On April 7, the Senate began its consideration of the FY2006 emergency supplemental spending bill (H.R. 4939). The Senate Appropriations Committee approved, 27-1, a substitute amendment to the measure on April 4. The House approved the measure on March 16 (see The Source, 3/17/06).
As approved by the committee, H.R. 4939 would allocate $106.474 billion in emergency spending for FY2006, $14.254 billion above the administration’s request, and $14.526 billion more than the amount approved by the House.
Under the bill, $67.9 billion would be provided for continuing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The measure also would include $43 million for humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan and $1.5 billion “for programs and activities to enhance and improve security, economic opportunities and political stability for the people of Iraq.”
The measure would provide $10.3 million for the Child Survival and Health Programs Fund, $5 million more than the administration’s request. The Senate Appropriations Committee report accompanying H.R. 4939 explains that the additional funding should be used to address critical health needs in Haiti. As requested by President Bush, the bill would include $10.5 million for development assistance. In addition, the Food for Peace program would receive $350 million.
H.R. 4939 also would provide $27 billion in disaster assistance for Gulf Coast areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Of that amount, $10.6 billion would be allocated for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund and $5.2 billion for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for long-term recovery efforts. The report states that no less than $1 billion should “be used for repair, rehabilitation, and reconstruction (including demolition, site clearance, and remediation of the low-income affordable housing stock, including HUD-assisted housing and public housing). None of the impacted States have focused adequately on low-income housing and the needs of low-income families. The Committee also expects that any State receiving CDBG funds under this account will use no less than the pro-rata share of those funds for low-income housing.”
The committee “commends the efforts of the Food and Nutrition Service in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and notes that FNS permitted schools in hurricane affected areas to serve all meals free to attending children until February 28, 2006. However, the Committee is concerned that the extreme devastation to schools and communities in Hurricane Katrina affected areas has left many local schools without the ability to operate a normal accountability system as required by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. Many of these schools suffered a complete loss of records, cafeteria facilities and food service equipment. Further, many of the residents of these areas are homeless, dislocated, and have lost all personal financial records. Therefore, the Committee strongly encourages the Food and Nutrition Service to give special consideration to waivers related to the operation of school meal programs in communities affected by Hurricane Katrina.”
During consideration of the bill, the committee approved the following amendments without objection:
