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Calendar No. 268
110th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 110-129
======================================================================
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2008
_______
July 13, 2007.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Durbin, from the Committee on Appropriations,
submitted the following
REPORT
[To accompany H.R. 2829]
The Committee on Appropriations, to which was referred the
bill (H.R. 2829) making appropriations for financial services
and general government for the fiscal year ending September 30,
2008, and for other purposes, reports the same with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute and recommends that the
bill as amended do pass.
Amounts of new budget (obligational) authority for fiscal year 2008
Total of bill as reported to the Senate................. $44,225,978,000
Amount of 2007 appropriations........................... 40,811,304,000
Amount of 2008 budget estimate.......................... 43,811,876,000
Amount of House allowance............................... 43,802,260,000
Bill as recommended to Senate compared to--
2007 appropriations................................. +3,414,674,000
2008 budget estimate................................ +414,102,000
House allowance..................................... +423,718,000
CONTENTS
----------
Page
Summary of Bill.................................................. 4
Transparency in Congressional Directives......................... 7
Title I: Department of the Treasury:
Departmental Offices......................................... 9
Department-Wide Systems and Capital Investments Program...... 14
Office of the Inspector General.............................. 14
Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration............ 15
Air Transportation Stabilization Program Account............. 16
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network......................... 16
Financial Management Service................................. 18
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau..................... 18
Bureau of Engraving and Printing............................. 19
Bureau of the Public Debt.................................... 19
Community Development Financial Institutions Fund............ 20
United States Mint........................................... 21
Internal Revenue Service..................................... 21
Taxpayer Services........................................ 24
Enforcement.............................................. 27
Operations Support....................................... 28
Business Systems Modernization........................... 30
Health Insurance Tax Credit Administration............... 31
Administrative Provisions--Department of the Treasury........ 33
Title II: Executive Office of the President and Funds
Appropriated to the President:
Compensation of the President................................ 34
White House Office........................................... 34
Executive Residence at the White House....................... 35
White House Repair and Restoration........................... 35
Council of Economic Advisers................................. 36
Office of Policy Development................................. 36
National Security Council.................................... 37
Privacy and Civil Liberties Board............................ 37
Office of Administration..................................... 38
Office of Management and Budget.............................. 38
Office of National Drug Control Policy....................... 39
Funds Appropriated to the President:
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas.................... 42
Other Federal Drug Control Programs...................... 43
Unanticipated Needs.......................................... 46
Special Assistance to the President.......................... 46
Official Residence of the Vice President..................... 47
Title III: The Judiciary:
Supreme Court of the United States........................... 48
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit....... 49
U.S. Court of International Trade............................ 50
Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial
Services................................................. 51
Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund............................. 52
Defender Services............................................ 52
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners............................. 53
Court Security............................................... 53
Administrative Office of the United States Courts............ 54
Federal Judicial Center...................................... 54
Judicial Retirement Funds.................................... 55
United States Sentencing Commission.......................... 55
Administrative Provisions--The Judiciary..................... 56
Title IV--District of Columbia:
Federal Funds:
Federal Payment for District of Columbia Resident Tuition
Support................................................ 57
Federal Payment for Emergency Planning and Security Costs
in the District of Columbia............................ 58
Federal Payment to the District of Columbia Courts....... 59
Defender Services in the District of Columbia Courts..... 60
Federal Payment to the Court Services and Offender
Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia........ 60
Federal Payment to the Public Defender Service for the
District of Columbia................................... 61
Federal Payment to the District of Columbia Water and
Sewer Authority........................................ 61
Federal Payment to the Criminal Justice Coordinating
Council................................................ 62
Federal Payment for School Improvement................... 63
Federal Payment for Consolidated Laboratory Facility..... 64
Federal Payment for Central Library and Branch Locations. 64
Federal Payment to Reimburse the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.......................................... 65
Federal Payment to the Executive Office of the Mayor of
the District of Columbia............................... 65
District of Columbia Local Operating Budget.................. 66
Title V--Independent Agencies:
Commodity Futures Trading Commission......................... 68
Consumer Product Safety Commission........................... 69
Election Assistance Commission............................... 70
Federal Communications Commission............................ 71
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: Office of Inspector
General.................................................... 72
Federal Election Commission.................................. 72
Federal Labor Relations Authority............................ 73
Federal Trade Commission..................................... 73
General Services Administration.............................. 76
Merit Systems Protection Board............................... 86
Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National
Environmental Policy Foundation............................ 87
National Archives and Records Administration................. 88
National Historical Publications and Records Commission...... 91
National Credit Union Administration......................... 92
Office of Government Ethics.................................. 93
Office of Personnel Management............................... 94
Office of Special Counsel.................................... 99
Securities and Exchange Commission........................... 100
Selective Service System..................................... 101
Small Business Administration................................ 102
United States Postal Service................................. 106
United States Tax Court...................................... 108
Title VI
General Provisions--This Act................................. 110
Title VII:
General Provisions--Government-Wide.......................... 112
Title VIII
General Provisions--District of Columbia..................... 115
Compliance With Paragraph 7, Rule XVI of the Standing Rules of
the Sen-
ate............................................................ 118
Compliance With Paragraph 7(c), Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules
of the Senate.................................................. 119
Compliance With Paragraph 12, Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of
the Senate..................................................... 119
Budgetary Impact of Bill......................................... 132
SUMMARY OF THE BILL
Fiscal year 2008 is the initial year for the Financial
Services and General Government appropriations bill. The
agencies and programs funded in this bill were previously
funded in several other appropriations bills, namely the
Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the
Judiciary, and Independent Agencies appropriations bill, the
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations
bill, the District of Columbia appropriations bill and the
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration,
and Related Agencies appropriations bill.
The Committee recommends $44,225,978,000, in discretionary
and mandatory appropriations. This represents an increase of
$3,414,674,000 over the fiscal year 2007 enacted level, and an
increase of $414,102,000 over the budget request. Of the total,
$21,800,000,000 is provided in discretionary appropriations,
only slightly higher than the budget request of
$21,783,298,000. Mandatory appropriations total
$22,425,978,000.
The Committee recommended bill is consistent with the
allocation for the Financial Services and General Government
appropriations bill. The Committee has made difficult but
necessary decisions to craft a bill that is within strict
fiscal limitations. The President's budget request for the
agencies funded by this bill is stringent.
PROJECT FUNDING
------------------------------------------------------------------------
President's
Agency budget request Senate requests
------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Services Administration... $1,395,289,000 $280,451,000
National Archives................. ................. 15,510,000
Small Business Administration..... ................. 36,000,000
-------------------------------------
Total....................... 1,395,289,000 331,961,000
-------------------------------------
Combined Total Project
Funding.................... 1,727,250,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Small Business Administration account includes earmarks
totaling $36,000,000 for 75 projects. This is a reduction of 20
percent below the fiscal year 2006 funding level. The President
did not request any specific projects. The bill includes no
earmarks for the District of Columbia, a 100 percent reduction.
Within the General Services Administration, the President
requested $1,395,289,000, of which $615,204,000 is for
construction of Federal buildings and of which $804,483,000 is
for repair of Federal buildings. The President's budget did not
include funding requested by the Judiciary for courthouse
construction, therefore, the Committee provides an additional
$280,451,000 in courthouse construction projects. Within the
National Archives and Records Administration, the President
requested $8,663,000 for basic repairs and the Committee
provides an additional $15,510,000 in additional funding for
repair of presidential libraries.
PROGRAM, PROJECT, AND ACTIVITY
During fiscal year 2008, for the purposes of the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Public Law
99-177), as amended, with respect to appropriations contained
in the accompanying bill, the terms ``program, project, and
activity'' [PPA] shall mean any item for which a dollar amount
is contained in appropriations acts (including joint
resolutions providing continuing appropriations) or
accompanying reports of the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations, or accompanying conference reports and joint
explanatory statements of the committee of conference.
REPROGRAMMING GUIDELINES
The Committee includes a provision (sec. 610) establishing
the authority of agencies to reprogram funds and the limitation
on that authority. The provision specifically requires the
advance approval of the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations of any proposal to reprogram funds that: (1)
creates a new program; (2) eliminates a program, project, or
activity [PPA]; (3) increases funds or personnel for any PPA
for which funds have been denied or restricted by the Congress;
(4) proposes to redirect funds that were directed in such
reports for a specific activity to a different purpose; (5)
augments an existing PPA in excess of $5,000,000 or 10 percent,
whichever is less; (6) reduces an existing PPA by $5,000,000 or
10 percent, whichever is less; or (7) creates, reorganizes, or
restructures offices different from the congressional budget
justifications or the table at the end of the Committee report,
whichever is more detailed.
The Committee retains the requirement that each agency
submit an operating plan to the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations not later than 60 days after enactment of this
act to establish the baseline for application of reprogramming
and transfer authorities provided in this act. Specifically,
each agency should provide a table for each appropriation with
columns displaying the budget request; adjustments made by
Congress; adjustments for rescissions, if appropriate; and the
fiscal year enacted level. The table shall delineate the
appropriation both by object class and by PPA. The report must
also identify items of special congressional interest.
The Committee expects the agencies and bureaus to submit
reprogramming requests in a timely manner and to provide a
thorough explanation of the proposed reallocations, including a
detailed justification of increases and reductions and the
specific impact the proposed changes will have on the budget
request for the following fiscal year. Except in emergency
situations, reprogramming requests should be submitted no later
than June 30.
The Committee expects each agency to manage its programs
and activities within the amounts appropriated by Congress. The
Committee reminds agencies that reprogramming requests should
be submitted only in the case of an unforeseeable emergency or
a situation that could not have been anticipated when
formulating the budget request for the current fiscal year.
Further, the Committee notes that when a Department or agency
submits a reprogramming or transfer request to the Committees
on Appropriations and does not receive identical responses from
the House and Senate, it is the responsibility of the
Department to reconcile the House and Senate differences before
proceeding, and if reconciliation is not possible, to consider
the request to reprogram funds unapproved.
RELATIONSHIP WITH BUDGET OFFICES
Through the years, the Committee has channeled most of its
inquiries and requests for information and assistance through
the budget offices of the various departments, agencies,
offices, and commissions. The Committee has often pointed to
the natural affinity and relationship between the budget
offices and the Committee which makes such a relationship
workable. The Committee reiterates its longstanding position
that while the Committee reserves the right to call upon any
office or officer in the departments, agencies, and
commissions, the primary conjunction between the Committee and
these entities must be through the budget offices. To help
ensure the Committee's ability to perform its responsibilities,
the Committee insists on having direct, unobstructed, and
timely access to the budget offices and expects to be able to
receive forthright and complete responses from those offices
and their employees.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET JUSTIFICATIONS
The Committee understands the administration is utilizing
the Program Assessment Rating Tool [PART] as a method for
evaluating programs by linking performance, goals, and
benchmarks with funding decisions. In too many cases, however,
the PART analysis appears to be overly subjective and designed
to reach certain preconceived conclusions about a program's
validity and accomplishments and its budget needs.
This approach reduces any value that PART may have as a
tool for measuring the contributions of a program and the
extent to which a program should be funded. More troubling, OMB
and Federal agencies have tended to accommodate an increasing
amount of PART performance data in the budget justifications by
eliminating fundamental and objective programmatic budget data
that is critical to the work of the Committee. This trend has
made it increasingly difficult for the Committee to perform a
meaningful review of budget justifications, including the
ability to conduct necessary budget oversight work as well as
the ability to reach valid and comprehensive funding decisions
absent a substantial amount of additional review and budget
analysis.
Budget justifications are prepared not for the use of the
agency, but instead are the primary tool used by the House and
Senate Committees on Appropriations to evaluate the resource
requirements and fiscal needs of agencies. The Committee is
aware that the format and presentation of budget materials is
largely left to the agency within presentation objectives set
forth by OMB. In fact, OMB Circular A-11, part 6 specifically
states that the ``agency should consult with your congressional
committees beforehand to ensure their awareness of your plans
to modify the format of agency budget documents.'' The
Committee expects all the budget justifications to adhere to
this directive and provide the data needed to make appropriate
and meaningful funding decisions.
While the Committee values the inclusion of performance
data and presentations, it is important to ensure that, in the
implementation of the PART analysis, vital budget information
that the Committee needs is not lost. Therefore, the Committee
directs that justifications submitted with the fiscal year 2009
budget requests by agencies funded under this act must contain
the customary level of detailed data and explanatory statements
to support the appropriations requests at the level of detail
contained in the funding table included at the end of the
report. Among other items, agencies shall provide a detailed
discussion of proposed new initiatives, proposed changes in the
agency's financial plan from prior year enactment, and detailed
data on all programs and comprehensive information on any
office or agency restructurings. At a minimum, each agency must
also provide adequate justification for funding and staffing
changes for each individual office and materials that compare
programs, projects, and activities that are proposed for fiscal
year 2009 to the fiscal year 2008 enacted level.
The Committee is aware that the analytical materials
required for review by the Committee are unique to each agency
in this act. Therefore, the Committee expects that each agency
will coordinate with the House and Senate Committees on
Appropriations in advance on its planned presentation for its
budget justification materials in support of the fiscal year
2009 budget request.
TRANSPARENCY IN CONGRESSIONAL DIRECTIVES
On January 18, 2007, the Senate passed S. 1, The
Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007, by a
vote of 96-2. While the Committee awaits final action on this
legislation, the chairman and ranking member of the Committee
issued interim requirements to ensure that the goals of S. 1
are in place for the appropriations bills for fiscal year 2008.
The Constitution vests in the Congress the power of the
purse. The Committee believes strongly that Congress should
make the decisions on how to allocate the people's money. In
order to improve transparency and accountability in the process
of approving earmarks (as defined in S. 1) in appropriations
measures, each Committee report includes, for each earmark:
--(1) the name of the Member(s) making the request, and where
appropriate, the President;
--(2) the name and location of the intended recipient or, if
there is no specifically intended recipient, the
intended location of the activity; and
--(3) the purpose of such earmark.
The term ``congressional earmark'' means a provision or
report language included primarily at the request of a Senator,
providing, authorizing, or recommending a specific amount of
discretionary budget authority, credit authority, or other
spending authority for a contract, loan, loan guarantee, grant,
loan authority, or other expenditure with or to an entity, or
targeted to a specific state, locality or congressional
district, other than through a statutory or administrative,
formula-driven, or competitive award process.
For each earmark, a Member is required to provide a
certification that neither the Member (nor his or her spouse)
has a pecuniary interest in such earmark, consistent with
Senate Rule XXXVII(4). Such certifications are available to the
public at http://appropriations.senate.gov/senators.cfm or go
to appropriations.senate.gov and click on ``Members''.
TITLE I
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Departmental Offices
salaries and expenses
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $216,348,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 250,141,000
House allowance......................................... 250,591,000
Committee recommendation................................ 251,641,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Departmental Offices consist of the Office of the
Secretary and Deputy Secretary, the Office of International
Affairs, the Office of Domestic Finance, the Office of
Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, the Office of Tax Policy,
the Office of Economic Policy, the Office of the General
Counsel, the Office of Legislative Affairs, the Office of
Public Affairs, Office of the Treasurer, and the Office of
Management. The Secretary of the Treasury has the primary role
in formulating and managing the domestic and international tax
and financial policies of the Federal Government. The
Secretary's responsibilities funded by the Salaries and
Expenses appropriation include: recommending and implementing
United States domestic and international economic and tax
policy; formulating fiscal policy; governing the fiscal
operations of the Government; executing the Nation's financial
sanction policies; disrupting and dismantling terrorist
financial infrastructure; protecting the United States and
international financial system from terrorist financing, money
laundering, and other financial crimes; managing the public
debt; managing international development policy; representing
the United States on international monetary, trade and
investment issues; overseeing Department of the Treasury
overseas operations; and directing the administrative
operations of the Department of the Treasury. The majority of
the Salaries and Expenses appropriation provides resources for
policy formulation and implementation in the areas of domestic
and international finance, terrorist financing and financial
crimes, tax, economic, trade, financial operations and general
fiscal policy. This appropriation also provides resources to
support the Secretary and policy components, and coordination
of departmental administrative policies in financial and
personnel management, procurement operations, and information
systems and telecommunications.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $251,641,000 for the Salaries and
Expenses appropriation of the Departmental Offices account of
the Department of the Treasury for fiscal year 2008. This
amount is $1,500,000 above the budget request and $35,293,000
above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level. Within the funds
provided under this account, the Committee has provided
$3,000,000 for information technology modernization; $200,000
for official reception and representation expenses; $258,000
for unforeseen emergencies; and $5,114,000 for the Treasury-
wide financial statement audits and other Treasury office and
bureau audits.
The following table compares the fiscal year 2007 enacted
level to the fiscal year 2008 budget estimate and the
Committee's recommendation for each office:
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year 2008 budget Committee
2007 enacted estimate recommendation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive direction............................................. 10,753 9,636 11,136
General counsel................................................. 8,713 10,179 10,179
Economic policies and programs.................................. 36,154 45,450 45,450
Financial policies and programs................................. 24,632 28,869 28,869
Terrorism and financial intelligence............................ 43,457 56,225 56,225
Treasury-wide management and programs........................... 17,837 20,810 20,810
Administration.................................................. 74,802 78,972 78,972
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee remains concerned with the significant
management challenges faced by the Department and believes that
greater emphasis must be placed on effective management
leadership. The Treasury Inspector General [IG] continues to
cite concerns with the corporate management structure of the
Treasury and believes that the lack of effective management
leadership has contributed to serious deficiencies at some of
the bureaus. In addition to concerns with corporate management,
the IG continues to cite the Department's management of capital
investments as a major management challenge. The IG
specifically recommends that the Treasury needs to ensure
consistency, cohesiveness, and economy among all bureaus by
establishing clear lines of accountability, providing
enterprise solutions for core business activities, and
providing effective oversight of information technology
investments and security.
The Committee has approved the following significant
program increases in the bill:
Enhanced International Economic Policy Coordination
+$618,000/+3 FTE.--The Department of the Treasury is charged
with the critical task of fortifying economic relations with
foreign countries and financial institutions, working toward
creating a platform for global growth and security. To this
end, it is necessary to enhance policy coordination and
resources through the addition of regional experts. This
initiative is for additional staff to support key policy
dialogues with countries like China.
CFIUS +$940,000/+4 FTE.--The Committee on Foreign
Investment in the United States [CFIUS] is responsible for
investigating the merger or acquisition of U.S. companies by
foreign persons for national security implications. This
function is mandated under the Exxon-Florio amendment to the
Defense Production Act, and is managed by Treasury's Office of
International Affairs on the Secretary's behalf. The
significance of this work has grown exponentially with the
growth of foreign investment into the United States and the
sharp increase in transactions filed with CFIUS. Resources
provided will be used to recruit investment flow analysts and
other specialists.
Economic Sanctions against State Terrorism +$1,392,000/+2
FTE.--The Office of Foreign Assets Control [OFAC] is committed
to combating terrorist networks and State sponsors of
terrorism. New Executive orders with respect to Sudan and Syria
were issued in 2006 and the administration is extensively
engaged with respect to Iran. Each new Executive order and/or
OFAC designation of terrorists and their financial networks
brings with it increasing demands on OFAC's enforcement,
licensing, compliance and administrative support components.
Additional resources in these areas are provided to match the
increased pace of new Executive orders and Treasury
designations.
Sanctions Against WMD Proliferation +$889,000/+2 FTE.--
Building on resources provided in fiscal year 2007 to fund the
start-up of the sanctions program against WMD proliferation,
the Committee provides additional resources to effectively
implement and administer Executive Order 13382. These resources
will be used to strengthen OFAC's ability to track, identify,
and designate financiers and other supporters of WMD
proliferation.
Emerging National Security Threats +$1,973,000/+10 FTE.--
Eleven intelligence analysts (including three open-source
analysts) and five production officers are provided to support
the efforts of the Office of Intelligence Analysis [OIA] in
addressing the most pressing and emerging national security
issues; including transnational terrorist and illicit finance
issues, as well as engaging in analyst exchanges with other
national security and intelligence community agencies. This
will also allow OIA to establish a permanent intelligence
production structure, an essential component to the timely and
accurate production of intelligence information.
SCIF +$3,000,000/+0 FTE.--This initiative will provide for
additional secure space to accommodate the new hires in OIA and
OFAC's terrorism and WMD proliferation programs. The highly
classified work of these expanding units can only be
accomplished in specially constructed secure areas, known as
Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities [SCIF]. Adequate
security infrastructure is critical to protecting the
intelligence and national security functions of the Department.
OIA's increasing reliance on highly classified intelligence
information necessitates additional space requirements, as
there is currently a lack of SCIF space in the Treasury
building.
Disrupt and Dismantle Financial Networks +$638,000/+2
FTE.--This funding will provide the Office of Terrorist
Financing and Financial Crimes [TFFC] with increased resources
to devote specific policy advisors to critical regions in the
Western Hemisphere, Africa and the Middle East-South Asia
nexus. These regions present specific terrorist financing and
financial crimes problems, including money laundering tied to
narcotics and arms trafficking, and financial flows to
terrorist organizations. The Middle East is of particular
concern, as a number of countries continue to provide a base
for terrorist fundraisers and financial supporters,
particularly to South Asia-based terrorist groups. Additional
policy advisors dedicated to these areas will allow the
Treasury Department to bring together the U.S. Government tools
available to law enforcement and national security agencies in
the fight against terrorist financing and financial crime.
Disrupt and Dismantle Rogue Regimes +$385,000/+2 FTE.--This
initiative will fund additional policy advisors to cover North
Korea, Iran, and Syria on pressing financial issues. This
funding will allow the Treasury Department to fully leverage
tactical successes to develop ongoing strategic approaches to
bring additional financial pressures. This initiative is
consistent with and in support of Executive Orders 13338 and
13382 and section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act.
The Committee has included $1,500,000 for a study on energy
externalities directed by section 1352 of Public Law 109-58.
The true costs of energy are not always reflected in its retail
price. Such costs or ``externalities'' can include pollution
impacts, national security expenditures in the Middle East,
climate risks, and many others. Congress included a requirement
in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 for the Department of the
Treasury to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to
study these externalities and quantify them to the extent
possible.
The Committee has included $500,000 for the development of
tailored, targeted materials and dissemination strategies to
protect consumers against predatory lending and encourage the
use of mainstream financial services. The Financial Literacy
and Education Commission has developed a national strategy to
promote financial literacy and education among all American
consumers. Part of the national strategy is the development of
tailored, targeted materials and dissemination strategies.
Funds to help facilitate this part of the national strategy
should be used to help protect individuals from predatory
lending.
Within the funds provided, the Committee has included
$1,000,000 for a final payment to the Center for Resilient
Financial Services e-Cavern Partnership. These funds, requested
by Senator McConnell, will help secure the Nation's financial
data by providing secure, remote financial transaction back-up
storage systems.
Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.--The committee
recognizes the hard work of the Department of the Treasury in
creating the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence
[TFI]. While the Committee supports the efforts that the
Department has made to date, it strongly encourages the
Department to build on this work by focusing in the next few
years on stronger integration of the TFI's Office of
Intelligence and Analysis [OIA] with the Intelligence community
[IC]. In particular, OIA should harness the Treasury's unique
expertise and assume a stronger leadership role in the IC on
illicit finance issues. Accordingly, the Committee directs the
Department's leadership to work with the Director of National
Intelligence to develop a mission plan for financial
intelligence. This plan should include ways that the IC can
better coordinate its efforts. The Department should report to
the committee by September 30, 2008, on its progress.
The Committee has included $300,000 for TFI to create a
permanent position which will be responsible for managing and
overseeing all TFI information technology operations,
activities, and needs. The position will focus particularly on
the security of classified IT systems.
TSDN.--The Committee recognizes the importance of
stabilizing and enhancing the Treasury Secure Data Network
[TSDN]. Due to the importance of this classified system, the
Committee directs the Office of the Chief Information Officer
to ensure that adequate resources are provided to administer
and oversee the stabilization and enhancement of TSDN.
Internet Gambling.--The Committee notes that the Treasury
Department has not yet adopted effective regulations to
implement the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act
[UIGEA]. The Committee notes that Congress directed the
Department to implement, within 270 days after enactment of
UIGEA, regulations that allow financial institutions to
determine which financial transactions to block and which
transactions to permit. The Committee further notes that these
regulations should not put an undue burden on financial
institutions or on their legitimate customers. Instead, UIGEA
directs that the regulations should be written in a manner that
can be clearly interpreted and enforced by the bank regulatory
agencies and by the financial institutions seeking to enforce
them. UIGEA also calls for regulations that permit institutions
to choose from among different mechanisms for enforcement. The
Committee expects that the regulations would provide for such
flexibility, and would also encourage a dynamic mechanism for
adapting to changes in circumstances such as identifying when
gamblers change the accounts they use to receive funds.
Information Security.--The Treasury Office of Inspector
General [OIG] continues to cite the Department's information
security as a management and performance challenge.
Specifically, the Department faces serious challenges in
bringing its systems into compliance with information
technology security policies, procedures, standards, and
guidelines. The Committee strongly urges the Department to
address the OIG's findings and directs the Department to
provide a status report to the Committee by March 1, 2008.
Darfur Penalties.--The Committee strongly believes that the
Department of the Treasury needs additional tools to enhance
its ability to take effective deterrent action against
sanctions violators. In a number of recent instances involving
deliberate attempts to evade sanctions prohibitions, the
monetary penalties available to the Department's Office of
Foreign Assets Control [OFAC] did not rise to a level
sufficient either to punish the level of misconduct or
constitute an effective deterrent. Accordingly, the Committee
has included a general provision (section 617) to increase
available penalties under the International Emergency Economic
Powers Act. The increased penalties will provide OFAC with
significantly increased enforcement capability.
DEPARTMENT-WIDE SYSTEMS AND CAPITAL INVESTMENTS PROGRAMS
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $30,268,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 18,710,000
House allowance......................................... 18,710,000
Committee recommendation................................ 18,710,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The 1997 Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act
established this account, which is authorized to be used by or
on behalf of Treasury bureaus, at the Secretary's discretion,
to modernize business processes and increase efficiency through
technology investments, as well as other activities that
involve more than one Treasury bureau or Treasury's interface
with other Government agencies.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $18,710,000
for Department-wide systems and capital investment program
[DSCIP]. This amount is equal to the budget request and
$11,558,000 below the fiscal year 2007 enacted level.
The following table compares the Committee recommendation
with the budget request and the fiscal year 2007 enacted
levels.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fiscal year Fiscal year Committee
DSCIP Initiative 2007 enacted 2008 requested recommendation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Critical Infrastructure Protection--Financial Institutions...... $2,093,000 .............. ..............
Cyber Security--Critical Infrastructure Protection (Treasury)... .............. $400,000 $400,000
Cyber Security--Information Security............................ 2,244,000 1,844,000 1,844,000
DO/Treasury Backup Disaster Recovery............................ 1,656,000 4,000,000 4,000,000
E-Government Enterprise Architecture............................ .............. 300,000 300,000
E-Government Initiatives........................................ 2,209,000 2,166,000 2,166,000
Enterprise Content Management................................... .............. 6,000,000 6,000,000
Integrated Wireless Network..................................... .............. 2,000,000 2,000,000
Treasury Financial Intelligence Network......................... 21,200,000 .............. ..............
Treasury Secure Data Network.................................... 867,000 2,000,000 2,000,000
-----------------------------------------------
Total..................................................... 30,269,000 18,710,000 18,710,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $16,957,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 18,450,000
House allowance......................................... 18,450,000
Committee recommendation................................ 18,450,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
As a result of the 1988 amendments to the Inspector General
[IG] Act, the Secretary of the Treasury established the Office
of Inspector General [OIG] in 1989.
The OIG conducts and supervises audits, evaluations, and
investigations designed to: (1) promote economy, efficiency,
and effectiveness and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in
departmental programs and operations; and (2) keep the
Secretary and Congress fully and currently informed of problems
and deficiencies in the administration of departmental programs
and operations. The audit function provides program audit,
contract audit and financial statement audit services. Contract
audits provide professional advice to agency contracting
officials on accounting and financial matters relative to
negotiation, award, administration, repricing, and settlement
of contracts. Program audits review and audit all facets of
agency operations. Financial statement audits assess whether
financial statements fairly present the agency's financial
condition and results of operations, the adequacy of accounting
controls, and compliance with laws and regulations. These
audits contribute significantly to improved financial
management by helping Treasury managers identify improvements
needed in their accounting and internal control systems. The
evaluations function reviews program performance and issues
critical to the mission of the Department, including assessing
the Department's implementation of the Government Performance
and Results Act [GPRA]. The investigative function provides for
the detection and investigation of improper and illegal
activities involving programs, personnel, and operations.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $18,450,000
for salaries and expenses of the Office of Inspector General.
This amount is the same as the budget request and $1,493,000
above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level.
TREASURY INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR TAX ADMINISTRATION
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $132,861,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 140,533,000
House allowance......................................... 140,533,000
Committee recommendation................................ 140,533,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration
[TIGTA] was established by the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act
of 1998 (Public Law 105-206). TIGTA was created to provide
independent audit and investigative services necessary to
improve the quality and credibility of oversight of Internal
Revenue Service [IRS]. Funding was first appropriated for this
account in the fiscal year 2000 Treasury and General Government
Appropriations Act (Public Law 106-58).
TIGTA conducts audits, investigations, and evaluations to
assess the operations and programs IRS and related entities,
the IRS Oversight Board and the Office of Chief Counsel to (1)
promote the economic, efficient and effective administration of
the Nation's tax laws and to detect and deter fraud and abuse
in IRS programs and operations; and (2) recommend actions to
resolve fraud and other serious problems, abuses, and
deficiencies in these programs and operations, and keep the
Secretary and Congress fully and currently informed of these
issues and the progress made in resolving them. TIGTA reviews
existing and proposed legislation and regulations relating to
the programs and operations of the IRS and related entities and
makes recommendations concerning the impact of such legislation
and regulations on the economy and efficiency in the
administration of programs and operations of the IRS and
related entities. The audit function provides program audit,
limited contract audit and financial audit services. Program
audits review and audit all facets of IRS and related entities
in an effort to improve IRS systems and operations, while
ensuring fair and equitable treatment of taxpayers. Contract
audits focus on invoices/vouchers submitted to the IRS to
determine whether charges are valid and to identify erroneous
and improper payments. The investigative function provides for
the detection and investigation of improper and illegal
activities involving IRS programs and operations and protects
the IRS and related entities against external attempts to
corrupt or threaten the administration of the tax laws.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $140,533,000
for the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. This
amount is an increase of $7,672,000 above the fiscal year 2007
enacted level and the same as the budget request.
The Committee commends TIGTA for its ongoing review of the
IRS's business systems modernization program and other
information technology projects. The Committee also
acknowledges the critical importance of the priorities TIGTA
has identified for fiscal year 2008, including ensuing the
privacy and security of taxpayer information from internal and
extremal threats. The Committee urges continued TIGTA oversight
of tax gap issues, including data reliability, enforcement law,
and taxpayer assistance, to ensure that the IRS enhances
voluntary compliance by balancing taxpayer services and
enforcement without jeopardizing taxpayer rights.
AIR TRANSPORTATION STABILIZATION PROGRAM ACCOUNT
Appropriations, 2007....................................................
Budget estimate, 2008................................... -$3,600,000
House allowance......................................... -3,600,000
Committee recommendation................................ -3,600,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act,
Public Law 107-42, established the Air Transportation
Stabilization Board.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee does not provide any appropriation funding,
as requested, for the Air Transportation Stabilization Program
for fiscal year 2008. Bill language, as requested, is included
that terminates the program and rescinds all unobligated
balances.
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $73,216,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 85,844,000
House allowance......................................... 83,344,000
Committee recommendation................................ 85,844,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network [FinCEN], a bureau
within the Treasury Department's Office of Terrorism and
Financial Intelligence, is the largest overt collector of
financial intelligence in the United States. FinCEN's mission
is to safeguard the financial system from the abuses of
financial crime, including terrorist financing, money
laundering and other illicit activity. FinCEN accomplishes its
mission by administering the Bank Secrecy Act, a collection of
statutes that form the Nation's anti-money laundering/counter-
terrorist financing regulatory regime. As the delegated
administrator of the Bank Secrecy Act, FinCEN is responsible
for the development and implementation of regulations, rules
and guidance issued under the Bank Secrecy Act. FinCEN also
oversees the work of eight Federal agencies that have been
delegated responsibility to examine various sectors of the
financial industry for compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act's
requirements. FinCEN is responsible for collecting,
maintaining, and disseminating the information reported by
financial institutions under the Bank Secrecy Act through a
Government-wide access service. In coordination with Treasury's
Office of Intelligence and Analysis, FinCEN analyzes this
financial information and other information and intelligence to
develop both strategic and tactical analytical products that
support law enforcement, intelligence and regulatory agencies.
FinCEN is the United States' Financial Intelligence Unit [FIU]
and a founding member of the Egmont Group of Financial
Intelligence Units. As the United States FIU, FinCEN routinely
shares information and cooperates with other FIUs around the
world to address the global problems of terrorist financing,
money laundering, and other illicit activity.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $85,844,000 for the Financial
Crimes Enforcement Network [FinCEN]. This amount is $12,628,000
above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and the same as the
budget request.
The bill includes the following program increases for
fiscal year 2008:
Disaster Recovery Capability +$743,000/+0 FTE.--Funds are
included to provide ongoing site maintenance,
telecommunications and system hosting for the critical
information technology system disaster recovery site
established in fiscal year 2007 through redirection of one-time
prior year funding. By establishing this capability for
critical system redundancy, FinCEN has reduced the system
recovery time from 6 months to 4 hours and significantly
reduced the risk of losing access to critical systems.
Enhance Project Management Capability +$1,750,000/+4 FTE.--
FinCEN requires additional resources to meet OMB, Treasury and
GAO recognized requirements to improve its project management
capability. A recent review of FinCEN's programs has identified
a need to strengthen project management practices throughout
the organization, including both information technology and
non-information technology projects. A portion of this
initiative will fund IT program and support activities
including capital planning, enterprise architecture,
information security, and contractor technical assistance.
Financial Management Service
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $235,381,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 235,191,000
House allowance......................................... 234,423,000
Committee recommendation................................ 235,191,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
In 1940, the United States Department of the Treasury
established the Fiscal Service, which consisted of the Bureau
of Accounts, the Bureau of the Public Debt, and the Office of
the Treasurer. A 1974 reorganization of the Fiscal Service
created the Bureau of Government Financial Operations, which
was formed from a merger of the Bureau of Accounts and most
functions of the Office of the Treasurer. In 1984, the Bureau
of Government Financial Operations was renamed the Financial
Management Service [FMS].
FMS implements payment policy and procedures for the
Federal program agencies, issues and distributes payments,
promotes the use of electronics in the payment process, and
assists agencies in converting payments from paper checks to
electronic funds transfer [EFT]. FMS also provides debt
collection operational services to client agencies and
implements collections policy, regulations, standards and
procedures for the Federal Government and assists agencies in
converting collections from paper to electronic media.
FMS also provides financial accounting, reporting, and
financing services to the Federal Government and the
Government's agents who participate in the payments and
collections process by generating a series of daily, monthly,
quarterly and annual Government-wide reports. FMS also works
directly with agencies to help reconcile reporting differences.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $235,191,000 for salaries and
expenses for FMS. This amount is the same as the budget request
and $190,000 below the fiscal year 2007 enacted level.
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $90,618,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 93,515,000
House allowance......................................... 93,515,000
Committee recommendation................................ 97,015,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Homeland Security Act created the Alcohol and Tobacco
Tax and Trade Bureau [TTB] within the Department of the
Treasury and charged TTB with collecting revenue and protecting
the public.
TTB enforces the Federal laws and regulations relating to
alcohol and tobacco. TTB works directly and in cooperation with
others to maintain a sound revenue management and collection
system that continues to reduce the regulatory burden, improve
service, collect the revenue due, and prevent tax evasion and
other criminal conduct. The TTB is also responsible for
preventing consumer deception, ensuring that regulated products
comply with Federal commodity, safety, and distribution
requirements, and providing high quality customer service.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $97,015,000 for TTB for fiscal
year 2008. This amount is an increase of $3,500,000 over the
budget request and an increase of $6,397,000 over the fiscal
year 2007 enacted level. The increase over the budget request
is to begin to address the replacement of obsolete IT
equipment.
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing [BEP] has been the
sole manufacturer of U.S. paper currency for almost 150 years.
The origin of the BEP is traced to an Act of Congress passed on
February 25, 1862, 12 Stat. 345, authorizing the Secretary of
the Treasury to issue a new currency--United States notes.
While this law was the cornerstone authority for the operations
of the engraving and printing division of the Treasury for many
years, it was not until an Act of June 20, 1874, 18 Stat. 100,
that the Congress first referred to this division as the
``Bureau of Engraving and Printing.'' The Bureau's status as a
distinct bureau within the Department of the Treasury was
solidified by section 1 of the Act of June 4, 1897, 30 Stat.
18, which placed all of the business of the BEP under the
immediate control of a director, subject to the direction of
the Secretary of the Treasury. The 1897 law is now codified in
31 U.S.C. 303.
The BEP designs, manufactures, and supplies Federal Reserve
notes, and other security documents issued by the Federal
Government.
The operations of the BEP are currently financed by means
of a revolving fund established in accordance with the
provisions of Public Law 656, August 4, 1950 (31 U.S.C. 181),
which requires the BEP to be reimbursed by customer agencies
for all costs of manufacturing products and services performed.
The BEP is also authorized to assess amounts to acquire capital
equipment and provide for working capital needs.
No direct appropriation is required to cover the activities
of the BEP.
Bureau of the Public Debt
ADMINISTERING THE PUBLIC DEBT
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $177,623,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 172,871,000
House allowance......................................... 172,871,000
Committee recommendation................................ 172,871,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Public Debt Service was formed in 1919 with the
appointment of the first Commissioner of the Public Debt. The
Public Debt Service took general charge of debt operations
including debt accounting and securities issue and retirement,
which had been conducted by several independent divisions
within the Treasury. Acting under the authorization of the
Reorganization Act of 1939, the President created the Bureau of
the Public Debt, which was established as part of the Fiscal
Service in the Department of the Treasury effective June 30,
1940, (31 U.S.C. 306). In 1993, the Savings Bonds Division, a
separate organization, was made part of the Bureau.
This appropriation provides funds for the conduct of all
public debt operations and the promotion of the sale of U.S.
savings-type securities.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends the budget request level of
$172,871,000 for the Bureau of the Public Debt for fiscal year
2008. This amount is a reduction of $4,752,000 below the fiscal
year 2007 enacted level.
Community Development Financial Institutions Fund
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FUND PROGRAM ACCOUNT
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $54,506,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 28,557,000
House allowance......................................... 100,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 90,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund makes
investments in the form of grants, loans, equity investments,
deposits, and technical assistance grants to new and existing
community development financial institutions [CDFIs], through
the CDFI program. CDFIs include community development banks,
credit unions, venture capital funds, revolving loan funds, and
microloan funds, among others. Recipient institutions engage in
lending and investment for affordable housing, small business
and community development within underserved communities. The
CDFI Fund administers the Bank Enterprise Award [BEA] Program,
which provides a financial incentive to insured depository
institutions to undertake community development finance
activities. The CDFI Fund also administers the New Markets Tax
Credit Program, a program that provides an incentive to
investors in the form of a tax credit, which is expected to
stimulate private community and economic development
activities.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $90,000,000 for the CDFI Fund,
which is $35,494,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level
and $61,443,000 above the budget request.
The Committee is again concerned about the proposed
reductions to CDFI and the respective programs within CDFI,
such as the Bank Enterprise Award [BEA]. These programs play an
important role in providing financial services to underserved
communities in both urban and rural communities across the
country. The Committee expects the BEA program to be funded in
accordance with the authorizing statute, 12 U.S.C. 4718(a)(4).
The Committee recommends a set-aside of $8,000,000 for
grants, loans, and technical assistance and training programs
to benefit Native American, Alaskan Natives, and Native
Hawaiian communities in the coordination of development
strategies, increased access to equity investments, and loans
for development activities.
United States Mint
UNITED STATES MINT PUBLIC ENTERPRISE FUND
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The United States Mint manufactures coins, sells numismatic
and investment products, and provides for security and asset
protection. Public Law 104-52 established the U.S. Mint Public
Enterprise Fund (the Fund). The Fund encompasses the previous
Salaries and Expenses, Coinage Profit Fund, Coinage Metal Fund,
and the Numismatic Public Enterprise Fund. The Mint submits
annual audited business-type financial statements to the
Secretary of the Treasury and to Congress in support of the
operations of the revolving fund.
The operations of the Mint are divided into two major
activities: Manufacturing and Sales (including circulating
coinage and numismatic and investment products); and
Protection. The Mint is credited with receipts from its
circulating coinage operations, equal to the full cost of
producing and distributing coins that are put into circulation,
including depreciation of the Mint's plant and equipment on the
basis of current replacement value. Those receipts pay for the
costs of the Mint's operations, which include the costs of
production and distribution. The difference between the face
value of the coins and these costs are profits, which is
deposited as seigniorage to the general fund. In fiscal year
2006, the Mint transferred $750,000,000 to the general fund.
Any seigniorage used to finance the Mint's capital acquisitions
is recorded as budget authority in the year that funds are
obligated for this purpose and as receipts over the life of the
asset.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a spending level of $33,200,000
for circulating coinage and protective service capital
investments for the Mint. This amount is an increase of
$6,432,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and is
equal to the budget request.
Internal Revenue Service
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Internal Revenue Service [IRS] administers the Nation's
tax laws and collects the revenue that funds most of the
Federal Government's operations and public services. The IRS's
mission is to provide taxpayers with quality service by helping
them understand and meet their tax responsibilities and by
applying the tax law with integrity and fairness to all. The
IRS focuses its enforcement programs toward increasing
voluntary tax compliance by deterring taxpayers inclined to
evade their tax obligations while vigorously pursuing those who
violate the law. Each year, IRS employees deal directly with
more American taxpayers than any other institution, public or
private. In 2006, the IRS collected more than
$2,200,000,000,000 in revenue and processed more than 208
million tax returns. During the 2006 filing season, more than
half of all individual taxpayers (nearly 68 million) filed
electronically. Also, in 2006, the IRS provided assistance to
taxpayers more than 95 million times through toll-free
telephone lines, correspondence or visits to its more than 400
offices nationwide. An important focus for the IRS in recent
years has been to undertake a major modernization of its
systems, including expanding its Internet services, and
business operations to better serve taxpayers and enforce the
law.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $11,141,610,000 for the Internal
Revenue Service for fiscal year 2008. This is an increase of
$544,544,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and
$46,111,000 above the budget request.
Appropriations Account Structure.--Section 21051 of Public
Law 110-5 established a new appropriations account structure
beginning with fiscal year 2007. Under this structure, the
IRS's activities are more properly aligned to budget activities
by creating new ``Taxpayer Services'', ``Enforcement'', and
``Operations Support'' accounts in place of the former
``Processing, Assistance, and Management'', ``Tax Law
Enforcement'', and ``Information Systems'' accounts. The
``Business Systems Modernization'' and ``Health Insurance Tax
Credit Administration'' accounts are maintained. The Committee
expects the IRS to continue to comport with this revised
account structure.
Tax Gap.--The vast majority of Americans pay their fair
share of taxes, yet there is still a ``tax gap.'' The tax gap
is the difference between what taxpayers are supposed to pay
and what they actually do pay. In its update of the results of
a 3-year study, the IRS found that for tax year 2001, about 84
percent of owed taxes were paid voluntarily and timely.
However, a significant number of taxpayers do not comply with
the Tax Code resulting in an estimated gross tax gap of
$345,000,000,000. The IRS estimates that after enforcement and
other late payments are factored into the gross tax gap, the
net tax gap is about $290,000,000,000. The most current
estimate of the tax gap remains largely unchanged from the
IRS's initial update conducted in 2006, and has remained
relatively stable for the past three decades based on previous
IRS studies. The accuracy of the tax gap, however, is uncertain
given the use of outdated and incomplete information and
questionable methodology. Some experts, including the GAO and
TIGTA, believe that the tax gap may actually be higher than
estimated by the IRS. The Committee strongly believes that the
IRS must and can reduce the tax gap if the IRS is given
additional resources and is able to improve its operational
capabilities (most notably through the Business Systems
Modernization program).
To reduce the tax gap, the IRS's budget request has set a
goal of increasing the voluntary compliance rate from a current
estimate of about 83.7 percent to 85 percent by 2009. However,
the budget request does not include a strategic plan to achieve
this goal. To reduce the tax gap, experts recommend a number of
approaches, including: improving information reporting,
improving taxpayer services, increasing research on
noncompliance, improving the partnership between the IRS and
the tax administration community, and leveraging technology to
improve IRS's systems. The Committee supports all of these
approaches in combination and believes that the administration
must develop a detailed business plan on how it will reduce the
tax gap. Accordingly, the Committee has included an
administrative provision that requires the IRS to develop a
detailed, strategic plan that demonstrates how it will achieve
and how it will measure the voluntary compliance goal of 85
percent by 2009.
The Committee notes that as part of its budget submission,
the IRS proposes 16 legislative reforms to recoup
$29,000,000,000, or 10 percent of the $290,000,000,000 net tax
gap over 10 years. The Committee is concerned that such an
approach is far from aggressive, and amounts to a meager return
of a penny on the dollar.
