal authorizing law, the Workforce Investment Act, which
took effect last July 1. There is no reason to believe that the need for
job training services has diminished, or that programs will not return
to their normal expenditure rates once the transition to the Workforce
Investment Act is over. We should not be telling local job training
agencies to overhaul their programs in response to new federal law, and
then penalize them with a rescission when that transition produces some
spending delays.
Highway Emergency Relief Funding
The highway emergency relief program pays for the costs of fixing
roads and bridges damaged by floods, earthquakes and other natural
disasters. The FY 2001 Transportation Appropriations Act contained $720
million in emergency funding for this program. That funding, plus the
$100 million in mandatory funding this program receives each year, has
all been allocated to states to pay for previous disasters. Today, there
is no funding available for this program and there is a $33 million
backlog of requirements from natural disasters that occurred this fiscal
year--the earthquake in the state of Washington, ice storms in the
states of Texas and Oklahoma, and a flood in Puerto Rico. Estimates are
not yet available for the damage done from the most recent flooding in
Texas. The Federal Highway Administration could borrow from other
accounts to pay for these emergency needs, but the only funding not
allocated to the states already is for the Transportation Infrastructure
Financing credit program and only $44 million is currently available. It
is highly unlikely that this $44 million would last through the end of
this fiscal year. Additional emergency funding of at least $100 million
for this program should have been included in this emergency
supplemental appropriations bill. The majority erred in not properly
addressing this emergency requirement.
Winter Olympics
Democrats are also concerned with the Administration's and the
Majority's failure to provide adequate security for the 2002 Salt Lake
City Winter Olympics on a timely basis. In August 1999, the Secret
Service was given responsibility for designing, planning, and
implementing security for the 2002 Games. In addition, several Treasury
law enforcement agencies will provide personnel in support of the
effort. However, the President did not request any additional funding in
fiscal year 2002 for Treasury agencies to cover these costs. Recognizing
this error, the Administration subsequently requested an additional
$60.6 million as part of the supplemental funding request, but the
Majority chose not to include the required funding in this bill. Given
the unrealistic allocations required by the Majority's budget
resolution, it is not clear if and how this requirement can be
accommodated in the fiscal year 2002 bill. Effective security is key to
a successful Olympics, and the Majority needs to ensure that sufficient
funding is available for Treasury law enforcement agencies. It was a
mistake not to provide funding for Winter Olympics in this bill.
CONCLUSION
It is a shame that this emergency supplemental appropriations bill
contains nothing of substance to address the immediate needs of American
citizens who face a national energy crisis according to the President.
The citizens in Western States will endure more hardship as the summer
unfolds. Democrats offer national initiatives for real near-term
solutions that could be implemented quickly on a bipartisan basis. It is
unfortunate that Republicans reject such proposals, and instead have
produced this supplemental appropriations bill that fails to respond to
the national energy crisis in any meaningful way.
LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
[Estimated number and percent of households served, FY 2001]
State Households served Households not served Elderly not served
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
Alabama* 41,468 8.3 460,343 91.7 197,197 42.8
Alaska 7,500 13.4 48,271 86.6 8,740 18.1
Arizona 25,000 5.5 433,425 94.5 149,349 34.5
Arkansas 70,000 22.6 239,354 77.4 109,530 45.8
California* 123,280 3.4 3,466,979 96.6 1,129,586 32.6
Colorado* 75,000 21.9 267,962 78.1 87,355 32.6
Connecticut 68,000 16.6 342,270 83.4 158,525 46.3
Delaware 11,000 14.4 65,591 85.6 32,213 49.1
District of Columbia* 15,000 21.0 56,562 79.0 24,077 42.6
Florida 42,500 2.6 1,583,788 97.4 726,918 45.9
Georgia* 120,000 15.2 666,893 84.8 190,696 28.6
Hawaii 5,300 4.2 121,891 95.8 48,041 39.4
Idaho 30,930 26.0 88,089 74.0 31,341 35.6
Illinois* 350,000 27.9 903,643 72.1 518,146 57.3
Indiana 121,370 21.1 454,085 78.9 229,338 50.5
Iowa* 80,000 28.9 196,391 71.1 80,817 41.2
Kansas* 25,000 9.2 247,736 90.8 108,081 43.6
Kentucky* 209,748 49.9 210,262 50.1 148,569 70.7
Louisiana 92,100 18.6 403,885 81.4 183,634 45.5
Maine* 58,000 48.3 62,079 51.7 33,913 54.6
Maryland* 70,000 14.5 411,806 85.5 192,534 46.8
Massachusetts* 123,000 16.3 632,770 83.7 n/a n/a
Michigan 362,000 34.7 680,702 65.3 298,029 43.8
Minnesota* 107,000 23.6 346,129 76.4 163,569 47.3
Mississippi 39,750 11.9 295,084 88.1 102,676 34.8
Missouri 110,198 20.2 435,361 79.8 187,986 43.2
Montana* 17,500 18.1 79,340 81.9 24,600 31.0
