Order Code RL33226
Emergency Supplemental Appropriations
Legislation for Disaster Assistance:
Summary Data
Updated May 21, 2008
Justin Murray
Information Research Specialist
Knowledge Services Group
Keith Bea
Specialist, American National Government
Government and Finance Division
Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Legislation
for Disaster Assistance: Summary Data
Summary
This report provides summary information on emergency supplemental
appropriations enacted after major disasters since 1989. During the 20-year span
from FY1989 through the present, Congress appropriated more than $213 billion for
disaster assistance (almost $243 billion in constant 2008 dollars). Most of the
appropriations were preceded by a presidential request for supplemental funding.
Some appropriations have been offset by rescissions.
The most recent and costly disasters occurred in the summer of 2005 when
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma made landfall in Gulf Coast states. Since
Hurricane Katrina struck in August of 2005, as of the end of calendar year 2007,
more than $123 billion has been appropriated for supplemental disaster funding, most
of it needed for the recovery from the 2005 hurricanes. Portions of the appropriations
were offset by rescinding more than $34 billion in previously appropriated funds,
explained in the section titled “Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.”
Prior to FY2005 and the hurricanes, only the terrorist attacks of 2001 led to
supplemental appropriations legislation that exceeded $20 billion. Congress
appropriated a total of more than $26 billion for disaster assistance in response to the
attacks. Other supplemental appropriations legislation enacted after catastrophic
disasters (or several significant disasters that occurred in short time intervals) range
from almost $366 million in FY2001 before the terrorist attacks (largely due to the
Nisqually earthquake in the summer of 2001) to more than $12 billion for the
Midwest floods of 1993 and the Northridge earthquake of 1994.
At times, the supplementals enacted by Congress have included only disaster
funding. The supplementals enacted after Hurricane Hugo and the Loma Prieta
earthquake, in addition to the first two enacted after Hurricane Katrina, serve as
examples. On other occasions, however, disaster funding has been part of larger
pieces of legislation that appropriated funds for purposes other than disaster
assistance. In the latter category of statutes, disaster funding ranges from less than
1% (wildfires and Hurricane Isabel, FY2004) to almost 90% of the total
appropriations (Oklahoma City bombing of 2005).
The most recent congressional action providing supplemental disaster assistance
occurred on November 13, 2007, when the President signed into law P.L. 110-116,
the FY2008 Department of Defense Appropriations Act. Division B of the
conference report (H.Rept. 110-434) contains supplemental appropriations providing
a total of $6.355 billion in disaster related funding.
This report will be updated as events warrant to reflect any additional
supplemental disaster assistance appropriations enacted into public law in the 110th
Congress.
Contents
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Selected CRS Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
List of Tables
Table 1. Presidential Requests and Appropriations, Emergency Appropriations
for Disaster Assistance, FY1989 to Present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Table 2. FY2005-Present Supplemental Disaster Appropriations After
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Table 3. Rescissions and Offsets, P.L. 109-148 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Emergency Supplemental Appropriations
Legislation for Disaster Assistance:
Summary Data
Overview
Since FY1989, Congress has appropriated $213 billion for disaster assistance
in 32 appropriations measures, primarily supplemental appropriations acts, after
significant catastrophes occurred in the United States.1 The median annual funding
during the 20-year period FY1989 through the present was $2.5 billion; the mean
annual funding was $10.7 billion ($213 billion/20) — both in current dollars. The
mean funding in current dollars for all 32 enacted emergency supplemental bills was
$6.7 billion ($213 billion/32).2 Disasters during 2001 and 2005 were especially
costly. In FY2001 and FY2002, supplemental appropriations for disaster assistance
exceeded $26 billion, most of which went toward recovery following the terrorist
attacks of September 11, 2001. In FY2005 and FY2006, after Hurricanes Katrina,
Rita, and Wilma struck in 2005, supplemental appropriations for disaster assistance
reached an all-time high of $117.5 billion — roughly 55% of the total appropriated
for disaster assistance for the entire period.
Since the start of the 110th Congress, the President has signed into law two
measures, P.L. 110-28 and P.L. 110-116, primarily to appropriate funds for the war
in Iraq. These two statutes together provided roughly $14 billion in supplemental
appropriations for disaster relief and recovery. P.L. 110-28, signed on May 25, 2007,
included an appropriation of $7.6 billion for disaster assistance, $3.4 billion of which
was classified as “Hurricane Katrina Recovery.”3 P.L. 110-116, signed into law on
November 13, 2007, provided a total of $6.355 billion for continued recovery efforts
1 This amount does not include disaster assistance funding made available through regular
annual appropriations legislation (with one exception in FY2000 after Hurricane Floyd) or
funding enacted for agricultural disasters. For information on emergency agricultural
funding, see CRS Report RL31095, Emergency Funding for Agriculture: A Brief History
of Supplemental Appropriations, FY1989-FY2008, by Ralph Chite.
2 Mean annual funding reflects the total funding for the period divided by 20, representing
each of the 20 fiscal years in FY1989-FY2008. The mean funding for the set of all of the
enacted bills reflects the total funding for the period divided by the total number of 32
enacted measures.
3 Congress appropriated the $3.4 billion to the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) administered by
the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). While the appropriation is classified
as “Title II - Hurricane Katrina Recovery,” (121 Stat. 131), DRF money may be used for any
major disaster or emergency declared by the President. For more information on the DRF
and FEMA authority see CRS Report RL33053, Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance:
Presidential Declarations, Eligible Activities, and Funding, by Keith Bea.
CRS-2
related to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, and for other declared major disasters
or emergencies. This total includes $500 million for firefighting expenses related to
2007 California wildfires.
This report provides summary information on emergency supplemental
appropriations legislation enacted since 1989 after significant catastrophes. It
includes funds appropriated to the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) administered by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as well as funds appropriated to
other departments and agencies.4 This report uses a broad concept of what constitutes
emergency disaster assistance. The funds cited in this report include appropriations
for disaster relief, repair of federal facilities, and hazard mitigation activities directed
at reducing the impact of future disasters. DRF appropriations are obligated for all
major disasters and emergencies issued under the Stafford Act,5 not only those
significant events that lead to supplemental appropriations. Counterterrorism, law
enforcement, and national security appropriations are not included in this
compilation. Unless otherwise noted, this report does not take into account
rescissions approved by Congress after funds have been appropriated for disaster
assistance.
As reflected in Table 1 below, supplemental appropriations have been enacted
as stand-alone legislation. However, in some instances, emergency disaster relief
funding has been enacted as part of regular appropriations measures, continuing
appropriations acts (continuing resolutions), or in omnibus appropriations legislation.
Requested funding levels noted in the third column of Table 1 reflect House
Appropriations Committee data on total requested funding for the entire enacted bill.
Where possible, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) data taken from
correspondence to Congress requesting emergency supplemental funding are used to
identify dates of Administration requests for supplemental funding.6
4 Disaster relief funding allocated in P.L. 107-117 is not included in Table 1 because it was
an allocation of funding appropriated in P.L. 107-38. The majority of federal emergency
assistance funding listed in this report was provided through the Disaster Relief Fund. More
information on the emergency funding provided to the DRF appears in CRS Report
RL33053, Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance: Presidential Declarations, Eligible
Activities, and Funding, by Keith Bea.
5 The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121 et
seq.
6 The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Website on Supplementals, Amendments,
and Releases [http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/amendments.htm] contains a list of
the presidential submission transmittals from calendar year 2007 to the present. Prior fiscal
year submissions are available by clicking on the highlighted text at the bottom of the page,
see “click here to view prior year supplementals, amendments and releases.”
CRS-3
Table 1. Presidential Requests and Appropriations, Emergency
Appropriations for Disaster Assistance, FY1989 to Present
(dollars in thousands)
Total
Emergency Assistance
Emergency
Administration
Date Signed into
Disaster Event and Date of
Appropriation in
Funding and Percentage
Assistance
Fiscal Year
Request, by Date
Law and P.L.
Major Disaster Declaration a
Current Year
of Appropriation
Funding in
and Amount b
Number
Dollars
Current Year Dollars
FY2008 Dollars
c
2008
Hurricane Katrina & California
November 13, 2007
$467,728,563d
$6,355,000
$6,355,000
Wildfires 2007
P.L. 110-116
1.4%
2007
Hurricane Katrina
Feb. 5, 2007
May 25, 2007
$120,000,000
$7,679,000
$7,827,377
Aug. 29, 2005
$3,400,000
P.L. 110-28
6.4%
2006
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma
Feb. 16, 2006
June 15, 2006
$94,520,000
$19,340,000
$20,241,969
Aug. - Sept. 2005
$19,800,000
P.L. 109-234
20.4%
2006
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma
Oct. 28, 2005
Dec. 30, 2005
$453,500,000
$29,046,985
$30,401,663
Aug. - Sept. 2005
$17,100,000 e
P.L. 109-148
6.4%
2005
Hurricane Katrina
Sept. 7, 2005
Sept. 8, 2005
$51,800,000
$51,800,000
$56,010,186
Aug. 29, 2005
$51,800,000
P.L. 109-62
100%
2005
Hurricane Katrina
Sept. 1, 2005
Sept. 2, 2005
$10,500,000
$10,500,000
$11,353,416
Aug. 29, 2005
$10,500,000
P.L. 109-61
100%
2005
Hurricanes Ivan, Jeanne
Sept. 14, 2004
Oct. 13, 2004
$14,500,000
$11,103,887
$12,006,386
Sept. 1, 2004
$3,100,000
P.L. 108-324
76.6%
2004
Hurricanes Charley, Frances
Sept. 6, 2004
Sept. 8, 2004
$2,000,000
$2,000,000
$2,231,868
Sept. 1, 2004
$2,000,000
P.L. 108-303
100%
CRS-4
Total
Emergency Assistance
Emergency
Administration
Date Signed into
Disaster Event and Date of
Appropriation in
Funding and Percentage
Assistance
Fiscal Year
Request, by Date
Law and P.L.
Major Disaster Declaration a
Current Year
of Appropriation
Funding in
and Amount b
Number
Dollars
Current Year Dollars
FY2008 Dollars
2004
Wildfires
f
Aug. 8, 2004
$417,500,000
$500,000
$557,967
various dates
P.L. 108-287
0.12%
2004
Hurricane Isabel
$87,000,000
Nov. 6, 2003
$87,500,000
$813,000
$907,254
Sept. 18, 2003
Sept. 17, 2003 g
P.L. 108-106
0.93%
2003
Storms
July 7, 2003
Sept. 30, 2003
$3,500,000
$820,700
$939,683
various 2003 dates
(continued from
P.L. 108-83
23.4%
$1,900,000 request
below)
2003
Tornadoes
July 7, 2003
Aug. 8, 2003
$983,600
$983,600
$1,126,200
May 6, 2003
$1,900,000
P.L. 108-69
100%
2002
Terrorist attacks
Mar. 21, 2002
Aug. 2, 2002
$26,600,000
$6,167,600
$7,204,599
Sept. 11, 2001
$27,100,000
P.L. 107-206
23.2%
2001
Terrorist attacks
Sept. 12, 2001
Sept. 18, 2001
$40,000,000 h
$20,000,000
$23,810,082
Sept. 11, 2001
$20,000,000
P.L. 107-38
50%
i
2001
Nisqually Earthquake
July 24, 2001
$8,980,000
$365,700
$435,367
P.L. 107-20
4.9%
2000
Hurricane Floyd
Sept. 21, 1999
Oct. 20, 1999
$99,500,000
$2,480,425
$3,022,646
Sept. 16, 1999
$97,500 j
P.L. 106-74
2.5%
k
1999
Tornadoes
May 21, 1999
$13,100,000
$1,296,723
$1,612,106
various dates
P.L. 106-31
9.9%
CRS-5
Total
Emergency Assistance
Emergency
Administration
Date Signed into
Disaster Event and Date of
Appropriation in
Funding and Percentage
Assistance
Fiscal Year
Request, by Date
Law and P.L.
Major Disaster Declaration a
Current Year
of Appropriation
Funding in
and Amount b
Number
Dollars
Current Year Dollars
FY2008 Dollars
1999
Hurricanes Georges, Bonnie
$7,780,000 l
Oct. 21, 1998
$21,000,000
$1,830,977
$2,276,299
flooding
P.L. 105-277
8.7%
various dates
1998
El Niño floods
Mar. 24, 1998
May 1, 1998
$6,006,000
$2,602,173
$3,277,528
Feb. 9, 1998
$22,560,000
P.L. 105-174
43.3%
1997
Dakotas flooding
Mar. 19, 1997
June 12, 1997
$9,163,000
$5,863,883
$7,475,393
Apr. 7, 1997
$3,480,000
P.L. 105-18
64%
m
1995
Oklahoma City bombing
July 27, 1995
$7,453,000
$6,599,531
$8,724,440
Apr. 25, 1995
P.L. 104-19
88.6%
1995
Northridge Earthquake,
$90,100,000 n
Sept. 28, 1994
$90,100,000
$417,500 o
$551,926
Tropical Storm Alberto
P.L. 103-327
0.46%
various dates
1994
Midwest floods, CA fires, and
Sept. 28, 1994
Feb. 12, 1994
$11,535,000
$8,837,952
$11,929,473
Northridge earthquake
$11,430,000
P.L. 103-211
76.6%
Jan. 17, 1994
1993
Midwest floods
July 14, 1993
Aug. 12, 1993
$4,411,000
$3,494,750
$4,818,627
June 11, 1993
$3,980,000
P.L. 103-75
79.2%
p
1993
Hurricanes Andrew, Iniki
July 2, 1993
$3,500,000
$52,345
$72,174
various dates
P.L. 103-50
1.5%
CRS-6
Total
Emergency Assistance
Emergency
Administration
Date Signed into
Disaster Event and Date of
Appropriation in
Funding and Percentage
Assistance
Fiscal Year
Request, by Date
Law and P.L.
Major Disaster Declaration a
Current Year
of Appropriation
Funding in
and Amount b
Number
Dollars
Current Year Dollars
FY2008 Dollars
1992
Hurricanes Andrew, Iniki
Sept. 8, 1992
Sept. 23, 1992
$12,775,00
$5,767,116
$8,132,154
Aug. 24, 1992
$6,530,000
P.L. 102-368
45.1%
q
1992
L.A. riots/Chicago flood
June 22, 1992
$1,191,000
$ 469,650
$662,249
various dates
P.L. 102-302
39.4%
1992
Hurricane Bob
June 28, 1991
Dec. 12, 1991
$6,849,000
$943,000
$1,329,715
various dates
$693,000
P.L.102-229
13.8%
r
1990
Hurricane Hugo/Exxon Valdez
May 25, 1990
$4,300,000
$670,412
$1,005,494
various dates
P.L. 101-302
15.6%
s
1990
Hurricane Hugo
Oct. 26, 1989
$ 2,850,000
$2,850,000
$4,274,474
Loma Prieta Earthquake
P.L. 101-130
100%
Oct. 18, 1989
t
1989
Hurricane Hugo
Sept. 29, 1989
$1,108,000
$1,108,000
$1,723,524
Sept. 20, 1989
P.L. 101-100
100%
1989
Fires on federal lands
June 30, 1989
$3,564,000
$348,969
$542,831
u
various dates
P.L. 101-45
9.8%
Total
$2,096,565,163
$213,108,878
$242,840,070
Sources: Supplemental funding totals based on compiled CRS data on emergency appropriations after disasters, FY1989 - FY2008. Other supplemental funding totals obtained from Congressional Budget
Office (CBO) Supplemental Appropriations series, including “CBO Data on Supplemental Budget Authority for the 2000s” at [http://cbo.gov/ftpdocs/66xx/doc6630/SuppApprop.pdf].
CRS-7
Totals for Administration requests were obtained from OMB correspondence to Congress and from the House Appropriations Committee Budget Estimates volumes, Table VIIIa. Editions for recent
Congresses through the 107th are on the Government Printing Office GPO Access Congressional Documents site at [http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/cdocuments/budgets.html].
FY2008 dollar conversions were calculated using GDP Chained Price Index data in Table 10.1, FY2009 budget Historical Tables volume.
a. Data in this column represent the date the President issued a major disaster declaration for the disaster that appeared to be the primary catalyst for the supplemental appropriations legislation. In a series
of disasters (such as the Midwest floods of 1993) this date represents the first of several declarations associated with that particular disaster. In some instances, identifying which disasters were
primarily associated with consideration of the supplemental appropriations was not possible.
b. Data in this column represent the date the President submitted a request to Congress for supplemental funds. In some instances, funding was not requested by the White House but was included by
Congress in appropriations measures.
c. Supplemental funding was added to the Conference Report of the FY2008 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, P.L. 110-116, in Division B of the report. Disaster funding
included FEMA Disaster Relief Funding, further Housing and Urban Development assistance funding, and wildland fire fighting provisions. See also Division B of P.L. 110-116,
121 Stat. 1342-1343.
d. On page 487 of the conference report, H.Rept. 110-443 for P.L. 110-116, total Department of Defense budget authority is listed at $460,303,497. Also per the conference agreement, Division B
provided non-Defense budget authority of $7,728,563,200 bringing the total budget authority for the measure for the purposes of this table to $467,728,563,200. Division B contains additional
disaster and non-disaster funding as follows: a total $6.355 billion for FEMA Disaster Relief funding, Housing and Urban Development funding for the Road Home project, Forest Service and
Bureau of Land Management funding for Wildland Fire Management, $165,200 for the traditional payment to the heirs of the late Jo Ann Davis, and $1,025,398,000 for the Census Bureau’s Periodic
Censuses and Programs account.
e. On October 28, 2005, the President submitted to Congress a request to “reallocate” $17.1 billion previously appropriated for FEMA. See [http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/
amendments/rescission_package_10_28_05.pdf]. Congress modified this request by redirecting roughly $12 billion to the request in provisions in P.L. 109-148, the FY2006 Department of Defense
Appropriations Act. Because Congress appropriated the rescinded funds, the funding is considered supplemental appropriations for the purpose of this report, even though some might contend
that this does not represent an additional cost to the Treasury. The President also submitted that same day a budget amendment that sought the rescission of “$2.3 billion from lower-priority federal
p r o g r a ms a n d e x c e s s fu n d s . ” S ee E xecu t i ve O ffi ce o f t h e P r e s i d e n t , O f f i c e o f M a n a g e me n t a n d B u d g e t , “ E s t i ma t e N o . 1 4 , ” a t
[http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/amendments/rescission_package_10_28_05.pdf].
f. FY2004 supplemental funds to meet wildfire suppression requirements were included in the FY2005 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, P.L. 108-287. For more information on the statute,
see CRS Report RL32783, FY2005 Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan, Tsunami Relief, and Other Activities, by Amy Belasco and Larry Nowels.
g. The President submitted a supplemental request of $87 billion for ongoing military operations and for reconstruction assistance in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. During conference on H.R. 3289
(P.L. 108-106, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense and for the Reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan Act, 2004), $500 million for FEMA for disaster relief for Hurricane
Isabel and the California wildfires was added to the legislation, bringing the total enacted funding for P.L. 108-106 to $87.5 billion.
h. P.L. 107-117 allocated funds appropriated in P.L. 107-38, which was enacted shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Under P.L. 107-38, $20 billion was available immediately, whereas
the remaining $20 billion became available when allocated in P.L. 107-117, enacted on January 10, 2002. Of the second half of the $40 billion, $11.579 billion was provided for emergency disaster
assistance.
i. An OMB supplemental request for the Nisqually earthquake could not be identified.
j. The appropriations associated with Hurricane Floyd were not supplemental appropriations but were incorporated into the regular FY2000 appropriations legislation, P.L. 106-74, Department of Veterans
Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000. These data are included because Congress increased FY2000 DRF funding primarily in response
to Hurricane Floyd.
CRS-8
k. The initial Administration request of $687 million was submitted on February 16, 1999 (see discussion in H.Rept. 106-064, p. 7) for relief funding for Hurricanes Georges and Bonnie. However,
additional emergency disaster funding was later sought to address tornado damage and other natural disasters during 1999.
l. Emergency relief funding for flooding caused by Hurricanes Georges and Bonnie was included in P.L. 105-277, the FY2000 Consolidated Appropriations Act.
m. P.L. 103-211 provided $11.53 billion in DRF appropriations largely in response to the Northridge earthquake in California. See White House press release from FEMA Director James Lee Witt, Jan.
