Appropriations Bills

WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be required to provide detailed information on how it is spending Katrina Disaster relief funds under a provision accepted today by House and Senate conferees.

“The American public is rightly concerned about the potential for waste fraud and abuse in the billions of dollars being spent on Hurricane Katrina relief,” said David R. Obey (D-WI), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee. “The reports DHS has been sending up tell us little or nothing about how taxpayer dollars are being spent. We need accountability and having more detailed reports is a good first step. It is unfortunate that this administration has to be forced to explain to the American people how it is spending their money.”

DHS is required to send Congress weekly reports on how Katrina Disaster funds are being spent. However, the first two such reports sent to Congress were impossibly vague.

The Obey provision requires the reports include:

• detailed information on each allocation, obligation, or expenditure that totals more than $50,000,000, categorized by increments of not larger than $50,000,000 including the purpose; whether the work will be performed by a governmental agency or a contractor; and, if the work is to be performed by a contractor, the name of the contractor, the type of contract let, and whether the contract is sole-source, full and open competition, or limited competition.
• the amount of credit card purchases by agency and mission assignment;
• obligations, allocations, and expenditures, categorized by agency, by State, and for New Orleans, and by purpose and mission assignment;
• status of the Disaster Relief Fund; and
• specific reasons for all waivers granted and a description of each waiver.

On September 14^th, Obey and Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, sent a letter to OMB Director Josh Bolten requesting this information be included with the weekly reports. After the administration ignored their request, Obey offered the amendment during a House and Senate conference on the fiscal year 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations bill.

The House and Senate are expected to vote on the final conference report next week.

Text of the Obey Amendment:

OBEY AMENDMENT TO THE HOUSE POSITION ON H.R. 2360

Insert at the end of the bill:

SEC.___ The weekly report required by Public Law 109-62 detailing the allocation and obligation of funds for “Disaster Relief” shall include (1) detailed information on each allocation, obligation, or expenditure that totals more than $50,000,000, categorized by increments of not larger than $50,000,000; (2) the amount of credit card purchases by agency and mission assignment; (3) obligations, allocations, and expenditures, categorized by agency, by State, and for New Orleans, and by purpose and mission assignment; (4) status of the Disaster Relief Fund; and (5) specific reasons for all waivers granted and a description of each waiver. The detailed information required by paragraph (1) shall include the purpose; whether the work will be performed by a governmental agency or a contractor; and, if the work is to be performed by a contractor, the name of the contractor, the type of contract let, and whether the contract is sole-source, full and open competition, or limited competition.

View Obey and Byrd’s letter to Bolten: http://www.house.gov/appropriations_democrats/press/pr_050914.htm

View the latest report from the DHS, and see for yourself why the provision was necessary: http://appropriations.house.gov/_files/FEMAstatusrpt922.pdf

View the bill language: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.03673:

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