Nebraska* 25,500 14.5 150,542 85.5 74,936 49.8
Nevada 8,700 5.3 156,313 94.7 57,679 36.9
New Hampshire* 27,500 23.7 88,777 76.3 47,405 53.4
New Jersey 150,000 16.6 754,349 83.4 391,625 51.9
New Mexico* 48,000 25.5 140,568 74.5 51,558 36.7
New York* 818,000 35.1 1,513,183 64.9 724,283 47.9
North Carolina 151,000 17.7 702,356 82.3 292,147 41.6
North Dakota 14,000 18.5 61,632 81.5 27,714 45.0
Ohio 224,700 18.1 1,014,102 81.9 421,052 41.5
Oklahoma 86,000 24.4 266,521 75.6 105,912 39.7
Oregon 88,547 27.1 238,533 72.9 77,856 32.6
Pennsylvania 280,750 20.5 1,086,783 79.5 558,902 51.4
Rhode Island* 26,000 20.3 101,855 79.7 67,565 66.3
South Carolina 64,755 15.1 362,711 84.9 140,244 38.7
South Dakota 15,000 20.5 58,316 79.5 23,202 39.8
Tennessee 95,630 15.7 511,809 84.3 179,386 35.0
Texas 53,459 2.5 2,050,915 97.5 690,490 33.7
Utah* 30,000 21.9 106,844 78.1 32,988 30.9
Vermont 23,900 39.2 37,079 60.8 19,723 53.2
Virginia 83,518 12.8 571,146 87.2 227,810 39.9
Washington 75,000 14.6 438,476 85.4 130,032 29.7
West Virginia 55,000 23.2 182,397 76.8 90,696 49.7
Wisconsin* 110,100 22.5 378,737 77.5 176,561 46.6
Wyoming 10,000 19.5 41,395 80.5 18,258 44.1
----------- --------- ------------ ---------- ----------- ---------
Total 4,965,703 17.0 24,216,030 83.0 9,793,484 40.4
*These states have depleted or nearly depleted their FY 2001 LIHEAP allocations, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association.
*Source: National Energy Assistance Directors' Association estimates, based on data collected by the Department of Health and Human Service.
NATIONAL ENERGY ASSISTANCE DIRECTORS' ASSOCIATION STATE-BY-STATE
LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SURVEY RESPONSES ( JUNE 11, 2001)
Note: The following provides a state-by-state summary of available
information on the status of each state's Low-Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (LIHEAP). As of June 11, 43 states and the District
of Columbia have responded to the survey. This survey will be updated as
additional information becomes available.
KEY POINTS
Of the states that have responded to date to the NEADA summer
survey, 19 states and the District of Columbia reported that they were
either out of funds or had very low balances. States reporting they were
out of funds: District of Columbia, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New
Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. States reporting
very low balances: Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas,
Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, and Utah.
The remaining 24 states have at least the same amount of funds
available to help low-income families as they had last year at this
time: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware,
Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, North
Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont,
Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
The NEADA survey follows two earlier surveys this year. The first
survey reported that the number of new families applying for program
assistance had increased by more than 1 million, bringing the total of
recipient families up to more than 5 million. The second survey,
reported that 4.3 million households in 19 states and the District of
Columbia were in arrears on their utility bills and faced possible
shut-off of service. Summary tables from the two surveys are included at
the end of the narrative.
The federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
provides heating and cooling assistance to low-income families. During
the current fiscal year (October 1, 2001 to September 30, 2002) the
program is expected to provide assistance to at least 5.1 million
households, an increase of 1.1 million over last year. Due to the rapid
increase in demand for program services, many state program managers
responded by spending most, if not all, of their program funds. In
contrast to previous years, states retained fewer funds in order to
address the immediate needs of low-income applicant households.
Alabama
Alabama's LIHEAP program has about $2 3 million remaining this year,
which is less than last year as a result of the worst winter weather for
many years and increases in fuel prices. All remaining funds will be
expended for cooling assistance. The state has always had a cooling
program, but there are less funds available this year. It is estimated
an additional $5 6 million is needed for summer cooling, especially if
the state experiences a severe summer.
Alaska
Alaska has about 9% of its funding left, which is the same as last
year, in spite of an unusually warm winter this year. Although there are
no winter shut-off moratoria, the state does help with arrearage
payments and shut-off avoidance throughout the winter as part of the
regular heating assistance program. There is no summer cooling program.
Arizona
Arizona runs a year-round program for heating and cooling and the
supplemental contingency dollars received this fiscal year will be added
into contracts effective July 1, 2001. These funds will be helpful in
providing either/or higher benefit payments and serving more households.
