Hal Rogers: “this is a stripped-down version of the disaster supplemental. It is $983.6 million purely for disaster relief…”

“this is a stripped-down version of the disaster supplemental. It is $983.6 million purely for disaster relief activities. It fully funds all the anticipated Federal disaster relief activities for the balance of this year. The administration, you recollect, had requested $1.55 billion for these activities, but a portion of that request was for fiscal year 2004 activities; and because we anticipate that we will be able to complete the 2004 appropriations bill before October 1, it is not necessary to include 2004 moneys in this 2003 supplemental. All fiscal year 2004 program requirements can be accommodated in the regular 2004 bill. Severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding in the Midwest and South have taken their toll on the disaster relief fund. Combined with severe snow and ice storms this past winter and the Columbia shuttle recovery efforts, this fund will be depleted within the next 2 weeks. As of July 21, the balance in the disaster relief fund was $89 million. FEMA is currently spending at $5.7 million a day; and as expenses for Hurricane Claudette come in, obligations will jump to $6.3 million a day. That means the fund will be gone on or about August 4. FEMA has done all they can to hold expenses down. They have put all nonessential projects on hold, including all reconstruction and mitigation projects. In total, $400 million in spending is on hold.”