For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 14, 2004
Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives
Dear Mr. Speaker:
On September 6th, I submitted a supplemental request totaling $2
billion for the Department of Homeland Security for urgent needs
associated with Hurricanes Charley and Frances. The Congress' prompt
action on this request ensured that immediate response efforts to these
recent disasters would continue uninterrupted. In addition to
utilizing the supple-mental funds provided in Public Law 108-303, the
Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act, Federal
Government agencies will continue to use existing resources and
programs for response and recovery efforts.
I now ask the Congress to consider the enclosed requests, totaling
$3.1 billion, for additional emergency FY 2004 supplemental
appropriations for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human
Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, the
Interior, and Veterans Affairs, the Corps of Engineers, the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Small Business
Administration, and the Executive Office of the President.
I hereby designate these specific proposals in the amounts
requested herein as emergency requirements. As I stated in my previous
request, these additional requests will allow for a comprehensive
response and recovery effort to address the critical needs associated
with both of these hurricanes in Florida, North Carolina, South
Carolina, and other affected areas. I urge the Congress to limit this
emergency request to those items directly related to the recovery
efforts from the impact of these recent major disasters.
The details of these requests are set forth in the enclosed letter
from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Sincerely,
GEORGE W. BUSH
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