Arizona is a hot weather state and summer has arrived early this year,
with triple digits in early May. As a result, more households are
expected to apply and higher benefits will be needed to offset increases
in utility rates.
Arkansas
Arkansas has $1.1 million remaining as of June 1, 2001, compared to
$558,800 at this time last year. No cooling assistance program has been
planned for the summer. Unless additional funds are released, Arkansas
most likely will not have a summer cooling program. The state will use
all of the remaining funds to avoid shut-offs, for
connection/reconnection fees and on arrearages, if they are creating a
crisis situation for the household. Approximately $1.2 million is needed
to implement an adequate cooling program. Because of the harsh winter in
Arkansas this year, many families are still trying to pay large
arrearages on both gas and electricity bills in addition to their
current bills.
California
California has about $900,000 left to provide shut-off and arrearage
repayment assistance. The state is also disbursing about $30 million
dollars from June 1 August 31st for cooling assistance and has
appropriated $120 million dollars to provide supplemental funding as a
result of higher prices due to the state's energy crisis.
Colorado
Colorado's caseload increased significantly this year and there are
still 1,000 applications to be processed that were received before the
program ended on April 30th. The current $1 million balance had been
targeted as carryover for the start-up costs of next year's program, but
will instead be used to fund the remaining applications (at a cost of
approximately $150,000) and continue the year-round furnace repair and
summer fan distribution programs. The summer Crisis Intervention Program
(estimated to cost $200,000) and the summer fan distribution program
(estimated to cost $50,000) may be discontinued for lack of funding and
it appears very likely there won't be any start up money for next
season. By comparison, last year at this time there was $2.5 million
remaining after most cases had been processed.
Connecticut
Connecticut operates only a heating assistance program and
anticipates approximately $4 million of this year's funding will be
carried forward for start-up of next year's program. No cooling
assistance program is planned, but one will be provided if weather
conditions warrant it and funds are available early in the season.
Delaware
Delaware will have approximately $110,000 of unrestricted funds
remaining at the end of June, compared to $0 last year at this time. The
state has set aside $1.1 million for the Summer Cooling Assistance
Program this year, compared to $600,000 set aside last summer. Although
no funds were earmarked for arrearages last year, the $110,000 balance
this year may be utilized for that purpose. Due to a moratorium from the
Public Service Commission that prohibited the state's largest electric
and gas utility from terminating a customer's utility services for about
16 months, many households are now faced with arrearages in the
thousands of dollars. Specific numbers of households that may be
eligible are not available, but the $110,000 remaining at this time
would only help approximately 366 households if they each receive a
benefit of $300. Delaware is considering avoiding paying any arrearages
if not enough households can benefit from the $110,000 and using the
funds instead to purchase and install new furnaces under the
weatherization program. Or the state may provide assistance to the most
severe cases of arrearages and help about 110 households at $1,000 each.
If Energy Emergency Contingency Funds are released this summer, they
will primarily be used to help low-income customers with arrearages who
are facing service terminations.
District of Columbia
The District of Columbia operates a 12 month program but ran out of
funds at the end of April. There is a the District might be able to use
some local TANF funds to provide supplemental cooling assistance this
summer.
Florida
By the end of June, Florida's LIHEAP program will have expended all
the winter contingency funds. As a result of the increase in base
funding this year, there is approximately $1 million (18%) more that
will be available for summer cooling assistance than was expended last
year. Typically, the state is able to provide cooling assistance to less
than 5% of the eligible population. With the increase in base funding
this year the summer cooling program will be able to assist 1 2% more of
these eligible households. At this time, there does not appear to be a
problem with a backlog of arrearages.
Georgia
Any remaining LIHEAP funds in Georgia at the close of the regular
program will be used for cooling assistance. Last year a total of $5.4
million was expended for cooling assistance, and this year the current
balance available is only $2.1 million as of May 7, 2001. All of these
remaining funds will be used for cooling assistance. However, at a
maximum of $194 per household, only 10,644 households will be able to
receive cooling assistance. Based on last year's expenditure data, an
additional $1 million is needed for summer cooling. Sufficient funds are
also not available to meet the needs for arrearage/shut-off avoidance
assistance. In order to provide arrearage/shut-off avoidance assistance,
an additional $3.7 million is needed, since there are 200,000 households
in Georgia who owe approximately $80 million in natural gas bills alone.
Hawaii
Hawaii's program does not begin until June 1.
Idaho
Idaho has a current balance of $2.9 million as compared to $1.3
million last year at this time. None of the remaining dollars are
targeted for cooling assistance or arrearage/shut-off prevention
programs at this time.
Illinois
Only $5 million remains in the Illinois LIHEAP program this year,
compared to $17 million last year. This $5 million balance will be used
for summer energy assistance (last year's effort expended $10 million).
The state committed $6 million this year for arrearage and shut-off
prevention programs (compared to $2 million last year). The Illinois
program estimates it needs $15 20 million for a statewide summer program
and $10 15 million for arrearage/shut-off avoidance assistance.
Indiana
The State of Indiana has a little less than $2 million dollars
remaining in the Energy Assistance budget (which includes LIHEAP & oil
overcharge funds). These funds (about the same amount as last year) will
all be used for summer cooling and summer fill. Funds have not been set
aside for arrearage assistance this year, nor have they been in the
past. The state is concerned about meeting the needs out of next year's
funding, when it is anticipated many households will be coming in with
high amounts in arrears.
Iowa
Iowa has exhausted all funds available. Approximately 79,000
households received a benefit that lowered their out-of-pocket expense
(energy burden) to 6% of total household income. There are still
approximately 5,000 eligible households that applied, but who, in the
absence of supplemental funding, will not receive any benefit. Last year
at this time, 62,000 households had received a benefit that lowered
their out-of-pocket expense (energy burden) to 3.5% of total household
income and there was a balance of approximately $2 million unexpended
that was available for cooling emergencies if necessary. Ultimately,
those funds were used for contracting with deliverable fuel vendors,
locking in a lower price in August for delivery beginning in October.
Unfortunately, this will not be an option this year. If the remaining
5,000 households are to receive the average benefit that the 79,000
households received, an additional $2.8 million is needed. In the
interim between now and the receipt of any supplemental funding, those
5,000 households will have no alternative other than to make payment
arrangements that include the hoped-for LIHEAP benefit.
Kansas
By March 12th it was determined that applications for LIHEAP benefits
were exceeding the 18.6% increase originally anticipated for the federal
funds available. As a result, central office instructed field staff to
pay only eligible households meeting the newly defined emergency
criteria of: (1) disconnected, (2) out of fuel, or (3) tagged for
disconnect (only households that were not regulated under the shut off
moratorium, which had been extended to April 30th). LIHEAP benefits were
paid out at 100% of the determined benefit matrix for a portion of the
LIHEAP program. Since the amount of funding available was not sufficient
to provide benefits at the 100% amount to all eligible households, the
remaining eligible households were paid at a prorated portion of the
original benefit matrix amount (47%). If the decision had not been made
to pay prorated benefits, approximately 7,000 eligible households would
not have received any type of energy assistance in a winter in which
fuel costs escalated and the temperatures were extremely cold. The
prorated benefit method was chosen in order to provide all eligible
households as much of a benefit as possible with the remaining federal
funds available. If additional funds become available the agency will
further supplement benefits to those households that received only a
prorated amount.
Kentucky
Kentucky only has $100,000 $150,000 of LIEHAP funding remaining.
Approximately $7 million is needed to operate a cooling program.
Already, early in the season, areas of the state have been experiencing
temperatures in the high 80's with high humidity. In addition, nearly
\3/4\ of the state has been declared to be in a severe drought.
Maine
All of Maine's LIHEAP funds have been obligated and there will not be
any carryover over for next year. There are no funds available for
summer cooling or arrearage and shut off avoidance programs, which is
the same situation the state experienced last year.
Maryland
Maryland has less than $1 million remaining. These funds will be used
for furnace repair and replacements. The state does not have any funds
available for cooling assistance.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts will deplete all federal funds with a possibility of
having up to $1 million left for carryover to next fiscal year. There
will be no funds available for cooling assistance.
Michigan
Michigan does not expect to have any funds left at the end of the
program year. Of major concern is that the program will need to revert
to FY 2001 program limits because of reduced funding in FY 2002 (unless
funding is increased to include all amounts awarded as supplemental
appropriations in FY 2001). This means the program will not be able to
increase eligibility to higher levels of poverty, nor sustain CAPS
(rates paid for energy), despite the fact that customer expenses are
increasing. Additionally weatherization efforts could not continue at
the same level, thereby exacerbating the long-term energy consumption
problem.
Minnesota
Applications are up 34.6% over last year at this time and the benefit
level is 34.7% larger to address higher energy costs. All funds have
been exhausted and new applicants are being turned away, even though the
plan states that applications will be taken until June 1, 2001. Last
year there were sufficient funds to serve all who applied and an
additional $4 million to carryover from FY 2000 to FY 2001. Minnesota
has not traditionally offered cooling assistance. The FY 2001 state plan
states that a medically necessary cooling program will be operated if
funds are available, but it does not appear funds will be available for
this purpose.
The state's crisis program, which addresses disconnections and
emergency fuel deliveries, has increased this year by almost 400% over
the previous year. The Public Utilities Commission estimates that total
customer arrearages are $71 million. There are not sufficient funds to
address those households who are still seeking assistance because of
pending disconnects. Last year the program was able to assist all
eligible households who applied. The PUC also indicates there are a
minimum of 1,000 households statewide who have medical needs for cooling
who may be income eligible for LIHEAP. An additional $300,000 would be
needed to provide each of these households a benefit of $300. To serve
all the applications currently pending would require an additional $1.9
million. Another $3 million in requests for crisis assistance are
expected by June 1.
The Minnesota Department of Revenue mailed applications to 80,000
senior households early in April, and those applications are just coming
in now. Last year a similar mailing resulted in a 12% return. If a
similar return is experienced this year, an additional $5.4 million will
be needed to serve these households with the average grant of $558. In
previous years carryover funds were used to pre-buy propane and/or oil
for the next heating season. Summer purchases have greatly benefited
low-income households, providing them with more fuel for their money. In
past years, the average early pre-buy program has purchased $2.3 million
in delivered fuels. Unfortunately, there are not sufficient funds to
pursue this activity this year. The total amount Minnesota needs for the
remainder of this program year is approximately $12.8 million in
additional funds.
Montana
Montana has no remaining funds from the regular and emergency
appropriations this year, compared to a $400,000 balance last year. The
state has not been able to offer summer cooling assistance or assistance
with arrearages.
Nebraska
Nebraska has approximately $670,000 that has not been designated for
client payments, weatherization, administration or FY 2002 carryover.
Approximately $1.7 million that was designated for FY 2002 carryover can
still be used in the current year. These amounts are less than the
balances last year by about $1 million. Approximately $350,000 will be
expended in the original cooling payment and then as other households
qualify for cooling, the additional payments will increase. This initial
payment is about the same as last year. During the summer months about
$75,000 $100,000 a week has been expended for additional cooling and
cooling crisis payments. Unless additional funds are received, Nebraska
will not be able to help with any additional heating arrearages or
shut-off notices. Clients are being advised to make payments over the
summer and heating crisis assistance will be available next winter, as
in the past. An additional $2 million would allow the state to avert
more heating shut-offs.
Nevada
Although funding for Nevada's LIHEAP program increased by 15% in FY
2001, expenditures were up 22% compared to FY 2000, a shortfall of
approximately 7% for FY 2001. This summer cooling assistance will be
available statewide instead of only in the southern part of the state,
at a total expected cost of $724,711 (up from $457,284). Due to limited
federal funding in Nevada, the program was not designed to pay off
arrearages, but eligible households can avoid shut-off by paying a
portion of the outstanding balance. FY 2001 funding will be used to
start up the 2002 LIHEAP Program effective July 1, 2001, which will run
through May 31, 2002 (11 months). It is estimated 42% of the funding
used will be used to assist households, statewide, with cooling costs.
This is a new component. FY 2000 funding was not delineated for specific
cooling needs. Only households in southern Nevada had their regular
LIHEAP benefit split between their heating provider and their cooling
provider. Approximately 55% of the households receiving LIHEAP benefits
live in the southern part of the state where temperatures are easily
above 100 degrees during the summer.
Approximately 146,000 households in Nevada are below 150% of the
poverty level. Natural gas prices have increased 68% statewide, and
electric costs, thus far, have climbed approximately 14%. However,
incremental electric increases up to 45% have been presented to the PUC
and are likely to be approved. Propane has increased 75%. Nevada
increased the benefits for clients using these three major fuel sources,
retroactively. The average benefit will be $304 once these retroactive
supplemental payments are made (within the next 30 days). As such, if
Nevada receives the same funding in FY 2002 as was received in FY 2001,
the LIHEAP program will only be able to serve 7,988 households. This
represents only 5% of the state's low-income households at 150% of
poverty. Experts have presented data to the Nevada Legislature
projecting the average monthly summer electric bill in southern Nevada
will be $275 by next year. LIHEAP pays a one-time average benefit of
$304 per year. Low-income households, particularly those on fixed
incomes such as the elderly and disabled, will be unable to pay such
high cooling costs. As it is now, these people must make choices between
medicine, food, or power.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire reports that all combined emergency/regular
appropriations for FY 2001 have been obligated. Any remaining funds will
be used to restore monies originally targeted for the state's
weatherization program. The increased demand for assistance this winter
season (18% increase in the number of households enrolled) caused the
state to suspend other fuel assistance program components including the
Summer Pre-buy program. At this point, sufficient funds do not exist to
fully restore the two programs for this program year. Last year at this
time approximately $409,185 had not been obligated. A cooling assistance
program is not a regular component of New Hampshire's LIHEAP program.
At this point, the state is not in a position to further address the
need to assist with arrearage payments and shut-off avoidance. Due to
the demand for assistance and available LIHEAP funding, the program
could not be extended beyond April 30th this year. Last year, the
program was open for an additional month (to May 21, 2000). Although an
analysis has not yet been completed on the amount of funds necessary to
assist with arrearage/shut-off avoidance, the largest utility in the
state has reported that as of March 30, 2001 the amount of residential
accounts receivable had increased by 84% over last year (approximately
$2.2 million).