12, 1995, at [http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/archives/whitehouse-papers/1995/Jan/1995-01-12-fema-director-witt-on-california-flood-relief.text], visited, Feb. 27, 2007. Administration supplemental
request correspondence to Congress for subsequent funding for Northridge and Oklahoma City could not be identified.
n. An OMB supplemental request or requested Administration funding level for Tropical Storm Alberto could not be identified. Tropical Storm Alberto disaster funding was included in P.L. 103-327,
the FY1995 Department of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act.
o. The CBO scored supplemental funding as $357.0 million.
p. An OMB supplemental request for Hurricanes Andrew and Iniki could not be identified.
q. An OMB supplemental request for the Los Angeles riots and Chicago flood could not be identified.
r. An OMB supplemental request for Hurricane Hugo and the Exxon Valdez incident could not be identified.
s. No OMB request for this funding could be identified. Disaster funding in P.L. 101-130 was enacted as a continuing resolution, which amended the previous continuing resolution enacted as P.L. 101-100
to extend its provision until November 15, 1989.
t. No request could be identified.
u. An OMB supplemental request for the 1989 fires on federal lands or the requested Administration funding level could not be identified.
CRS-9
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma
In response to the widespread destruction caused by three catastrophic
hurricanes at the end of the summer of 2005, the 109th Congress enacted four
emergency supplemental appropriations bills.
Two of the statutes were enacted as FY2005 supplementals after Hurricane
Katrina devastated parts of Florida and Alabama and resulted in presidential major
disaster declarations for all jurisdictions in Louisiana and Mississippi. The two
supplementals (P.L. 109-61 and P.L. 109-62) together provided $62.3 billion for
emergency response and recovery needs; most of the funding in these two bills was
provided for the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) administered by FEMA.
After Hurricanes Rita and Wilma struck, the 109th Congress enacted two other
supplementals; the costs of both were offset by rescissions. The FY2006
appropriations legislation for the Department of Defense (P.L. 109-148) rescinded
roughly $34 billion in funds previously appropriated (almost 70% of which was taken
from funds previously appropriated to the Department of Homeland Security) and
appropriated $29 billion to other accounts primarily to pay for the restoration of
federal facilities damaged by the hurricanes.7 Also in FY2006, Congress agreed to
an Administration request for further funding — $19.3 billion was appropriated in
supplemental legislation (P.L. 109-234) for recovery assistance, with roughly $64
million rescinded from two accounts ($15 million from flood control, Corps of
Engineers, and $49.5 million from Navy Reserve construction, Department of
Defense). On May 25, 2007, the President signed into law P.L. 110-28, which
appropriated $120 billion in emergency supplemental funding for Iraq, Afghanistan,
and other matters, including $6.9 billion for continued Gulf Coast relief. The
measure was a successor to previous emergency supplemental legislation in the 110th
Congress, H.R. 1591, vetoed by the President on May 1, 2007. This was the fifth
supplemental measure enacted containing disaster assistance specifically provided
in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The sixth supplemental measure enacted
as part of P.L. 110-116 on November 13, 2007, provided an additional $5.9 billion
for emergency assistance, most, but not all of which, can be attributed to the Gulf
Coast recovery. The $3 billion appropriated for Department of Housing and Urban
Development — Community Planning and Development Fund can only be used for
the Louisiana Road Home program. However, the $2.9 billion appropriated for the
Disaster Relief Fund can be used not only for the Gulf Coast but for other declared
disasters as well.
As a result, after enactment of P.L. 110-116, the total amount appropriated by
Congress in supplemental funding after the 2005 hurricanes surpassed the $123
billion mark.8 Table 2 provides information on the appropriations made in the six
7 In requests to Congress, President Bush termed the sequence of events as a “reallocation”
of funds.
8 Table 1 figures in this report indicate appropriations for all disaster relief not just
hurricane related assistance, which is approximately $7.7 billion in P.L. 110-28 and $6.355
billion in P.L. 110-116. Table 2 figures in this report indicate appropriations for Gulf Coast
(continued...)
CRS-10
supplementals enacted after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Table 3 identifies
the departments and agencies from which funds were rescinded in P.L. 109-148.
In addition to these rescissions and appropriations, Congress enacted other
funding changes by transferring $712 million from FEMA to the Small Business
Administration for disaster loans (P.L. 109-174).
8 (...continued)
relief in response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma of approximately $6.9 billion in
P.L. 110-28, and $5.9 billion in P.L. 110-116.
