FY2010 Supplemental for Wars, Disaster Assistance, Haiti Relief, and Other Programs
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FY2010 Supplemental for Wars, Disaster Assistance, Haiti Relief, and Other Programs Amy Belasco, Coordinator Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget Daniel H. Else Specialist in National Defense Bruce R. Lindsay Analyst in Emergency Management Policy Rhoda Margesson Specialist in International Humanitarian Policy Kennon H. Nakamura Analyst in Foreign Affairs Maureen Taft-Morales Specialist in Latin American Affairs Curt Tarnoff Specialist in Foreign Affairs July 27, 2010 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R41232 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress FY2010 Supplemental for Wars, Disaster Assistance, Haiti Relief, and Other Programs Summary The Administration requested $64.0 billion in FY2010 supplemental appropriations: • $5.1 billion to replenish the U.S. Disaster Relief Fund administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); • $33 billion for the Department of Defense (DOD) primarily for deploying 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and $4.5 billion in war-related foreign aid to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan; $2.8 billion for Haiti earthquake-related reconstruction and foreign aid; • $243 million for activities related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; • $13.4 billion to compensate veterans exposed to Agent Orange; • $600 million for border security; and • $3.4 billion to settle court cases about trust claims of American Indians (Cobell) and $1.2 billion for discrimination claims of black farmers (Pigford II). Much of the debate about this year’s supplemental focused on the effect on the deficit of additional spending. Under budget rules, Congress does not offset spending that is designated as emergency. So much of the debate has focused on what types of spending are appropriately emergency spending, and offsetting non-emergency spending. Offsets can come from either rescissions, which cancel prior year budget authority (BA), and then apply that BA to new spending, reducing the amount of new budget authority required, or mandatory program savings. On March 23, 2010, the House passed H.R. 4899, the Disaster Relief and Summer Jobs Act with $5.1 billion to replenish FEMA’s Disaster Assistance Fund, $600 million for a Labor Department summer jobs program, offset by $600 million in rescissions so that the bill required $5.1 billion in new budget authority (BA). On May 26, 2010, the House Appropriations Committee (HAC) scheduled a markup of a draft bill with $84.8 billion in new BA, but that markup was cancelled. On May 27, the Senate passed its version of H.R. 4899 by a vote of 67-28, with $59.9 billion in funding for disaster assistance, war funding, Haiti relief, and new VA benefits, with no additional domestic spending, and without the $4 billion for the two court cases, which was earlier but is no longer included in H.R. 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010. With rescissions, the Senate version required $58.9 billion in new budget authority. On July 1, 2010, the House passed its amended version of the bill with $81.8 billion including funds for disaster assistance, wars, Haiti relief, preventing teacher layoffs, agricultural and energy loans, and Pell Grants in discretionary spending as well as mandatory funding for new VA benefits and the two court cases. With $12.2 billion in rescissions and 10-year savings of $4.5 billion in mandatory savings over 10 years from lower government drug prices, that bill would require $65.1 billion in new BA. On July 22, 2010, after a cloture vote in the Senate failed by 46 to 51, the House July-amended version was sent back to the House. The House is now considering the Senate May version of the bill under suspension of the rules on July 27, 2010. The Defense Department, the State Department, FEMA, and the court plaintiffs have all cited funding deadlines but there may be flexibility in these dates. Relying on all available funding, DOD may cover its war costs until sometime in August. Congressional Research Service FY2010 Supplemental for Wars, Disaster Assistance, Haiti Relief, and Other Programs Contents Most Recent Developments.........................................................................................................1 Highlights of Congressional Action.............................................................................................2 Comparison of House July and Senate May Versions of H.R. 4899........................................2 Chief Differences in Funding ..........................................................................................3 Chief Differences in Offsets and Savings.........................................................................3 Procedures and Debate on House July-Amended Version of H.R. 4899............................7 Overview, Deadlines, and Potential Issues...................................................................................7 Budget Rules and Supplemental Requests .............................................................................9 Potential Deadlines .............................................................................................................10 Dedicated Funds for Coast Guard Oil Spill Response Activities Could Run Out in Mid-June ...................................................................................................................10 Defense Department Deadline Could Be Sometime in August 2010............................... 11 FEMA Limits Disaster Assistance to Extend Deadline...................................................12 State Department Disaster Funding May Run Low by June ...........................................12 Deadline for Funding Court Settlements Uncertain........................................................13 Potential Issues: Emergency Designations, Timelines and Effectiveness ..............................13 Federal Emergency Management Agency Request...............................................................13 Potential Issues ...................................................................................................................14 Regular vs. Emergency Budgeting for Disasters ............................................................14 Justifying Current Estimate ...........................................................................................15 Other Disaster Assistance..............................................................................................15 Congressional Action on U.S. Disaster Assistance Request..................................................16 War-Related Supplemental Requests .........................................................................................16 Department of Defense War Funding Request .....................................................................17 Increases in U.S., NATO Troops, and Afghan Security Forces .......................................17 DOD Request Shifts Bulk of War Funding to Afghanistan.............................................19 Timeline for U.S. Military’s Role in Afghanistan...........................................................20 Most of DOD’s Request Is for Afghanistan....................................................................21 Questions May Be Raised About Per Troop Costs .........................................................21 Funds to Accelerate Training Afghan Security Forces....................................................24 Whether Some of DOD’s Request Could Be Funded in the Regular Bill........................27 Congressional Action on the Defense Request...............................................................28 More Spending for Bases in Afghanistan Raises Questions of Permanency and Execution.........................................................................................................................30 Building to Fight vs. Building to Stay: Congressional Restrictions.................................32 “Permanent Stationing” and “Long-term Presence” .......................................................34 Higher Funding and DOD’s Proposed Legislative Change.............................................34 Execution Issues ...........................................................................................................35 Congressional Action on the Defense Basing Request ...................................................36 War-Related Foreign Aid and Diplomatic Operations ..........................................................37 Congressional Action on War-Related Foreign Aid..............................................................37 Afghanistan ..................................................................................................................39 Congressional Action on the Afghanistan Request .........................................................42 Iraq...............................................................................................................................43 Congressional Action on the Iraq Request .....................................................................44 Pakistan ........................................................................................................................45 Congressional Research Service FY2010 Supplemental for Wars, Disaster Assistance, Haiti Relief, and Other Programs Congressional Action on the Pakistan Request...............................................................46 Haiti FY2010 Supplemental Proposal........................................................................................46