New Jersey
New Jersey has not exhausted its FY 2001 funding. Although New Jersey
raised its income limit to 175% of the federal poverty level and
extended its application period, the state did not receive as many
applications as anticipated. Remaining funds (up to 10% of total funds)
will be transferred to the Weatherization Assistance Program after all
outstanding applications for assistance are processed.
New Mexico
New Mexico has no remaining LIHEAP funding. The program has remained
open with money received from the State. Even with the supplemental
benefits that were issued, there are daily reports of households losing
service or unable to purchase propane. The average benefit this year is
$250, whereas the average benefit in FY 2000 was $118.
New York
As of May 25th, New York estimates a LIHEAP funding balance of only
$23 million, which includes funds carried forward from FY 2000 to FY
2001. Last year at this time the balance was $35 million. No cooling
assistance is provided, nor does the state set aside funds for arrearage
payments and shut-off avoidance. Crisis funds are still available to
avert shut-offs through the HEAP emergency component.
North Dakota
After meeting all commitments (including weatherization and other
services), North Dakota will have about $2.5 million remaining. There is
no ``cooling program'' as such, but the program does purchase air
conditioners for people with a medical need, at a total cost of
approximately $200,000. Expenditures in the emergency (crisis) program
have been 84% higher this year than last.
Ohio
Ohio's LIHEAP program will expend about $5 million on cooling
assistance this year, which is the same as last year. A supplemental
heating assistance benefit will be provided to everyone assisted in FY
2001 with the remainder of the uncommitted funds (estimated to be around
$20 million). Because so many households had such high natural gas bills
this winter (and 75% of the households assisted use natural gas), this
additional benefit will lessen the chances of these households facing a
shut-off during the summer. This additional benefit was not provided in
FY 2000. The contingency funds provided benefits to an additional 50,000
households this year, who will have to be turned away and/or
benefit/eligibility levels reduced if funding in FY 2002 is not at the
same level as FY 2001.
Oklahoma
In addition to the $16.2 million Oklahoma received in LIHEAP funds
this year, $11.5 million was transferred into the program from TANF, and
$4.8 million was received from the state. The estimated balance
remaining, after excluding the $1.5 million set aside for crisis
assistance and summer cooling, is only $3.7 million.
Oregon
Oregon has expended about 80% of the total funding received. If the
additional contingency funds had not been allocated to the state this
year, the program would have been fully expended by the beginning of
January. The remaining funding will probably be targeted for
weatherization assistance and pre-purchases of oil and bulk propane.
Additionally, some cooling assistance may be provided in the eastern
part of the state or in the metro area where more households reside in
apartments.
Rhode Island
For the most part, Rhode Island's program is currently out of funds
that were allocated for fuel bills. Last year the program was able to
stay open for most of the summer to help out with shut-offs. It does not
appear there will be funds available for cooling or summer crisis,
although $3 4 million is needed.
South Carolina
South Carolina has approximately $779,308 remaining from this year's
combined emergency fund/regular appropriations, compared to $259,400
last year. An estimated $3,024,995 will be used for cooling assistance,
compared to $1.3 million last year. Although the maximum benefit was
raised from $250 to $800 this year, there are still a large number of
households in arrearage. The largest utility company in the state is
averaging 37,000 arrearages a month. Given the maximum benefit of $800,
an additional $1 million is needed to provide assistance to alleviate
these arrearages.
South Dakota
South Dakota has less than 10% of the funds received this year
remaining, which is about the same as last year. No summer cooling
assistance is available, and, although the state is getting reports of
very large arrearages, there are no funds available to help families
deal with their balances or prevent shut-offs.
Utah
Utah has set aside $500,000 for cooling and crisis assistance this
year, compared to $650,000 last year. The state provides cooling
assistance only as part of the crisis program. It is anticipated the
need in FY 2002 will exceed that experienced this year. Funds may have
to be taken out of the 10% carryover set aside for next year to
supplement crisis/cooling assistance through the summer.
Vermont
In Vermont out of $14.5 million received in FY 2001 (block grant,
contingency grants, carry forward, leveraging incentive, and reallotment
funds) only $490,000 has not been allocated (3%). Last year at this
time, out of $11.4 million, $685,000 had not been allocated (or 6%).
None of the remaining funds are targeted for cooling assistance or
arrearage payments and shut-off avoidance. Last year, $200,000 was
allocated for spring, summer, and fall emergency assistance (heat and
electric service disconnections--but not cooling assistance). Vermont
does not anticipate a similar allocation will be available this year.