Operating Plan and Notification.--In addition to the normal
operating plan requirements detailed in the introduction in
this report, the Committee directs the IRS to include details
on any planned reorganization, job reductions or increases to
offices or activities within the agency, and modifications to
any service or enforcement activity. Some past examples that
would qualify under this directive include: the Modernization
and Information Technology Systems [MITS] reorganization and
the proposed closure of taxpayer assistance centers. The
Committee also directs the IRS to obtain the approval of the
IRS Oversight Board prior to submitting its operating plan to
the Committee. Further, the IRS should promptly notify the
Committee and the IRS Oversight Board if there are any
substantial changes of these plans.
The Committee remains concerned about any efforts to reduce
significantly taxpayer services, including face-to-face
services. Therefore, the Committee directs that if the IRS
proposes further reductions in taxpayer services, such
reductions must be consistent with the budget justification,
operating plan, and Taxpayer Assistance Blueprint, and the IRS
must demonstrate that such reductions will not result in a
decline in voluntary compliance. Where such reductions involve
a reduction in face-to-face service, the IRS must demonstrate
that the proposed reductions do not adversely impact compliance
by taxpayers who are dependent on such services, by showing,
through such means as a successful pilot program, survey, or
other empirical study, that there is an effective and viable
service alternative available.
IRS Staffing Plans.--The Committee continues to support
adequate staffing levels for effective tax administration and
supports the staffing plans for the Internal Revenue Service
facilities in the communities of Martinsburg and Beckley, West
Virginia. Therefore, the Committee urges the IRS, within the
constraints of the fiscal year 2008 funding levels, to make no
staffing reductions at the Martinsburg National Computing
Center and the programmed level at the Finance Center in
Beckley, West Virginia. Further, the Committee directs the IRS
to provide an annual report to the Committee on its efforts to
protect and increase staffing levels at the Martinsburg and
Beckley IRS facilities.
The Committee is concerned about potential reduction or
elimination of submission processing activities, including
reductions in force, at the IRS Philadelphia and Andover
Service Centers. The Committee includes bill language
precluding the IRS from spending any funds on any such
reduction or elimination until the IRS has submitted to the
House and Senate Appropriations Committees a detailed report
that reviews the potential for transferring submission
processing employees to Automated Collection System [ACS]
positions within their commuting area. The Committee directs
that this report shall include an estimate of additional ACS
positions that could be funded, including training costs, with
levels of funding the IRS expects to spend for activities under
26 U.S.C. 6306; an estimate of the increased collections in
fiscal year 2008 and from fiscal year 2008 through fiscal year
2012 due to these increased ACS positions; and an assessment of
placement of additional ACS positions in the Philadelphia and
Andover Service Centers.
Taxpayer Services in Alaska and Hawaii.--Given the remote
distance of Alaska and Hawaii from the U.S. mainland and the
difficulty experienced by Alaska and Hawaii taxpayers in
receiving needed tax assistance by the national toll-free line,
it is imperative that the Taxpayer Advocate Service Center in
each of these States is fully staffed and capable of resolving
taxpayer problems of the most complex nature. The Committee
directs the Internal Revenue Service to continue to staff each
Taxpayer Advocate Service Center in each of these States with a
Collection Technical Advisor and an Examination Technical
Advisor in addition to the current complement of office staff.
TAXPAYER SERVICES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $2,138,238,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 2,103,089,000
House allowance......................................... 2,155,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 2,149,200,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Taxpayer Services appropriation provides for taxpayer
services, including forms and publications; processing tax
returns and related documents; filing and account services;
taxpayer advocacy services; and assisting taxpayers to
understand their tax obligations, correctly file their returns,
and pay taxes due in a timely manner.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $2,149,000,000 for Taxpayer
Services, which is $10,962,000 above the fiscal year 2007
enacted level and $46,111,000 above the budget request. Bill
language is included providing not less than $3,000,000 for the
tax counseling for the elderly program, not less than
$9,000,000 for low-income taxpayer clinic grants, and not less
than $10,000,000 to establish and administer a community
volunteer income tax assistance matching grant program for tax
return preparation assistance.
Taxpayer Assistance Blueprint.--In response to the
Committee's directive in the fiscal year 2006 Treasury
Appropriations Act, the IRS, in consultation with the IRS
Oversight Board and the National Taxpayer Advocate, began
developing a ``Taxpayer Assistance Blueprint'' to develop a 5-
year strategic plan on taxpayer services. As directed by the
Committee, the IRS is reviewing its current portfolio of
taxpayer services and exploring other types of services to meet
the needs of taxpayers. Further, this plan will detail how it
plans to meet the service needs on a geographic basis (by State
and major metropolitan area), including any proposals to
realign existing resources to improve taxpayer access to
services, and address how the plan will improve taxpayer
service based on reliable data on taxpayer service needs. The
plan will also address efforts to expand efforts to partner
with State and local governments and private entities to
improve taxpayer services. The Committee commends the IRS, the
IRS Oversight Board, and the National Taxpayer Advocate for
their time and efforts on the Blueprint. Further, the Committee
appreciates the efforts to conduct research on taxpayer needs
and taxpayer service performance.
The Committee directs the IRS, the IRS Oversight Board, and
the National Taxpayer Advocate to submit annually to Congress
an updated Taxpayer Assistance Blueprint identifying any
changes to its strategic plan for taxpayer service, including
any research and relevant findings completed to date, and any
open issues requiring additional research.
E-Filing.--The Committee is disappointed with the IRS's
performance in increasing the number of tax filers who submit
their returns electronically and without additional cost. Most
experts, including the IRS Oversight Board, believe that the
IRS will not meet its congressionally mandated goal of having
80 percent of tax returns filed electronically by 2007.
Accordingly, the Committee directs the IRS, in consultation
with stakeholders, such as the National Taxpayer Advocate, to
develop a detailed strategic plan to meet the 80 percent e-File
goal. This plan should address alternate electronic filing
strategies, including Telefile and 2-D Bar Coding and methods
of e-filing directly with the IRS for free. This plan should be
submitted to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations
by no later than March 1, 2008.
The Committee believes that the IRS will provide better
taxpayer service, achieve improved compliance, and reduce the
tax gap if taxpayer behavior is better understood and applied
research is integrated into the development of taxpayer service
and enforcement initiatives. Toward that end, the Committee
directs the National Taxpayer Advocate and the IRS Office of
Research to report to the Appropriations Committees of the
House and Senate by September 30, 2008, on factors that
influence taxpayer compliance behavior, including how and the
extent to which each factor influences taxpayer compliance
behavior. The report shall also make recommendations for the
establishment of a cognitive learning and applied research
laboratory.
EITC.--The Committee is concerned that many low-income
taxpayers and their families are having their Earned Income Tax
Credit [EITC] benefits unnecessarily diminished through high-
cost, short-term products such as refund anticipation loans
[RALs]. The Committee directs the Internal Revenue Service, in
consultation with the National Taxpayer Advocate, to educate
consumers about the costs associated with these products and
expand access to alternative methods of obtaining timely tax
refunds.
Community Volunteer Income Tax Assistance.--The Volunteer
Income Tax Assistance [VITA] program is an important aspect of
the IRS' efforts to provide income tax preparation assistance
programs for low-income taxpayers. The Committee provides
$10,000,000 to the IRS specifically for exclusive use as part
of a matching grant program to be established and administered
by the IRS for not for profit organizations which provide
volunteer income tax return preparation services for lower
income individual taxpayers. The IRS shall operate this
matching grant program in a manner similar to the Low Income
Taxpayer Clinic Program.
The IRS is not permitted to treat any in-kind contributions
from the IRS as counting toward the $10,000,000 appropriation
nor shall the IRS reduce any current contributions toward tax
return preparation services. As the IRS develops and promotes
this grant program, the Committee strong urges the IRS to take
steps to address the problems identified by both the GAO and
the TIGTA regarding the accuracy of tax preparation services
provided at VITA sites in the past.
Charitable Exempt Organizations.--The Committee is
encouraged by recent IRS actions to invest greater resources in
activities that educate charitable exempt organizations about
their obligations under the tax code, helping to increase
voluntary compliance and strengthen charities' ability to
improve lives and communities. The Committee anticipates that
the IRS will utilize the increased resources in this
appropriation to continue to expand outreach to and education
of charitable organizations, particularly in light of recent,
sweeping changes to tax-exempt laws in the Pension Protection
Act and other statutes.
IRS Free File Program.--The Free File Program allows
taxpayers meeting certain income requirements to electronically
prepare and file their income tax returns free of charge. The
IRS administers the Program as a partnership with the Free File
Alliance, a consortium of tax software companies. The Committee
is concerned about the findings of a recent TIGTA audit report
reflecting a substantial drop in usage of the program. Although
93 million taxpayers were eligible for the program in calendar
year 2006, only 3.9 million filers (4.2 percent) participated
in 2006, down from the 5.12 million taxpayers using Free File
in 2005. As of April 14, 2007, only 3.3 million taxpayers had
filed using the free service. The Committee is concerned that
this decline in usage could keep the IRS from meeting the
congressionally-mandated goal of having 80 percent of the
Federal income tax returns filed electronically by the end of
2007. The Committee strongly urges the IRS to examine the
reasons why eligible taxpayers are not using the program, and
to place a high priority on addressing the recommendations for
improved marketing and administration of the program as
outlined by TIGTA. The Committee further urges the IRS to
devote the resources necessary to ensure that individual
taxpayers who come to the IRS Website are not subjected to
cross-marketing and selling activity when utilizing Free File.
The IRS should likewise promote public awareness of the
availability of this program among those who can most benefit
from its free services, particularly lower income,
disadvantaged, the working poor and other underserved
populations.
ENFORCEMENT
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $4,686,478,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 4,925,498,000
House allowance......................................... 4,925,498,000
Committee recommendation................................ 4,925,498,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Enforcement appropriation provides for the examination
of tax returns, both domestic and international; the
administrative and judicial settlement of taxpayer appeals of
examination findings; technical rulings; monitoring employee
pension plans; determining qualifications of organizations
seeking tax-exempt status; examining tax returns of exempt
organizations; enforcing statutes relating to detection and
investigation of criminal violations of the internal revenue
laws; identifying under reporting of tax obligations; securing
unfiled tax returns; and collecting unpaid accounts.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends the budget request level of
$4,925,498,000 for enforcement activities for fiscal year 2008.
This amount is $239,020,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted
level and the same as the budget request. Bill language is
included to transfer not less than $57,252,000 to the
Interagency Crime and Drug Enforcement [ICDE] program and to
transfer up to $10,000,000 from enforcement to the Operations
Support account to support the ICDE program.
National Research Program.--The Committee strongly supports
the work of the National Research Program [NRP] to increase
understanding on the tax gap. While the IRS's NRP has done a
commendable job in updating the tax gap estimates, there remain
significant challenges in both obtaining complete and timely
data and developing reliable methods for interpreting the data.
The IRS and others have expressed concerns with the certainty
of the overall tax gap estimate in part because some areas of
the estimate rely on old data (from the 1970s and 1980s) and it
has no estimates for other areas of the tax gap. GAO, TIGTA,
the National Taxpayer Advocate, and the IRS Oversight Board
also have all recommended greater and more frequent data
collection and studies of the tax gap. The Committee agrees
with this recommendation. Accordingly, the Committee directs
the IRS to submit a detailed research plan that will address
the shortfalls in the NRP. The plan should include the use of a
rolling sample, which was recommended by the IRS Oversight
Board and GAO that covers all types of tax returns. Under this
approach, one-fifth of the sample could be collected every
year. The plan should include cost estimates of implementing
the plan. The plan should be developed in consultation with the
National Taxpayer Advocate and approved by the IRS Oversight
Board prior to its submission to the House and Senate
Committees on Appropriations by no later than March 1, 2008.
Finally, to cover the costs of implementing the plan, the
Committee encourages the IRS to request the use of unobligated
funds as part of the reprogramming authority provided under
this act.
The Committee believes that an understanding of the causes
of inadvertent noncompliance and the role of preparers in
facilitating both inadvertent and intentional noncompliance
will improve tax administration and should inform IRS's
allocation of resources. Thus, in administering its NRP for
fiscal year 2008, the Committee directs the IRS to collect
information on the causes of noncompliance, including
inadvertent noncompliance, the type of return preparation
method (self, volunteer, paid preparer, or IRS preparer),
whether the taxpayer was represented during the examination,
and the extent to which that taxpayer sought and received IRS
services. The Committee further directs the IRS to use an
independent external survey firm to conduct interviews with NRP
taxpayers in order to identify the causes of taxpayer
noncompliance. The Committee directs the National Taxpayer
Advocate to assist with this effort.
Misclassification of Contractors.--The Committee is
concerned with the misclassification of workers as independent
contractors, who file using IRS Form 1099. Many of these
workers should be correctly classified as employees and should
file using W-2 forms. This misclassification leads to the
underreporting and underpayment of employment and payroll taxes
by employers and individuals, which accounts for a substantial
portion of the gross tax gap. Therefore, the Committee strongly
urges the IRS to provide increased tax enforcement in
industries where misclassification of employees is widespread.
Charitable Exempt Organizations.--The Committee notes
Congress' recent enactment of sweeping changes to the tax laws
governing charitable exempt organizations that will help
strengthen the accountability and transparency of the nonprofit
community. The Committee is aware that funding for Internal
Revenue Service oversight of exempt organizations has remained
relatively constant over the past 20 years while the nonprofit
community has nearly doubled in size and grown in complexity.
OPERATIONS SUPPORT
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $3,544,835,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 3,769,587,000
House allowance......................................... 3,769,587,000
Committee recommendation................................ 3,769,587,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Operations Support appropriation provides for overall
planning and direction of the IRS including shared service
support related to facilities services, rent payments,
printing, postage, and security; other support functions that
are considered overhead but essential to the successful
operation of IRS programs including resources for headquarters
management activities, including IRS-wide support for strategic
planning, communications and liaison, finance, human resources,
EEO and diversity; research and statistics of income; and
necessary expenses for information systems and
telecommunication support, including developmental information
systems and operational information systems.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $3,769,587,000 for Operations
Support for fiscal year 2008. This amount is $224,752,000 above
the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and the same as the budget
request. Bill language is included allowing $75,000,000 of
these funds to remain available until September 30, 2009 for
information technology support and not to exceed $1,000,000 to
remain available until September 30, 2010, for research;
$2,000,000 for the Internal Revenue Oversight Board; and
$50,000 for official reception and representation. The
Committee has provided additional reception and representation
funds due to the IRS's growing role in international tax
administration. These funds will be used to host meetings with
international tax organizations such as the Joint International
Tax Shelter Information Centre, Inter-American Center for Tax
Administrators, and others.
Information Technology [IT] Management and Oversight.--The
IRS has made significant strides in improving the management
and oversight of its business systems modernization [BSM]
program. Unfortunately, the IRS has not adequately addressed
major systemic problems with its non-BSM portfolio of
information technology projects as demonstrated by recent
failures during the past filing season. TIGTA has identified
problems in several areas of IT management and oversight
including, but not limited to, such areas as classification of
investment projects, oversight and governance structure, risk
management, contingency planning, and contractor performance
and accountability. Further, it appears that the Department of
the Treasury and the Office of Management and Budget have not
exercised proper oversight for the business cases (OMB Circular
A-11 Exhibit 300) used to justify the funding of the IRS's IT
projects.
