FEMA supplemental request may reach Congress Monday

The White House could send a $1.9 billion supplemental request to Capitol Hill for disaster relief funding as early as Monday, a House Appropriations Committee spokesman said.

OMB officials informed committee aides this week of the fiscal 2003 request, which would provide the Federal Emergency Management Agency with $1.6 billion plus $300 million earmarked for emergency firefighting activities. The measure could be attached to one of the bills moving out of committee next week, although no decisions have been made, the spokesman said.

Rep. Norman Dicks, D-Wash., tried unsuccessfully to attach an extra $550 million to fight wildfires to the fiscal 2004 Interior spending bill last week. House Appropriations Chairman C.W. (Bill) Young, R-Fla., backs additional disaster relief funds, but refrained from supporting amendments in committee due to GOP leadership and conservative opposition. "The money needs to be offset," a conservative GOP aide said, although the Appropriations spokesman said no plans to make cuts elsewhere have been made.

Senate aides also said this week that fiscal 2003 disaster relief money could be attached to one of the fiscal 2004 spending bills moving rapidly through that chamber as a "supplemental chapter." Both chambers have a busy schedule next week, as congressional leaders are trying to complete work on spending bills before the August recess.

An OMB spokesman would not comment on the supplemental proposal, although the White House has indicated support for additional funds to contend with catastrophic weather conditions in parts of the country as well as the recent wildfire outbreak in the West. Meanwhile, OMB announced Wednesday that President Bush has nominated Joel Kaplan, currently a special assistant to the president, to be OMB's deputy director, serving under new OMB Director Joshua Bolten.