Virginia
Virginia has approximately $3 million remaining from its combined
emergency fund/regular appropriations for FY 2001, which is the same as
last year. Also, as last year, this entire amount will be targeted for
summer cooling assistance. Based on applications received last year
through the cooling assistance program, this amount is not sufficient to
meet the need. Virginia would need an additional $2.1 million to serve
the number of applicants from last year. The state does not have a
program that specifically targets clients with arrearages and/or cutoffs
because the current appropriation does not provide sufficient funds to
initiate a new targeted type of assistance. However, due to the
tremendous increases in fuel costs during the past winter many citizens
experienced severe hardship in making payments and are now threatened
with shut-off and have huge arrearages. In assessing the need for
additional assistance for both utilities and deliverable fuels, the
state estimates a need for an additional $5.6 million, based on the 1999
00 fuel case count plus the 2000 01 crisis case count.
Washington
Washington anticipates serving 25% of the eligible households this
year, which leaves 75% unserved. If the federal appropriation for FY
2002 is only $1.4 billion, the state will only be able to serve about
19% of the eligible population.
West Virginia
West Virginia estimates a current unencumbered LIHEAP balance of $2.5
million. None of the remaining funds is earmarked for cooling or
arrearage/shut-off avoidance. However, a supplemental payment to LIHEAP
households that contain a person age 60 or older may be used for heating
arrearages or to offset anticipated cooling costs. A minimum of $1
million is needed for cooling assistance.
West Virginia utilizes an automated benefit issuance/eligibility
determination system called RAPIDS. Cost allocations for workers to
enter applications into the system mount up quickly, making it necessary
to keep the LIHEAP season short. No state funds are used for LIHEAP at
this time. Additional funds are needed to help the state's most
vulnerable households.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin has depleted all LIHEAP funds available, in contrast to
last year when there was over $4 million left to use for summer fills,
arrearages, etc. in preparation for the next heating season. There are
no funds available for cooling assistance this summer, and the state
will only be able to operate a cooling program if supplemental funds are
awarded for this purpose and if there is a heat emergency declared in
the state. Although the state intended to provide a supplemental
allocation to local agencies for crisis assistance, it has not been able
to do so because of the costs for the basic heating assistance payments.
Based on current federal funding levels (the President's budget) the
state will receive $31 million less for the next heating season than was
received through regular and supplemental appropriations this year. Even
if the level proposed by the Senate were adopted, Wisconsin would still
receive $11 million less that was awarded this year. Caseloads for the
regular heating assistance program are up over 30% in numbers of paid
households and up 70% in the dollar amount of heating assistance paid.
The amount of crisis funds available to local agencies has also been
increased by over 200%. For the first time the state provided $14
million of utility public benefits dollars, which was used primarily for
electric benefits.
Wyoming
Although Wyoming currently has a remaining LIHEAP balance of about
$1.2 million left, these funds will be used for additional benefits and
administrative costs. There is no summer cooling assistance program and
the crisis portion of the regular program concluded on May 15th.
Although sufficient funds were available for this year, the need is
increasing rapidly with higher fuel costs, which will result in higher
numbers and amounts of arrearages next year.
TABLE 1: STATE LISTING OF SHUT-OFF AND ARREARAGE INFORMATION (MAY 14,
2001)
Arrearage and shut-off data is currently being collected by NEADA. As
of May 14, 19 states and the District of Columbia reported arrearages
totaling almost $910 million owed by 4.3 million families. The following
is a brief state-by-state summary of those states providing arrearage
and shut-off data. For further information about this survey contact:
California: Southern California Gas has experienced a 96% increase in
delinquencies among its residential customers from February 2000 to
February 2001 increasing from 369,000 delinquent customers to 723,000
within that period. During the same period, arrearages for Southern
California Edison increased from $51 million to $100 million, while the
number of customers in arrearage increased from 431,182 to 567,256.
Connecticut: Under the state's moratorium, Connecticut Natural Gas
reported 12,994 families as compared to 10,378 last year; United
Illuminating reported 12,000 families (of which 7,000 are delinquent and
could be terminated between April 16th and May 16th, depending on the
billing cycle); and Connecticut Light and Power reported 25,950
households. The number of delinquents may also drop as customers make
payments/arrangements when faced with the prospect of having their
service disconnected.
District of Columbia: Washington Gas reported that 14,694 residential
customers who were at least 60 days in arrears owed approximately $6.6
million. Of that total 5,229 have received shut-off notices and were
mailed a special letter urging immediate action to avoid shut-off.
Georgia: Approximately 200,000 families owe about $80 million in
arrearages. These families could potentially lose their gas service
beginning April 1st when the moratorium is lifted.
Indiana: The moratorium on shut-offs will expire on April 1st.
Arrearages are estimated to have increased to $30.5 million from $14.4
million. Approximately 50,000 families could be at risk of shut-off.
Iowa: The state has reported there are 180,000 families with more
than $34.5 million in arrearages, more than double last year's amount.
The state PUC has extended the moratorium until May 1st.