The Committee remains troubled by the IT management and
oversight problems at the IRS, as demonstrated by the failures
with the Electronic Fraud Detection System, and it expects
better performance to ensure it can support its tax
administration activities. Accordingly, the Committee directs
the IRS to review its entire non-BSM IT portfolio (regardless
of tier classification) and make any changes as necessary to
ensure that each project has (1) been properly classified for
investment decision and management purposes, (2) the
appropriate governance structure in place (such as an executive
steering committee), (3) a risk management plan, (4) a
contingency plan in case of breakdowns or failures in scheduled
deliverables, (5) adequate provisions in the contracts to
ensure penalties and repayment to the agency if performance is
not met, (6) adequate contractor staffing and management in
place to fulfill the contract terms and deliverables, and (7)
been certified by the head of the relevant IRS business unit
that the project is deemed necessary for its operations and
meets its requirements. The Committee also directs the Chief
Information Officer to certify that this review has been
completed and submits such certification to the IRS Oversight
Board, the Department of the Treasury, the Office of Management
and Budget, the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations,
the House Ways and Means Committee, and the Senate Finance
Committee by no later than 90 days after the date of enactment
of this act. This certification should be accompanied by a
report on every individual IT project reviewed, a list of
projects considered to be high risk, and any actions being
taken to address problems identified by this review. The
Committee directs the IRS to provide monthly briefings to the
IRS Oversight Board and TIGTA on the status of its IT portfolio
and to report immediately on any project that has experienced
significant cost variances or milestone delivery date
slippages.
Modernization Vision and Strategy.--The Committee highly
commends the IRS for developing a new vision and strategy plan
for IT modernization. This plan was a joint effort between the
Modernization and Information Technology Services [MITS]
organization and the IRS business units to develop a
comprehensive business strategy for the IRS's IT needs. The
Committee recommends that the plan be further refined to
include a finer level of detail, and specifically, to include
milestones and out-year cost estimates.
The Committee encourages the IRS to review options for
modernizing its financial management software system. The IRS
should consider the most cost-effective management solution,
including an assessment of how other agencies have resolved
similar situations and an analysis of potential consolidation
of financial management systems with other entities within the
Department, and report to the Committees on Appropriations of
the Senate and House on the results of the review.
BUSINESS SYSTEMS MODERNIZATION
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $212,659,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 282,090,000
House allowance......................................... 282,090,000
Committee recommendation................................ 282,090,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This account provides for revamping business practices and
acquiring new technology. The IRS has undertaken a multi-year,
multi-billion dollar effort to migrate from its antiquated
legacy system to bring the IRS tax administration system to a
level of public and private sector best practices. The IRS is
using a formal methodology to prioritize, approve, fund, and
evaluate its portfolio of business systems modernization
investments. This methodology is designed to enforce a
documented, repeatable, and measurable process for managing
investments throughout their life cycle. The process is
reviewed by the Government Accountability Office on a regular
basis as part of the submission requirements for expenditure
plans to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations. The
expenditure plan approval process prior to the use of
appropriated funds continues for fiscal year 2008.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $282,090,000 for Business Systems
Modernization [BSM] for fiscal year 2008. This amount is the
same as the budget request and $69,431,000 above the fiscal
year 2007 enacted level. Under the revised appropriations
account structure, the BSM account has been modified to include
funding for IRS staffing associated with direct management of
the BSM program.
The Committee continues to believe that BSM is the IRS's
highest management and administrative priority. As one of the
Federal Government's largest most visible, and sensitive
modernizations efforts, managing the risks inherent in BSM will
require vigilant management attention for several years. To the
IRS's credit, the program has made steady progress over the
past 2 years. The Committee is heartened that the budget
request reflects the criticality of continued progress in
modernizing IRS's antiquated tax administration and financial
systems. The Committee is concerned about the impact of any
delays in releasing components of the BSM deliverables and
appreciates reqular progress updates.
HEALTH INSURANCE TAX CREDIT ADMINISTRATION
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $14,856,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 15,235,000
House allowance......................................... 15,235,000
Committee recommendation................................ 15,235,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This appropriation provides operating funds to administer
the advance payment feature of a refundable Trade Adjustment
Assistance health insurance tax credit program to assist
dislocated workers with their health insurance premiums. The
tax credit program was enacted by the Trade Act of 2002 (Public
Law 107-210) and became effective in August 2003.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommendation provides the budget request
level of $15,235,000 for the Health Insurance Tax Credit
Administration in fiscal year 2008. This amount is $379,000
above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level, and the same as the
budget request.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
The Committee has included five administrative provisions
carried in prior appropriations acts and seven new
administrative provisions. The administrative provisions are as
follows:
Section 101 continues a provision allowing the IRS to
transfer up to 5 percent of any appropriation made available to
the Agency in fiscal year 2008 to any other IRS account, with
the exception of the Enforcement account, which is limited to 3
percent. The IRS is directed to follow the Committee's
reprogramming procedures outlined earlier in this report.
Section 102 continues a provision maintaining a training
program in taxpayers' rights and cross-cultural relations.
Section 103 continues a provision requiring the IRS to
institute and enforce policies and procedures, which will
safeguard the confidentiality of taxpayer information.
Section 104 continues a provision directing that funds
shall be available for improved facilities and increased
staffing to support a 1-800 help line service for taxpayers.
Section 105 continues and modifies a provision designating
not less than $177,000,000 for the operating expenses of the
Taxpayer Advocate Service [TAS] of which not less than
$115,000,000 shall be made available from the Enforcement.
Further, this amount does not include the normal overhead
expenses that IRS provides outside of the TAS account.
Accordingly, the Committee directs the IRS to continue
providing overhead support from accounts outside of TAS.
Section 106 is a new provision designating not less than
$6,822,000,000 for enhanced tax enforcement to address the
Federal tax gap and an additional $406,000,000 for the Internal
Revenue Service for enhanced tax enforcement activities. This
provision is consistent with section 207(c)(2)(B) of the
concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2008 (House
Report 110-153).
Section 107 allows the IRS to transfer funds among its
accounts to implement the new account structure established in
fiscal year 2007.
Section 108 is a new provision that requires the IRS to
develop a tax gap strategic plan that details the approaches it
will use to achieve a voluntary compliance rate of 85 percent
in 2009. This goal was established by the administration in its
fiscal year 2007 budget justifications.
Section 109 is a new provision that extends an expiring
authorization of streamlined critical pay authority, a
personnel flexibility available to the IRS.
Section 110 is a new provision that extends expiring
authorization of personnel flexibilities available to the IRS
for recruitment, retention, relocation incentives, relocation
expenses, and performance awards for senior executives.
Section 111 is a new provision that makes a technical
correction to designate the Office of Personnel Management as
the agency responsible for fixing the rate of basic pay for
critical authority positions.
Section 112 is a new provision that limits the amount of
funds in this act that may be used to enter into, renew,
extend, administer, implement, enforce, provide oversight of,
or make any payment related to any qualified tax collection
contract.
Section 113 is a new provision requiring use of funds to
retrain and reassign to collection activities employees whose
positions are being eliminated as a result of ramping down IRS
processing centers, precluding any use of funds to expand the
number of qualified tax collection contracts while the IRS is
eliminating processing center employees, mandating a cost
comparison study and report, and requiring implementation of a
disability preference program for any additional qualified tax
collection contracts.
Section 114 is a new provision restricting the use of funds
to ramp down or eliminate submission processing activities,
including reductions in force, until the IRS studies and issues
a report.
Administrative Provisions--Department of the Treasury
The Committee includes 10 administrative provisions carried
over from prior appropriations acts and one new administrative
provision. The administrative provisions are as follows:
Section 113 authorizes certain basic services within the
Treasury Department in fiscal year 2008, including purchase of
uniforms; maintenance, repairs, and cleaning; purchase of
insurance for official motor vehicles operated in foreign
countries; and contracts with the Department of State for
health and medical services to employees and their dependents
serving in foreign countries.
Section 114 authorizes transfers, up to 2 percent, between
Departmental Offices, Office of Inspector General, Financial
Management Service, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau,
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and the Bureau of the
Public Debt appropriations under certain circumstances.
Section 115 authorizes transfer, up to 2 percent, between
the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Inspector General
for Tax Administration under certain circumstances.
Section 116 requires the purchase of law enforcement
vehicles be consistent with departmental vehicle management
principles.
Section 117 prohibits the Department of the Treasury and
the Bureau of Engraving and Printing from redesigning the $1
Federal Reserve Note.
Section 118 authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to
transfer funds from Salaries and Expenses, Financial Management
Service, to the Debt Collection Fund as necessary to cover the
costs of debt collection. Such amounts shall be reimbursed to
the Salaries and Expenses account from debt collections
received in the Debt Collection Fund.
Section 119 amends section 122(g)(1) of Public Law 105-119
as amended (5 U.S.C. 3104 note), relating to personnel
management demonstration project authority by striking ``8
years'' and inserting ``10 years''.
Section 120 requires prior approval for the construction
and operation of a museum by the United States Mint.
Section 121 prohibits the merger of the United States Mint
and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing without prior approval
of the committees of jurisdiction.
Section 122 is a provision that authorizes the Department's
intelligence activities.
Section 123 is a new provision that amends section 3333(a)
of title 31, United States Code regarding the Check Forgery
Insurance Fund.
TITLE II
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT AND FUNDS APPROPRIATED TO THE
PRESIDENT
Compensation of the President
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $450,000
Budget estimate, 2008.......................... 450,000
House allowance......................................... 450,000
Committee recommendation................................ 450,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This account provides for the compensation of the
President, including an expense allowance as authorized by 3
U.S.C. 102.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $450,000 for
Compensation of the President, including an expense allowance
of $50,000. This is the same as the fiscal year 2007 enacted
level and the same as the budget estimate. The expense account
is for official use as authorized by title 3, United States
Code and is not considered taxable to the President. The bill
specifies that any unused amount shall revert to the Treasury
consistent with 31 U.S.C. 1552.
White House Office
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $53,616,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... (\1\)
House allowance......................................... 53,156,000
Committee recommendation................................ 51,656,000
\1\The budget proposes a consolidation of most accounts for the White
House of $186,920,000, including this account.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Salaries and Expenses account of the White House Office
provides staff assistance and administrative services for the
direct support of the President. The office also serves as the
President's representative before the media. In accordance with
3 U.S.C. 105, the office also supports and assists the
activities of the First Lady.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $51,656,000
for White House Office Salaries and Expenses. The
recommendation is $1,960,000 less than the fiscal year 2007
enacted level.
The Committee has rejected the administration's request to
include many of the offices under the Executive Office of the
President under a single, consolidated account. The Committee
objects to the overall proposal since it would undermine the
ability of the Congress to exercise adequate oversight
regarding how these funds are expended.
The Committee includes $2,000,000 for the Privacy and Civil
Liberties Oversight Board as a separate account. The Committee
directs the Executive Office of the President to include
detailed budget information for the Civil Liberties Oversight
Board in next year's budget justification.
Executive Residence at the White House
OPERATING EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $12,398,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... (\1\)
House allowance......................................... 12,814,000
Committee recommendation................................ 12,814,000
\1\The budget proposes a consolidation of most accounts for the White
House of $186,920,000 including this account.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
These funds provide for the care, maintenance, repair,
alteration, refurnishing, improvement, air-conditioning,
heating, and lighting of the White House and the official and
ceremonial functions of the President.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $12,814,000
for the Executive Residence at the White House. The Committee
recommendation is $416,000 more than the fiscal year 2007
enacted level and is equal to certain assumptions in the budget
estimate. In particular, the administration's request includes
many of the accounts under the Executive Office of the
President under a single, consolidated account, including this
account. The Committee objects to the overall proposal since it
would undermine the ability of the Congress to exercise
adequate oversight regarding how these funds are expended. The
accompanying bill also continues certain restrictions on
reimbursable expenses for use of the Executive Residence.
WHITE HOUSE REPAIR AND RESTORATION
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $1,683,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... (\1\)
House allowance......................................... 1,600,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,600,000
\1\The budget proposes a consolidation of most accounts for the White
House of $186,920,000 including this account.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This account funds the repair, alteration, and improvement
of the Executive Residence at the White House. A separate
account was established in fiscal year 1996 to program and
track expenditures for the capital improvement projects at the
Executive Residence at the White House.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $1,600,000 for
White House Repair and Restoration, the same amount as assumed
in the overall budget request and a reduction of $83,000 from
the fiscal year 2007 enacted level.
Council of Economic Advisers
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $4,032,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... (\1\)
House allowance......................................... 4,118,000
Committee recommendation................................ 4,118,000
\1\The budget proposes a consolidation of most accounts for the White
House of $186,920,000 including this account.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Council of Economic Advisers analyzes the national
economy and its various segments, advises the President on
economic developments, recommends policies for economic growth
and stability, appraises economic programs and policies of the
Federal Government, and assists in the preparation of the
annual Economic Report of the President to Congress.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $4,118,000 for
salaries and expenses of the Council of Economic Advisers. This
amount is the same as the amount assumed in the overall budget
request and is $86,000 more than the fiscal year 2007 enacted
level.
Office of Policy Development
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $3,487,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... (\1\)
House allowance......................................... 3,482,000
Committee recommendation................................ 3,482,000
\1\The budget proposes a consolidation of most accounts of the White
House of $186,920,000 including this account.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Office of Policy Development supports the National
Economic Council and the Domestic Policy Council, in carrying
out their responsibilities to advise and assist the President
in the formulation, coordination, and implementation of
economic and domestic policy. The Office of Policy Development
also provides support for other domestic policy development and
implementation activities as directed by the President.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $3,482,000 for the Office of
Policy Development. This is the same as assumed in the budget
request and $5,000 below the fiscal year 2007 enacted level. In
particular, the administration's request includes many of the
accounts under the Executive Office of the President under a
single, consolidated account, including this account. The
Committee objects to the overall proposal since it would
undermine the ability of the Congress to exercise adequate
oversight regarding how these funds are expended.
National Security Council
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $8,684,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... (\1\)
House allowance......................................... 8,640,000
Committee recommendation................................ 8,640,000
\1\The budget proposes a consolidation of most accounts of the White
House of $186,920,000 including this account.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The National Security Council advises the President in
integrating domestic, foreign, and military policies relating
to the national security.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $8,640,000 for
the salaries and expenses of the National Security Council
[NSC]. This amount is the same as assumed in the budget request
and $44,000 less than the fiscal year 2007 enacted level.
Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... (\1\)
Budget estimate, 2008................................... (\2\)
House allowance.........................................................
Committee recommendation................................ $2,000,000
\1\$1,500,000 was included in the White House office appropriation.
\2\$1,500,000 was included in the White House office budget request.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Recommended by the July 22, 2004, report of the National
Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the 9/
11 Commission), the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board
was established by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism
Prevention Act of 2004. It consists of five members appointed
by and serving at the pleasure of the President. The Board
advises the President and other senior executive branch
officials to ensure that concerns with respect to privacy and
civil liberties are appropriately considered in the
implementation of all laws, regulations, and executive branch
policies related to efforts to protect the Nation against
terrorism. This includes advising on whether adequate
guidelines, supervision, and oversight exist to protect these
important legal rights of all Americans.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $2,000,000 for
the Board in a separate appropriation account. Funding for the
Board has previously been carried in the White House Office,
Salaries and Expenses appropriation account. The fiscal year
2007 amount was $1,500,000 and the fiscal year 2008 budget
request was also $1,500,000. The Committee believes that the
work of this important Board warrants a separate appropriation
account. The Committee expects the Board's annual report, as
required under Public Law 108-458, to specifically detail how
the additional funds provided have benefited the work and
responsibilities of the Board.