CRS-11
Table 2. FY2005-Present Supplemental Disaster Appropriations After Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma
(thousands of current dollars)
FY2005
FY2006
FY2007
FY2008
Department
P.L. 109-61 P.L. 109-62 P.L. 109-148
P.L. 109-234
P.L. 110 -28
P.L. 110-116
Agriculture
$1,183,000
a $152,000
Commerce
$55,000
$150,000
$110,000
Defense-Military
$500,000
$1,400,000
$5,754,000
b$1,488,000
Defense-Civil/Corps of Engineers
$400,000
$2,900,000
c$3,686,000
$1,433,000
Education and related agencies
$1,600,000
$285,000
$60,000
Health and Human Services
$640,000
$12,000
Homeland Security
$10,000,000 $50,000,000
$285,000
$6,662,000
$4,110,000
$2,900,000
Housing and Urban Development
$11,890,000
$5,200,000
$7,000
$3,000,000
d
Interior
$70,000
$256,000
$10,000
Justice
$229,000
$9,000
$50,000
Labor
$125,000
$16,000
Transportation
$2,798,000
e $702,000
$906,020
Veterans Affairs
$658,000
$586,000
$14,500
Agencies
Armed Forces Retirement Home
$176,000
Corporation for National and Community Service
$10,000
Environmental Protection Agency
$8,000
$13,000
General Services Administration
$38,000
$37,000
Historically Black Colleges Capital Financing
$15,000
National Aeronautics and Space Admin.
$350,000
$35,000
$20,000
The Judiciary
$18,000
Small Business Administration
$446,000
$542,000
$181,070
Total
$10,500,000 $51,800,000
$29,047,000
$19,300,000
$6,901,590
$5,900,000
Grand Total
$123,448,590
Source: CRS calculations from amounts presented in P.L. 109-61, P.L. 109-62, P.L. 109-148, P.L. 109-234, P.L. 110-28, P.L. 110-116.
a. Does not include authority for $500 million in direct assistance to be drawn from the Commodity Credit Corporation, authorized in Title III of P.L. 109-234.
b. Includes rescissions and military construction accounts.
c. Includes rescissions.
d. In Division B of P.L. 110-116, 121 Stat. 1342-1343, section 157 provides $329 million for Forest Service Wildland Fire Management and $171 million for Bureau of Land
Management Wildland Fire Management. This funding is not included in Table 2 above since the funding was for wildland firefighting activities and not related to Gulf Coast
hurricane relief and recovery.
e. Department of Transportation funds derived from Highway Trust Fund rescission.
CRS-12
Table 3. Rescissions and Offsets, P.L. 109-148
(thousands of dollars)
Department or Agency
Amount Rescinded or Offset
Department of Agriculture
$66,100
Department of Defense
$80,000
Export-Import Bank
$25,000
Department of Homeland Security
$23,669,833
Department of the Interior
$3,500
Department of Commerce
$7,000
Department of State
$30,000
Department of Transportation
$1,143,000
Government-widea
$9,045,998
Total
$34,070,431
Source: CRS calculation of rescissions and offsets presented in Division B, Title III, conference
report H.Rept. 109-359 to accompany H.R. 2863.
a. Data for the 1% rescission obtained from Letter from Joshua Bolten, Director, Office of
Management and Budget, to Senator Thad Cochran, Chairman, Senate Appropriations
Committee, Feb. 8, 2006, at [http://www.cq.com/flatfiles/editorialFiles/budgetTracker/
reference/docs/20060213omboneperc.pdf].
Selected CRS Reports
CRS Report RL33330. Community Development Block Grant Funds in Disaster
Relief and Recovery, by Eugene Boyd.
CRS Report RL33999. Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations, by Pat
Towell, Stephen Daggett, and Amy Belasco.
CRS Report RL33053. Federal Stafford Act Disaster Assistance: Presidential
Declarations, Eligible Activities, and Funding, by Keith Bea.
CRS Report RL33900. FY2007 Supplemental Appropriations for Defense, Foreign
Affairs, and Other Purposes, by Stephen Daggett, Amy Belasco, Pat Towell,
Susan Epstein, Connie Veillette, Curt Tarnoff, and Rhoda Margesson.