Kansas: Kansas Gas Service reported that 27,000 of their customers
are in arrears, with average amounts that are two to three times larger
than normal due to the increased costs of utilities. Last week, the
Kansas PUC extended the moratorium on natural gas and electric service
disconnections through May 31st.
Kentucky: Natural gas arrearages total $30.9 million with 94,010
pending shutoffs.
Louisiana: Entergy, the state's utility serving the New Orleans area,
reported $32.9 million in arrearages, up from $14 million last year. The
average amount in arrears this year is $400 vs. $267 last year. The
total number of residential families with arrearages totals about 76,000
accounts.
Michigan: Utilities serving 5.7 million customers reported that 1.3
million of its customers have generated arrearages totaling almost $98
million.
Minnesota: Arrearages for electric and natural gas total
approximately $71.6 million. The average residential arrearage increased
from $168 last year to $267 during the current year. As many as 100,000
families currently are past due on their accounts and could be
disconnected after April 15th and the expiration of the Cold Weather
Rule.
Mississippi: Entergy Mississippi residential arrearages are projected
to increase by 36% from $5.6 million to $7.6 million.
Missouri: The state's two largest natural gas companies have had a
self-imposed moratorium on shut-offs that expired March 15th. The
current arrearage amount is approximately $6.3 million and the estimated
number of families to be shut-off within 30 days, if bills are not paid,
is 13,091.
New Jersey: Public Service Electric and Gas, the state's largest
utility, reported residential arrearages of $271 million, an increase of
14% over last year. Shut-off notices have been sent to 276,715 families,
an increase of 6% over the same period last year.
Pennsylvania: Between 150,000 and 250,000 families in arrears and are
expected to begin receiving shut-off notices.
South Carolina: Arrearages have increased by 30% from last year,
totaling $13.5 million. Almost 37,000 families are facing shut-offs.
Texas: Entergy Texas has reported an increase of 41% in arrearages
from $7.3 million to $10.3 million.
Virginia: Columbia Gas reports a $12 million arrearage this year as
opposed to $2 million last year. Dominion Virginia Power, the largest
electricity supplier, is reporting a 33% increase in arrears over last
year. Approximately 20,000 customers will receive shut-off notices once
the voluntary moratorium is lifted.
West Virginia: American Electric Power has reported that 55,000 of
their 367,764 residential customers owe about $5.5 million in arrears.
The average arrearage is $106. Shut-off notices are currently being
mailed.
Wisconsin: Total electric and gas arrearages increased by almost 38%,
from $71.0 million to $97.7 million. The average amount in arrears
increased by about 23%, from $206 to $167, while the number of
households in arrears increased by almost 12 percent, from 424,607
customers to 473,989 customers.
David Obey.
ADDITIONAL VIEWS OF HON. NORM DICKS
Despite the best efforts of the Chairman, Ranking Member, and other
members of the Defense Subcommittee, the defense section of this bill is
simply not up to the task of providing for the glaring shortfalls in
funding at the Department of Defense. The Committee has made several
appropriate adjustments to the Administration's request for funding for
DOD, including providing $39.9 million for repair of natural disaster
damages at military facilities, and adding $200 million for health care
at military treatment facilities. However, the Committee was hobbled by
an Administration request that was substantially under funded give the
Department's need, and a threat by the Administration to veto any bill
which provided for the Department's full requirements.
It is my view that despite the Administration's veto threat, the
Committee should have increased funding for DOD by at least $3 billion
in emergency funding. In February, I and several other Democratic
members of the Appropriations, Armed Services, and other House
committees introduced a Defense Supplemental of $6.7 billion. That bill
was based on the testimony of the chiefs of each of the military
services, and contained $2 billion in funding for shortfalls in
readiness accounts not included in the Administration's request
transmitted to Congress. These shortfalls not addressed by the
Administration include $558 million for spare parts, $334.5 million in
pay and Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) requirements, $254 million for
force protection programs, $157 million for aircraft and ship depot
maintenance, and $150 million for recruiting and retention, among many
others. Although the Administration's request contained about $1 billion
in funding for shortfall not covered in our supplemental, including many
requests for research and development and procurement funding, the
Administration's request is still over $1 billion short of our bill in
total, and the need for funding has only increased in the time since the
chiefs of the four military services testified before Congress in
January of 2001.
The Administration has provided no credible explanation for its
neglect of $2 billion in shortfalls in core readiness accounts. And more
recent information on FY01 shortfalls at DOD have convinced me that each
of the military services will remain $1 billion short of their
requirements even after the bill approved by the Committee is passed
unless more funding can be added. It is the responsibility of Congress
to correct the President's defense budget and supplemental funding
requests when they are lacking, a responsibility which Congress has
kept, with bipartism support, in each of the last several fiscal years.
For exactly the same reasons as in those years, both the Congress and
the Appropriations Committee must reevaluate the level of DOD funding in
this year's supplemental as it moves through the legislative process.
Norman Dicks.