Office of Administration
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $88,643,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... (\1\)
House allowance......................................... 92,829,000
Committee recommendation................................ 92,829,000
\1\The budget proposes a consolidation of most accounts of the White
House of $186,920,000 including this account.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Office of Administration's mission is to provide high-
quality, cost-effective administrative services to the
Executive Office of the President. These services, defined by
Executive Order 12028 of 1977, include financial, personnel,
library and records services, information management systems
support, and general office services.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee has provided $92,829,000 to the Office of
Administration for fiscal year 2008, an increase of $4,186,000
over the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and $10,281,000 below
the amount assumed in the budget request.
The Committee has not included space rental costs for
Office of Management and Budget [OMB] and Office of National
Drug Control Policy [ONDCP] in this account. Funding for these
costs is included within the accounts of the respective
offices. That accounts for the reduction from the budget
request.
Office of Management and Budget
salaries and expenses
Appropriations, 2007........................... $76,714,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 70,866,000
House allowance......................................... 78,394,000
Committee recommendation................................ 78,394,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Office of Management and Budget [OMB] assists the
President in the discharge of his budgetary, management, and
other executive responsibilities.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $78,394,000
for the Office of Management and Budget which is $1,680,000
more than the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and $7,528,000
more than the budget request.
The Committee has included space rental costs in this
account, rather than in the Office of Administration as assumed
in the budget request, which accounts for the increase over the
budget.
The Committee directs OMB's attention to the reporting
directive contained in the OPM section of the report.
The Committee directs the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget to report to Congress no later than March
1, 2009, regarding the extent to which executive departments
and agencies that administer directed funding allocate the
designated amounts to intended recipients at a level less than
the amount specified in any enacted bill or accompanying report
describing such directed funding.
Office of National Drug Control Policy
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $26,766,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 23,833,000
House allowance......................................... 26,636,000
Committee recommendation................................ 25,152,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Office of National Drug Control Policy [ONDCP],
established by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, and
reauthorized by Public Law 109-469, is charged with developing
policies, objectives and priorities for the National Drug
Control Program. In addition, ONDCP administers the Counterdrug
Technology Assessment Center, the High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Areas program, the National Youth Anti-Drug Media
Campaign, the Drug-Free Communities Program and several other
related initiatives.
This account provides funding for personnel compensation,
travel, and other basic operations of the Office, and for
general policy research to support the formulation of the
National Drug Control Strategy.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $25,152,000
for ONDCP's salaries and expenses. This amount is $1,614,000
below the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and $1,269,000 above
the budget request.
An amount of $2,753,000 is provided under this heading for
rental payments to the General Services Administration [GSA]
instead of providing these funds under the heading ``Office of
Administration''. Within this amount the Committee provides the
following funding levels:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amount FTEs
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Office of the Director.................. $4,150,000 18
Office of the Deputy Director........... .............. (\1\)
Office of Management and Administration. 3,072,000 15
Office of Legal Counsel................. 1,100,000 6
Office of Public Affairs................ 2,130,000 7
Office of Legislative Affairs........... 1,015,000 7
Major Cities............................ .............. ..............
Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center .............. ..............
Office of Planning and Budget........... 3,092,000 17
Office of Demand Reduction.............. 1,780,000 11
Office of National Youth Anti-Drug Media 825,000 6
Campaign...............................
Office of State, Local & Tribal Affairs. 2,125,000 14
Office of Supply Reduction.............. 2,860,000 17
Office of Intelligence.................. (\2\) ..............
Policy Research......................... 250,000 ..............
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Vacant.
\2\Not Requested.
Should a Deputy Director be established, ONDCP shall notify
the Committee immediately in order to address funding issues.
Funding is denied for the Major Cities program which has
demonstrated no discernable results. The director of the Drug-
Free Communities Support Program, who has had the dual mission
of overseeing the Major Cities program, is better served, the
Committee believes, by focusing on the main mission of helping
communities prevent drug use.
Funding has never been specifically requested for the Major
Cities program, which is unauthorized, but which has been
staffed by other ONDCP personnel who have permanent jobs in
other components and funded via the salaries and expenses
account. The Committee is aware of some objections raised by
the authorizing committee and believes that ONDCP should seek
authorization prior to allocating staffing and funding
resources for this unauthorized program.
Policy Research and Evaluation.--The Committee notes that
funding for policy research and evaluation is intended to
support short-term, policy-oriented secondary data and drug
program analyses such as the economic costs to society of drug
abuse, price and purity trends, and the estimated availability
of illicit drugs. These studies are viewed as an important
contribution to the Nation's understanding of drug use and its
consequences. The use of policy research funds was never
intended by the Committee to be used for primary data
collection. The Committee requires that funding for policy
research be used as it was originally intended and requests
that ONDCP report to the Committee on its policy research plans
for using these funds within 30 days after the enactment of
this act.
The Committee is aware of the extensive travel conducted by
ONDCP officials in recent years and questions the need for such
extensive travel. The Committee provides a level of $600,000
for travel, as follows: $150,000 for the Office of Supply
Reduction; $100,000 for the Office of Demand Reduction;
$150,000 to the Office of State, Local and Tribal Affairs;
$50,000 for the Office of Performance and Budget; and $150,000
for all other ONDCP offices and components.
The Committee does not agree with ONDCP's proposal to
reorganize 3 of the agency's 12 components, therefore the
Committee has included a provision to continue the prohibition
against the reorganization.
The principal purpose of the White House Office of National
Drug Control Policy [ONDCP] is to establish priorities,
objectives, and policies for the Nation's drug control program.
The Committee is concerned that the overall organization of
ONDCP is ineffective and must be improved. In fact, 7 years
ago, an independent review found weaknesses in ONDCP management
and organization, and unfortunately these problems persist
today. The Committee believes an investigation into funding
allocations and expenditures, as well as the use of resources
is warranted. The Committee believes an independent review of
the overall organization and management of grants and funding
systems would be beneficial to ONDCP and the Congress. Such an
evaluation may provide insight into changes and improvements
that could make ONDCP more effective in the future. Therefore,
the Committee has allocated funding for a study by the National
Academy of Public Administration [NAPA] to conduct a review of
organization and management. In addition, the Committee also
requests that the Government Accountability Office [GAO] review
the grant management systems, and other funding systems--
emphasizing the criteria and methodology used to award and
distribute funds. The Committee is aware and supportive of
GAO's ongoing review of the Drug-Free Communities program, and
recommends that GAO also review the Counterdrug Technology
Assessment Center and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas
Program, among others. The Committee expects NAPA and GAO to
work together, sharing progress and information during the
course of their reviews, which should begin within 60 days
after the enactment of this act.
The Committee directs the Director to provide to the
Committees on Appropriations quarterly reports on travel
expenditures, summarized by office, program, and individual,
including dates and purpose of travel. The Committee further
directs the Director to provide to the Committees on
Appropriations quarterly reports on current staffing levels and
plans for future hirings. The staffing report shall include
office, position title, salary, and job classifications of all
persons employed by ONDCP, including contractors.
Meth use.--House Report 109-703, the conference report to
accompany H.R. 3058, directed ONDCP to increase its focus,
resources and activities targeted at combating meth abuse. The
Director shall report to the Committee within 30 days after
enactment of this act on ONDCP's accomplishments pursuant to
that directive. As part of that report, the Director shall also
report on additional options for how ONDCP, in conjunction with
other Federal agencies if appropriate, can reduce meth use,
particularly in rural communities. The Committee encourages the
consideration of options that result in the expansion of
methamphetamine treatment for pregnant and parenting women
offenders.
COUNTERDRUG TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT CENTER
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $20,000,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 5,000,000
House allowance......................................... 10,000,000
Committee recommendation................................................
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center [CTAC] was
established by the Counter-Narcotics Technology Act of 1990
(Public Law 101-510) and reauthorized in 1998 (Public Law 105-
277) to serve as the central counterdrug technology research
and development organization for the United States Government.
CTAC encompasses two separate functions: (1) the Research and
Development program [R&D;], which supports improvements to
counterdrug capabilities that transcend the need of any single
Federal agency; and (2) the Technology Transfer Program [TTP],
which provides state-of-the-art, affordable, easily integrated
and maintainable tools to enhance the capabilities of State and
local law enforcement agencies for counterdrug missions.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
Funding for this once valuable program, has deteriorated
steadily from a level of $46,538,000 in fiscal year 2003 to a
requested level of only $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2008. Funding
from previous years has remained unexpended despite
congressional direction to reinstate CTAC programs as
previously existed, and congressional intent with regard to
this program has been ignored. The Committee is highly
disappointed in the director of this program and is troubled by
his ideas for research and development that appear to have
little or no value, such as studying sewage, among others.
Moreover, the CTAC Director serves a dual mission as a special
assistant to the director, diluting his ability to focus on
managing and spending CTAC resources. The CTAC program has
adequate unexpended balances from previous years to continue
funding for the program in fiscal year 2008, therefore, the
Committee provides no funding for the CTAC account.
Funds Appropriated to the President
FEDERAL DRUG CONTROL PROGRAMS
HIGH INTENSITY DRUG TRAFFICKING AREAS
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $224,730,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 220,000,000
House allowance......................................... 226,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 235,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas [HIDTA] program
was established by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, as amended,
and the Office of National Drug Control Policy's
reauthorization (Public Law 109-469) to provide assistance to
Federal, State and local law enforcement entities operating in
those areas most adversely affected by drug trafficking.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $235,000,000
for the HIDTA program, an increase of $10,270,000 over the
fiscal year 2007 level and $15,000,000 more than the budget
request. The Committee directs that funding shall be provided
for the existing HIDTAs at no less than the fiscal year 2007
initial allocation level, unless the Director submits to the
House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, and the
Committees approve, a request for reprogramming of the funds
based on clearly articulated priorities for the HIDTA program,
as well as published ONDCP performance measures of
effectiveness. Furthermore, the Committee directs the Director
to take appropriate steps to ensure that the HIDTA funds are
transferred to the appropriate drug control agencies
expeditiously.
In allocating HIDTA funds, the Committee expects the
Director of ONDCP to ensure that the entities receiving these
limited resources make use of them strictly for implementing
the strategy for each HIDTA, taking into consideration local
conditions and resource requirements. In this regard,
methamphetamine is a primary illicit drug threat across the
country. Its widespread use and resulting addiction, combined
with the overwhelming availability of high purity, low cost
methamphetamine is cause for serious concern. Cocaine and
heroin also represent significant threats and Ecstasy is an
increasing danger. Marijuana is readily available and widely
abused across the United States. The prevalence of Canadian-
produced marijuana, commonly known as BC Bud, and potent
marijuana from the Appalachian States are two examples that
demonstrate the need for and value of marijuana eradication
programs.
The HIDTA funds should not be used to supplant existing
support for ongoing Federal, State, or local drug control
operations normally funded out of the operating budgets of each
agency. ONDCP is directed to hold back all HIDTA funds from a
State until such time as a State or locality has met its
financial obligation.
The Committee is disappointed by ONDCP's delay in the award
of HIDTA funding, and includes provisions in the bill to
address this issue.
OTHER FEDERAL DRUG CONTROL PROGRAMS
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $192,951,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 224,485,000
House allowance......................................... 197,800,000
Committee recommendation................................ 204,735,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-690), as
amended, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Reauthorization Act (Public Law 109-469) established this
account to be administered by the Director of the Office of
National Drug Control Policy. The funds appropriated to the
program support high-priority drug control programs and may be
transferred to drug control agencies.
This account includes the following programs: National
Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, Drug-Free Communities Support
Program, National Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute,
National Drug Court Institute, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, World
Anti-Doping Agency [WADA] membership dues, National Alliance
for Model State Drug Laws, and Performance Measures
Development.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $204,735,000
for Other Federal Drug Control Programs, which is $11,784,000
more than the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and $19,750,000
less than the budget request. Within this amount, the Committee
provides the following funding levels:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amount
------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign................. $100,000,000
Drug-Free Communities Support Program................... 90,000,000
National Drug Court Institute........................... 1,000,000
U.S. Anti-Doping Agency................................. 10,285,000
World Anti-Doping Agency [WADA]......................... 1,700,000
National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws............. 1,500,000
Performance Measures Development........................ 250,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign.--The Committee has
provided consistent monetary support for the National Youth
Anti-Drug Media Campaign since it was initially funded by
Congress in fiscal year 1998. The Committee continues to be
concerned about the direction and efficacy of the Media
Campaign as it is currently structured, and notes that
independent reports have concluded that the Media Campaign has
not had a demonstrable nationwide effect on reducing drug use
among the Campaign's target population. Furthermore, the GAO
confirms that the Media Campaign has not been effective in
reducing youth drug use. The Committee is concerned that meth
is having a disproportional impact on our rural communities,
rendering the addiction an epidemic in the lives of so many
Americans from the Nation's farmlands, reservations, and small
towns. Most of these communities, because they are located
outside of urban areas, lack the comprehensive support services
needed to effectively address the addiction and its devastating
grip on so many families. The Committee provides $100,000,000
for the Media Campaign, of which at least $10,000,000 shall be
for meth prevention ads. The Committee directs that no more
than 10 percent of the funding provided for the Media Campaign
be used for administrative costs.
Drug-Free Communities Support Program.--ONDCP has directed
the Drug-Free Communities Support Program [DFCSP] in
partnership with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention since it was created by the Drug-Free Communities
Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-20). DFCSP provides dollar for
dollar matching grants of up to $125,000 to local coalitions
that mobilize their communities to prevent youth alcohol,
tobacco, illicit drug, and inhalant abuse. Such grants support
coalitions of youth; parents; media; law enforcement; school
officials; faith-based organizations; fraternal organizations;
State, local, and tribal government agencies; healthcare
professionals; and other community representatives. The DFCSP
enables these coalitions to strengthen their coordination and
prevention efforts, encourage citizen participation in
substance abuse reduction efforts, and disseminate information
about effective programs. The Committee provides $90,000,000
for the continuation of the DFCSP.
The Committee has also included a provision in the bill
directing ONDCP to provide $2,000,000 of DFCSP funds for
training and related purposes as authorized by section 4 of
Public Law 107-82, as amended by Public Law 109-469.
United States Anti-Doping Agency.--The United States Anti-
Doping Agency [USADA] is the independent anti-doping agency for
Olympic sports in the United States, and is responsible for
managing the testing and adjudication process for U.S. Olympic,
Pan Am and Paralympic athletes. As a nonprofit corporation
under the leadership of an independent Board of Directors,
USADA has the authority to set forth guiding principles in
anti-doping policy and to enforce any doping violations. In
addition to managing collection and testing procedures, USADA
is also responsible for enhancing research efforts and
promoting educational programs to inform athletes of the rules
governing the use of performance enhancing substances, the
ethics of doping and its harmful health effects.
The Committee provides $10,285,000 for USADA, which is
$1,870,000 more than the fiscal year 2007 level and $8,000,000
more than the budget request.
World Anti-Doping Agency.--ONDCP is a full participant in
the World Anti-Doping Agency [WADA], which promotes and
coordinates international activities against doping in all
forms of sports. The Committee provides $1,700,000 for
membership dues to the WADA, consistent with the commitment the
United States has entered for support of WADA. In providing
these funds, the Committee directs ONDCP to use its voice and
vote as the United States' representative in this world body to
ensure that all countries' athletes are subject to fair and
equal standards and treatment.
