Combating Terrorism: 2001 Congressional Debate on Emergency Supplemental Allocations (CRS Report for Congress)
Premium Purchase PDF for $24.95 (67 pages)
add to cart or
subscribe for unlimited access
Pro Premium subscribers have free access to our full library of CRS reports.
Subscribe today, or
request a demo to learn more.
| Release Date |
Revised Sept. 27, 2002 |
| Report Number |
RL31187 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Amy Belasco and Larry Nowels, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
-
Premium March 20, 2002 (66 pages, $24.95)
add
|
Summary:
Within days of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon,
Congress approved a $40 billion emergency supplemental appropriations ( P.L.
107-38 / H.R. 2888 ) to aid victims of the terrorist attacks, to bolster security at airports
and other sites, to pursue the investigation and prosecution of those responsible, and to support
national security. The appropriation measure partitioned the $40 billion into three clusters. The first
$10 billion was available immediately for allocation by the President. The second $10 billion was
available 15 days after the President notified Congress about how he would distribute the funds. The
final $20 billion would be allocated within an enacted FY2002 appropriation bill.
Through notifications beginning on September 21, the Administration fully allocated the first
$20 billion over the following five months. Between February and August 2002, the White House
has made some adjustments to these earlier distributions, primarily to provide additional funds for
the Transportation Security Administration. Congress allocated the final $20 billion as a separate
title in the FY2002 Defense Department Appropriation ( P.L. 107-117 ; H.R. 3338 ),
cleared for the White House on December 20.
Of the $40 billion total, the White House proposed $21.1 billion for the Defense Department
(53%); $18.9 billion for non-defense agencies (47.3%). Among non-defense programs, recovery
activities, including debris removal, efforts to repair damaged equipment and infrastructure, and
relocation of dislocated offices and workers, would receive the largest share -- roughly $6.2 billion,
or 15% of the total. Victim relief represented an 8.3% share, or $3.3 billion, and physical security
-- for both infrastructure and aviation -- totaled about $4.1 billion or 10%. Resources to combat
bioterrorism totaled $1.6 billion, or about 4.4% of the total.
There was broad bipartisan support for the enactment of significant additional resources for
recovery and response to the September 11 terrorism attacks. Nevertheless, sharp differences
emerged as to whether the original $40 billion package was sufficient, whether the allocations
matched the most critical priorities, especially regarding homeland security needs, and whether New
York and other jurisdictions directly affected by the attacks were receiving adequate funds. Many
assumed that New York would receive about half, or $20 billion of the total emergency
supplemental. President Bush said he would veto any spending measure enacted in 2001 that went
beyond the $40 billion approved in P.L. 107-38 .
On January 10, 2002, the President signed into law P.L. 107-117 ( H.R. 3338 ), the
Defense Appropriations bill that includes the "second" $20 billion in emergency supplemental
spending for homeland security, increased defense needs, and other efforts to combat terrorism. As
enacted, P.L. 107-117 differs significantly from the plan President Bush proposed. The legislation
roughly doubles the request for bioterrorism, law enforcement, and infrastructure security activities,
while reducing by more than half the $7.3 billion proposed for defense.
