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Summary:
On February 14, 2005, President Bush submitted an $81.9 billion supplemental appropriation request for FY2005 (subsequently amended to total $82.04 billion) to provide funds for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the "global war on terror," reconstruction in Afghanistan, Tsunami relief and rehabilitation, and other activities. As the fifth supplemental of the Bush Administration to focus on the "global war on terrorism" and homeland security, these supplemental funds for FY2005 would be in addition to the $25.7 billion received in August 2004 as part of the FY2005 DOD Appropriations Act to cover war-related costs for the initial months of the fiscal year (P.L. 108-287). The Administration's request includes $74.96 billion for the Department of Defense, $5.6 billion for reconstruction and other foreign aid, $950 million for Tsunami relief, and $770 million for other activities. If enacted as an emergency appropriation, as requested, the funds would not be subject to limits in annual budget resolutions but would add to the size of the U.S. budget deficit. Taking into account the funds already provided, DOD's request would bring its FY2005 total appropriation to about $100 billion, which is over 45% higher than the amount provided in the FY2004 supplemental (P.L. 108-106). While OMB Director Joshua Bolten argues that the request is an emergency supplemental for "known and urgent requirements," that cannot be met with existing funds, some Members have questioned whether this characterization fits some elements in the request. Some have questioned whether the $5 billion requested in the supplemental by the Defense Department for the Army's initiative to re-organize Army units is an unanticipated emergency request since it was announced in the fall of 2003; others argue that the initiative is a war-related expense because it is expected to relieve war-induced stress on Army forces. For foreign aid and Iraq diplomatic facilities, the issue is whether the requests represent true emergencies or could wait for later consideration. If not dealt with in the FY2005 supplemental under an "emergency" designation, however, these foreign policy items could be added to the pending FY2006 international affairs appropriation bills and would place additional pressure on the Administration to defend an already sizable foreign policy increase proposed for next year. Another controversial issue is the Administration's proposal to place policy authority and control of funding with the Defense Department rather than the State Department to train and equip Afghan and Iraqi security forces. The Administration is also requesting $400 million for contingency funds related to the war on terror and $200 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority, both of which have raised concerns. The House passed H.R. 1268 on March 16, approving $81.4 billion in supplemental funding. The Senate bill, reported on April 6, provides $80.6 billion. This report will be updated to reflect legislative action.