National Drug Court Institute.--The National Drug Court
Institute facilitates the growth of the drug court movement by
promoting and disseminating education, research, and
scholarship concerning drug court programs and providing a
comprehensive drug court training series for practitioners.
Drug courts provide an effective means to fight drug-related
crime through the cooperative efforts of State and local law
enforcement, the judicial system, and the public health
treatment network. The Committee provides $1,000,000 for the
National Drug Court Institute.
National Alliance For Model State Drug Laws.--The National
Alliance for Model State Drug Laws [NAMSDL] is a national
organization that drafts, researches, and analyzes model drug
and alcohol laws and related State statutes, provides access to
a national network of drug and alcohol experts, and facilitates
working relationships among State and community leaders and
drug and alcohol professionals. In doing so, NAMSDL encourages
States to adopt and implement laws, policies, and regulations
to reduce drug trafficking, drug use, and their related
consequences. The Committee provides $1,500,000 to NAMSDL and
directs ONDCP to provide the entire amount directly to NAMSDL
within 30 days after enactment of this act.
NAMSDL can play a key role in coordinating State efforts to
ensure that methamphetamine manufacturers are not able to
circumvent limits on the sale of methamphetamine precursor
chemicals by traveling across State lines when buying these
chemicals and taking advantage of different State recordkeeping
systems. Accordingly, within 120 days after enactment of this
act, the Committee directs NAMSDL, with assistance from ONDCP
and the Department of Justice and after appropriate
consultation with State law enforcement and regulatory
organizations and with retail sellers, to issue a report to the
Committee on Appropriations describing the model architecture
and operation of statewide methamphetamine precursor electronic
logbook systems.
Performance Measures.--Performance Measures funding is used
to conduct evaluation research for assessing the effectiveness
of the National Drug Control Strategy. Projects undertaken with
these resources are to entail efforts to encourage and work
with selected programs to develop and improve needed data
sources. As noted in Senate Report 109-109, the Committee is
concerned that initiatives proposed for funding under PMD are
more appropriately funded as part of CTAC's R&D; Program or
ONDCP Policy Research. The Committee provides $250,000 for this
program and directs ONDCP to outline and submit to the
Committee a detailed plan for projects that assess the
effectiveness of the strategy in achieving its goals and
objectives, and develop and improve needed data sources,
including specific funding levels, no later than 120 days after
enactment of this act.
Unanticipated Needs
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $990,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 1,000,000
House allowance......................................... 1,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
These funds enable the President to meet unanticipated
exigencies in support of the national interest, security, or
defense.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $1,000,000 which is $10,000 more
than appropriated in fiscal year 2007 and the same as the
budget request.
Special Assistance to the President
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $4,432,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 4,432,000
House allowance......................................... 4,432,000
Committee recommendation................................ 4,432,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This appropriation provides for staff and expenses to
enable the Vice President to provide assistance to the
President in connection with the performance of executive
duties and responsibilities. The Vice President also has a
staff funded by the Senate to assist him in the performance of
his legislative duties. These funds also support the official
activities of the spouse of the Vice President.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $4,432,000 for
special assistance to the President. This amount is the same as
the budget request and the same as the fiscal year 2007 enacted
level.
Official Residence of the Vice President
OPERATING EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $322,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 320,000
House allowance......................................... 320,000
Committee recommendation................................ 320,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This account supports the care and operation of the Vice
President's residence on the grounds of the Naval Observatory.
These funds specifically support equipment, furnishings, dining
facilities, and services required to perform and discharge the
Vice President's official duties, functions and obligations.
Funds to renovate the residence are provided through the
Department of the Navy budget. The Committee has had a
longstanding interest in the condition of the residence and
expects to be kept fully apprised by the Vice President's
office of any and all renovations and alterations made to the
residence by the Navy.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $320,000 for
the official residence of the Vice President. This amount is
the same as the budget request and $2,000 less than the fiscal
year 2007 enacted level.
Administrative Provisions--Executive Office of the President and Funds
Appropriated to the President
Section 201. The Committee continues a provision that
provides flexibility in the use of funds in accounts under the
Executive Office of the President.
Section 202. The Committee includes a new provision
requiring a financial plan by the Director of the ONDCP prior
to the obligation of funds in fiscal year 2008.
Section 203. The Committee includes a new provision
allowing for the transfer of up to 3 percent among programs
within ONDCP.
Section 204. The Committee includes a new provision
establishing new reprogramming requirements for ONDCP.
Section 205. The Committee includes a new provision
requiring ONDCP to comport with budget estimates except as
otherwise provided in this act, or through an approved
reprogramming.
TITLE III
THE JUDICIARY
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Established under Article III of the Constitution, the
judicial branch of Government is a separate but equal branch.
The Federal Judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, United
States Courts of Appeals, District Courts, Bankruptcy Courts,
Court of International Trade, Court of Federal Claims and
several other entities and programs. The organization of the
judiciary, the district and circuit boundaries, the places of
holding court, and the number of Federal judges are legislated
by the Congress and signed into law by the President.
The Committee's recommended funding levels support the
Federal judiciary's role of providing equal justice under the
law and include sufficient funds to support this critical
mission. The recommended funding level includes the salaries of
judges and support staff and the operation and security of our
Nation's courts.
The judicial branch is reminded that it, too, is subject to
the same funding constraints facing the executive and
legislative branches and continues to urge the Federal
judiciary to devote its resources primarily to the retention of
staff. Further, the judiciary is encouraged to contain
controllable costs such as travel, construction, and other non-
essential expenses.
In addition, the judiciary is reminded that section 705 of
the accompanying act applies to the judicial as well as the
executive branch.
Supreme Court of the United States
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $62,576,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 66,526,000
House allowance......................................... 66,526,000
Committee recommendation................................ 66,522,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The United States Supreme Court consists of nine justices
appointed under Article III of the Constitution of the United
States, one of whom is appointed as Chief Justice of the United
States. The Supreme Court acts as the final arbiter in the
Federal court system.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $66,522,000
for the Justices, their supporting personnel, and the costs of
operating the Supreme Court, excluding the care of the building
and grounds. The recommendation is $3,946,000 above the fiscal
year 2007 funding level and reflects the judiciary's re-
estimate of fiscal year 2008 requirements. The Committee has
provided inflationary and other standard adjustments and
supports five additional staff to support information
technology [IT] operations of the Court.
CARE OF THE BUILDING AND GROUNDS
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $11,427,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 12,201,000
House allowance......................................... 12,201,000
Committee recommendation................................ 12,201,000
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $12,201,000
for personnel and other services related to the Supreme Court
building and grounds, which is supervised by the Architect of
the Capitol. The recommendation is $774,000 above the fiscal
year 2007 funding level and identical to the budget request.
The Committee has provided the additional two permanent staff
to address workload increases along with the four temporary
staff in support of various construction projects. The
Committee directs the Court to report to the Committee on its
construction and modernization plans and to update the
Committee as the Court becomes aware of any changes in schedule
or budgetary needs.
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
salaries and expenses
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $25,311,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 28,538,000
House allowance......................................... 27,976,000
Committee recommendation................................ 27,438,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
was established under Article III of the Constitution on
October 1, 1982. The court was formed by the merger of the
United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals and the
appellate division of the United States Court of Claims. The
court consists of twelve judges who are appointed by the
President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Judges
are appointed to the court under Article III of the
Constitution of the United States.
The Federal Circuit has nationwide jurisdiction in a
variety of subject matter, including international trade,
government contracts, patents, certain claims for money from
the United States Government, Federal personnel, and veterans'
benefits. Appeals to the court come from all Federal district
courts, the United States Court of Federal Claims, the United
States Court of International Trade, and the United States
Court of Veterans Appeals. The court also takes appeals of
certain administrative agencies' decisions, including the Merit
Systems Protection Board, the Board of Contract Appeals, the
Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences, and the Trademark
Trial and Appeals Board. Decisions of the United States
International Trade Commission, the Office of Compliance of the
United States Congress and the Government Accountability Office
Personnel Appeals Board are also reviewable by the court.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $27,438,000.
The recommendation is $2,127,000 above the fiscal year 2007
funding level, $1,100,000 below the budget request, and
$1,004,000 below the judiciary's re-estimate of fiscal year
2008 requirements. Of the amount provided, the Committee has
partially funded the highest priority requested increase,
providing three FTE.
The Committee understands that the case management/
electronic case filing [CM/ECF] system being developed by the
judiciary will save time and create efficiencies that are being
realized at every step of the judicial process. Data and
documents added to the trial court CM/ECF system will be
available throughout the life of the case. Linked national
systems also allow for easy access to documents in all courts.
All of the CM/ECF systems are supported by the national support
structure that maintains the application, provides training and
support, and provides replication of all data--and nearly
uninterrupted access to court documents--in case of
emergencies. The CM/ECF system, designed to link the judiciary
at every level, is being implemented with all 12 regional
courts of appeals. Feedback from the courts has been positive,
particularly in the areas of efficiencies gained and improved
training time. All courts of appeals, including the Federal
Circuit, were invited to participate in the development
process, but the Federal Circuit chose instead to develop its
own system. Due to budgetary constraints, the Committee is
unable to fund duplicative systems that are not able to take
advantage of savings due to economies of scale.
U.S. Court of International Trade
salaries and expenses
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $15,825,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 16,727,000
House allowance......................................... 16,544,000
Committee recommendation................................ 16,632,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The United States Court of International Trade, located in
New York City, consists of nine Article III judges. The court
has exclusive nationwide jurisdiction over civil actions
brought against the United States, its agencies and officers,
and certain civil actions brought by the United States, arising
out of import transactions and the administration and
enforcement of the Federal customs and international trade
laws.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $16,632,000.
The recommendation is $807,000 above the fiscal year 2007
funding level and $95,000 below the budget request.
Courts of Appeals, District Courts, and Other Judicial Services
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $4,476,569,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 4,854,455,000
House allowance......................................... 4,660,590,000
Committee recommendation................................ 4,709,991,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Salaries and Expenses is one of four accounts that provide
total funding for the Courts of Appeals, District Courts and
Other Judicial Services. In addition to funding the salaries of
judges and support staff, this account also funds the operating
costs of appellate, district and bankruptcy courts, and
probation and pretrial services offices.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of
$4,709,991,000. The recommendation is $233,422,000 above the
fiscal year 2007 funding level and $144,464,000 below the
budget request.
The Committee has adequately funded this account to enable
the courts to meet their workload demands. The Committee
believes retention of personnel should remain a top priority
and has funded the requested judges and staffing increases and
looks forward to receiving regularly updated reports about
staffing at the Southwest border and other critical areas for
which the judiciary received funding for in fiscal year 2007
and fiscal year 2008. The Committee has provided $1,100,000 of
the $9,100,000 increase requested for information technology
new programs and improvements.
The Committee acknowledges the cost containment measures
undertaken by the judiciary and strongly supports the
continuation of those efforts. The Committee urges the Judicial
Conference to weigh carefully its need for more space to
adjudicate cases against the Federal judiciary's rent needs.
The Committee is pleased that efforts to deal with rent issues
by the judiciary and the General Services Administration have
improved. The Committee encourages the Judicial Conference to
ensure adequate checks are in place so that future construction
requests and projects are subjected to the highest standards of
cost-efficiency. The Committee directs the Administrative
Office of the Courts to report to the Committee no later than
120 days after the date of enactment of this act on steps that
have been and are being taken to encourage more efficient use
of space by district and circuit courts. Strategic planning has
become a valuable tool to the executive branch agencies as they
plan for the future.
Carryover Funds.--Due to unique circumstances, the
judiciary has reported significant carryover funds in recent
fiscal years. The Committee is concerned that the
administrative office has not first used these carryover funds
to offset projected decreases in fee collections and other
projected needs and has, instead, used this funding to augment
existing programs. This has resulted in an increase in the
judiciary's uncontrollable costs, unnecessary funding requests
and greater baseline needs. As such, the Administrative Office
is directed to ensure that current and projected funding needs
are met first with carryover funds before enhancing any
program. The Committee directs the Administrative Office to
separately include in future financial plans, for approval by
the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, all sources
of carryover funds and their desired application.
VACCINE INJURY COMPENSATION TRUST FUND
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $3,952,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 4,099,000
House allowance......................................... 4,099,000
Committee recommendation................................ 4,099,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Enacted by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of
1986 (Public Law 99-660), the Vaccine Injury Compensation
Program is a Federal no-fault program designed to resolve a
perceived crisis in vaccine tort liability claims that
threatened the continued availability of childhood vaccines
nationwide. The statute's primary intention is the creation of
a more efficient adjudicatory mechanism that ensures a no-fault
compensation result for those allegedly injured or killed by
certain covered vaccines. This program protects the
availability of vaccines in the United States by diverting a
substantial number of claims from the tort arena.
Not only did this act create a special fund to pay
judgments awarded under the act, but it also created the Office
of Special Masters [OSM] within the United States Court of
Federal Claims to hear vaccine injury cases. The act stipulates
that up to eight special masters may be appointed for this
purpose. The special masters expenditures are reimbursed to the
judiciary for vaccine injury cases from a special fund set up
under the Vaccine Act.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $4,099,000.
The recommendation is $147,000 above the fiscal year 2007
funding level and consistent with the budget request.
Defender Services
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $776,283,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 859,834,000
House allowance......................................... 830,499,000
Committee recommendation................................ 840,601,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Defender Services program ensures the right to counsel
guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment, the Criminal Justice Act (18
U.S.C. 3006A(e)) and other congressional mandates for those who
cannot afford to retain counsel and other necessary defense
services. The Criminal Justice Act provides that courts appoint
counsel from Federal public and community defender
organizations or from a panel of private attorneys established
by the court. The Defender Services program helps to maintain
public confidence in the Nation's commitment to equal justice
under the law and ensures the successful operation of the
constitutionally based adversary system of justice by which
Federal criminal laws and federally guaranteed rights are
enforced.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $840,601,000.
The recommendation is $64,318,000 above the fiscal year 2007
funding level and $19,233,000 below the budget request.
Panel Attorney Pay Rates.--The Committee has increased the
non-capital panel attorney rate per hour from $94 to $96 in
fiscal year 2008. The Committee approves of the judiciary's
presentation of this cost-of-living adjustment request as a
program increase, instead of an adjustment to base.
Fees of Jurors and Commissioners
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $60,945,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 62,350,000
House allowance......................................... 62,350,000
Committee recommendation................................ 63,081,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This account provides for the statutory fees and allowances
of grand and petit jurors and for the compensation of jury and
land commissioners. Budgetary requirements depend primarily
upon the volume and the length of jury trials demanded by
parties to both civil and criminal actions and the number of
grand juries being convened by the courts at the request of the
United States Attorneys.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $63,081,000.
The recommendation is $2,136,000 above the fiscal year 2007
funding level and reflects the judiciary's re-estimate of
fiscal year 2008 requirements.
Court Security
(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $378,663,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 421,789,000
House allowance......................................... 396,476,000
Committee recommendation................................ 412,720,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Court Security appropriation was established in 1983
and funds the necessary expenses incident to the provision of
protective guard services, and the procurement, installation,
and maintenance of security systems and equipment for United
States courthouses and other facilities housing Federal court
operations, including building access control, inspection of
mail and packages, directed security patrols, perimeter
security provided by the Federal Protective Service, and other
similar activities as authorized by section 1010 of the
Judicial Improvement and Access to Justice Act (Public Law 100-
702).
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $412,720,000.
The recommendation is $34,057,000 above the fiscal year 2007
funding level and $2,006,000 below the judiciary's re-estimate
of fiscal year 2008 requirements.
Judicial Facility Security Program.--As provided in bill
language, the United States Marshals Service [USMS] is
responsible for administering the Judicial Facility Security
Program consistent with standards and guidelines agreed to by
the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
and the Attorney General. However, court security funding is
appropriated by Congress directly to the judiciary which
provides an important stewardship role, including financial and
program oversight. While court security funding is subsequently
transferred to the USMS, which is responsible for program
administration, the Committee expects full cooperation from the
USMS as the judiciary conducts the fiduciary and program
oversight responsibilities pertaining to this funding.
Administrative Office of the United States Courts
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $72,377,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 78,536,000
House allowance......................................... 75,667,000
Committee recommendation................................ 78,536,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Administrative Office [AO] of the United States Courts
was created in 1939 by an Act of Congress. It serves the
Federal judiciary in carrying out its constitutional mission to
provide equal justice under the law. Beyond providing numerous
services to the Federal courts, the AO provides support and
staff counsel to the Judicial Conference of the United States
and its committees, and implements Judicial Conference policies
as well as applicable Federal statutes and regulations. The AO
is the focal point for communication and coordination within
the judiciary and with Congress, the executive branch, and the
public on behalf of the judiciary.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $78,536,000.
This recommendation is $6,159,000 above the fiscal year 2007
funding level and the same as the budget request.
Federal Judicial Center
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $22,874,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 24,835,000
House allowance......................................... 23,994,000
Committee recommendation................................ 24,475,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Federal Judicial Center, located in Washington, DC,
improves the management of Federal judicial dockets and court
administration through education for judges and staff and
research, evaluation, and planning assistance for the courts
and the Judicial Conference. The Center's responsibilities
include educating judges and other judicial branch personnel
about legal developments and efficient litigation management
and court administration. Additionally, the Center also
analyzes the efficacy of case and court management procedures
and ensures the Federal judiciary is aware of the methods of
best practice.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $24,475,000.
The recommendation is $1,601,000 above the fiscal year 2007
funding level and $360,000 below the budget request.
The Committee has included all requested funds in the
Center's adjustment to base and half the funds requested for
education, research and technology enhancements. The Committee
directs the Federal Judicial Center to keep the Committee
apprised of staff brought on board throughout fiscal year 2007.
Judicial Retirement Funds
PAYMENT TO JUDICIARY TRUST FUNDS
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $58,300,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 65,400,000
House allowance......................................... 65,400,000
Committee recommendation................................ 65,400,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The funds in this account cover the estimated future
benefit payments to be made to retired bankruptcy judges and
magistrate judges, claims court judges, and spouses and
dependent children of deceased judicial officers.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $65,400,000
for payments to the Judicial Officers' Retirement Fund and the
Claims Court Judges Retirement Fund. The recommendation is
$7,100,000 above the fiscal year 2007 funding level and
identical to the budget request.
United States Sentencing Commission
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $14,601,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 16,191,000
House allowance......................................... 15,477,000
Committee recommendation................................ 15,477,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The United States Sentencing Commission establishes,
reviews and revises sentencing guidelines, policies and
practices for the Federal criminal justice system. The
Commission is also required to monitor the operation of the
guidelines and to identify and report necessary changes to the
Congress.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $15,477,000.
The recommendation is $876,000 above the fiscal year 2007
funding level and reflective of the judiciary's re-estimate of
fiscal year 2008 requirements.
Administrative Provisions--The Judiciary
The Committee recommends the following administrative
provisions for the judiciary.
Section 301 allows the judiciary to expend funds for the
employment of experts and consultant services.
Section 302 allows the judiciary, subject to the
Committee's reprogramming procedures, to transfer up to 5
percent between appropriations, but limits to 10 percent the
amount that can be transferred into any one appropriation.
Section 303 limits official reception and representation
expenses incurred by the Judicial Conference of the United
States to no more than $11,000.
Section 304 requires the Administrative Office to submit an
annual financial plan for the judiciary.
Section 305 allows for a salary adjustment for Justices and
judges.
Section 306 grants the judicial branch the same tenant
alteration authorities as the executive branch.
Section 307 clarifies that the U.S. Marshals Service has
the authority to provide security services at several
designated primary courthouses as part of a pilot program.
Section 308 adds Vancouver, Washington, as a place of
holding court.
TITLE IV
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Federal Payments
FEDERAL FUNDS
A total of $613,746,000 in Federal funds are estimated to
be available to the District of Columbia government, the
District of Columbia Courts, the District of Columbia Court
Services and Offender Supervision Agency, and other D.C.
entities. This is $22,734,000 above the fiscal year 2007
enacted level and $16,157,000 above the budget request. A total
of $2,015,854,000 in Federal funds will be received by the
District government from the various Federal grant programs,
including Federal reimbursements from such programs as Medicaid
and Medicare.
FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA RESIDENT TUITION SUPPORT
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $32,868,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 35,100,000
House allowance......................................... 35,100,000
Committee recommendation................................ 33,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Resident Tuition Support program was created by the
District of Columbia College Access Act of 1999 and expanded
through the District of Columbia College Access Improvement Act
of 2001. This program provides eligible college-bound District
residents the opportunity to expand their higher education
choices.
Under the program, financial assistance is available to
qualified District residents who attend public colleges outside
of the District of Columbia, private postsecondary institutions
in the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, or any
historically black college or university. The private-school
tuition grants are restricted to nonprofit institutions.
Students who attend public schools receive assistance equal to
the difference between the tuition paid by residents of the
state in which the institution is located and the tuition
charged to nonresident students, with an annual limit of
$10,000 and a lifetime limit of $50,000. Private-school
students receive a $2,500 maximum annual grant, with a lifetime
limit of $12,500.
Since its inception, the program has disbursed nearly
$160,000,000 for the benefit of over 11,000 District of
Columbia residents. Thirty-eight percent of the grantees are
the first members of their families to attend college.
The Committee understands that the program will have an
estimated $7,000,000 in carryover funds available in fiscal
year 2008, and even if projected program costs reach almost
$38,000,000, additional Federal funds needed to cover those
costs would total only $31,000,000.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a Federal payment of $33,000,000
for the resident tuition support program, an increase of
$132,000 over the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and $2,100,000
below the budget request. The Committee urges the State
Education Office to continue its efforts to improve the college
graduation rate of program participants. Because program costs
have the potential of growing beyond a level for which
increased Federal funding may be available and sustainable, the
Committee directs the Mayor and the State Education Office to
institute effective cost containment measures and regularly
report to Congress on the effects of these efforts. The
Committee further directs the District to fully explore non-
Federal sources of additional funds to augment the Federal
investment to meet program needs. As specified in Public Law
106-98 which established the program, the Committee directs the
Mayor to address any insufficiency in funding through ratable
reductions and other adjustments or prioritization
considerations based on the income and need of eligible
students.
FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR EMERGENCY PLANNING AND SECURITY COSTS IN THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $8,533,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 3,000,000
House allowance......................................... 3,352,000
Committee recommendation................................ 3,352,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Due to the fact that the District of Columbia is the seat
of the Federal Government and headquarters of many
international organizations, District police, fire, and
emergency personnel have had to provide security for a number
of events. As the need for the District of Columbia to provide
security has increased, overtime costs for personnel escalate
and divert police from neighborhood patrols. The President has
supported reimbursing the District for these costs. In
addition, the District of Columbia National Guard, under the
exclusive jurisdiction of the President of the United States,
is specifically trained to support law enforcement during
critical missions, such as demonstrations, Presidential
inaugurations and funerals, and emergency services for weather-
relayed contingencies. The D.C. Air Guard patrols the skies
over the District on round-the-clock alert. However, residency
restrictions preclude a significant number of Guard members
from eligibility for tuition assistance programs, which has
severely hampered recruitment and retention efforts.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $3,352,000 to reimburse the
District of Columbia for the costs of providing public safety
at events related to the presence of the national capital in
the District of Columbia and for the costs of providing support
to respond to immediate and specific terrorist threats or
attacks in the District of Columbia or surrounding
jurisdictions. The Committee recommends $352,000 for a tuition
assistance program for non-resident District of Columbia
National Guard members. The total funding is $5,181,000 below
the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and $352,000 above the
budget request.
FEDERAL PAYMENT TO THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURTS
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $216,723,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 213,861,000
House allowance......................................... 256,395,000
Committee recommendation................................ 217,318,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Under the National Capital Revitalization and Self-
Government Improvement Act of 1997, the Federal Government is
required to finance the District of Columbia Courts. This
Federal payment to the District of Columbia Courts funds the
operations of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals,
Superior Court, the Court System, and the Capital Improvement
Program. Capital improvements include establishing a permanent
home for the D.C. Family Court, a complete renovation of the
historic Old Courthouse, as well as design and renovation work
on several other buildings in Judiciary Square. By law, the
annual budget includes estimates of the expenditures for the
operations of the Courts prepared by the Joint Committee on
Judicial Administration and the President's recommendation for
funding the Courts' operations.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a Federal payment to the District
of Columbia Courts of $217,318,000, which is $595,000 above the
fiscal year 2007 enacted level and $3,457,000 above the budget
request. This amount includes $10,800,000 for the Court of
Appeals, $98,359,000 for the Superior Court, $52,170,000 for
the Court System, and $55,989,000 for capital improvements to
courthouse facilities.
The Committee is very concerned about the substandard
working conditions of the United States Marshals Service at the
Moultrie Courthouse Cell Block. The work areas have inadequate
ventilation and insufficient space for storage of their
personal effects. While this is unpleasant and should be
remedied, the Committee is primarily concerned that safety of
the marshals may be compromised by these conditions. Currently,
the security equipment fails to provide complete monitoring of
all areas of the cell block, allowing for blind spots which
pose a risk to both marshals and inmates. In addition, the
cells are not large enough to accommodate the inmate
population, leading to 50 or more people being held in a cell
intended for no more than 20, creating unacceptable conditions.
Therefore, the Committee directs the District of Columbia
Courts to report to the Committee, within 60 days of enactment
of this act, on the plan to upgrade the conditions to an
acceptable level. The Committee strongly encourages the
District of Columbia Courts to incorporate cell block upgrades
as a priority among the other capital requirements that are
funded through this recommendation.
DEFENDER SERVICES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURTS
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $43,475,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 43,475,000
House allowance......................................... 52,475,000
Committee recommendation................................ 43,475,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The District of Columbia Courts appoint and compensate
attorneys to represent persons who are financially unable to
obtain such representation. The Defender Services programs
provide counsel for indigent persons who are charged with
criminal offenses, for family proceedings involving child
abuse, neglect, and termination of parental rights, and for
guardianship proceedings for protection of mentally
incapacitated individuals and minors whose parents are
deceased.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a Federal payment of $43,475,000
for Defender Services in the District of Columbia Courts. This
is the same as the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and the same
as the budget request.
FEDERAL PAYMENT TO THE COURT SERVICES AND OFFENDER SUPERVISION AGENCY
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $179,603,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 190,343,000
House allowance......................................... 190,343,000
Committee recommendation................................ 190,791,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency [CSOSA]
for the District of Columbia is an independent Federal agency
created by the National Capital Revitalization and Self-
Government Improvement Act of 1997. CSOSA acquired the
operational responsibilities for the former District agencies
in charge of probation and parole, and houses the Pretrial
Services Agency within its framework. The mission of CSOSA is
to increase public safety, prevent crime, reduce recidivism and
support the fair administration of justice in close
collaboration with the community. The CSOSA appropriation
supports the Community Supervision Program and the Pretrial
Services Agency.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a Federal payment of $190,791,000,
which is $11,188,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level
and $448,000 above the budget request. The Committee notes that
the increased resources will enable CSOSA to open all units of
the Re-Entry and Sanctions Center and allow Pretrial Services
to reduce the ratio of pre-trial supervisors to defendants from
approximately 124:1 to 75:1, slightly above the national
average. However, the Committee is concerned that even with the
proposed budget increase, funding for CSOSA for offender
contract treatment, including substance abuse, halfway-back
residential sanctions, mental health and sex offender
assessments, and transitional housing remains flat. CSOSA
estimates that there are 2,800 chronic, substance-abusing
offenders in need of treatment intervention on an annual basis.
Of this number, approximately 1,150, or 41 percent, are
supervised at the maximum or intensive highest-risk level, but
the budget will enable CSOSA to provide the full continuum of
contract treatment services for only 60 percent of the highest
risk offenders. The Committee provides additional funds to help
CSOSA begin to address this shortfall.
The Committee is supportive of CSOSA's efforts to
successfully return ex-offenders to their communities. For a
number of years, CSOSA has worked with grassroots, nonprofit
providers of transitional housing that offer counseling,
mentoring, and life skills training to men and women returning
home from prison. The Committee notes that this is a model
program for the Nation and intends that not less than
$1,000,000 be available to continue this important work.
FEDERAL PAYMENT TO THE PUBLIC DEFENDER SERVICE FOR THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $31,103,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 32,710,000
House allowance......................................... 32,710,000
Committee recommendation................................ 32,710,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Public Defender Service [PDS] for the District of
Columbia, an independent organization established by a District
of Columbia statute (16 D.C. Code 2-1601-1608), has a distinct
mission to provide legal representation services within the
District of Columbia. PDS provides legal representation to
indigent defendants and provides support in the form of
training, consultation, and legal reference services to members
of the local bar appointed as counsel in criminal, juvenile,
and mental health cases involving indigent individuals. In
prior years, PDSDC was funded as a part of the Court Services
and Offender Supervision Agency [CSOSA]. However, the missions
of the two organizations are separate and distinct. The PDS,
like public defender agencies of other jurisdictions, should
have an independent budget submission and appropriation.
Recognizing that status, the Committee provides funding for the
Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia separately
from that of CSOSA.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a Federal payment to the Public
Defender Service for the District of Columbia of $32,710,000,
which is $1,607,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level
and the same as the budget request.
FEDERAL PAYMENT TO THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $6,930,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 12,000,000
House allowance......................................... 12,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 12,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Approximately one-third of the District is served by a
combined sewer system, constructed by the Federal Government in
1890, in which both sanitary waste and storm water flow through
the same pipes. When the collection system or the Blue Plains
treatment plant reach capacity, typically during periods of
heavy rainfall, the system is designed to overflow the excess
water. This mixture of sewage and storm water runoff is
discharged to the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers, Rock Creek and
tributary waters between 60 and 75 times each year. Under a
judicial consent decree, the Water and Sewer Authority is
undertaking a 20-year, $2,200,000,000 sewer construction
program to reduce overflows, which is projected to improve
water quality and significantly reduce debris in our Nation's
capital waterways.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a Federal payment of $12,000,000,
to be matched by $7,000,000 provided by the Water and Sewer
Authority, and $5,000,000 in local funds, to continue
implementation of the Combined Sewer Overflow Long-Term Plan.
This is an increase of $5,070,000 above the fiscal year 2007
enacted level and the same as the budget request.
FEDERAL PAYMENT TO THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COORDINATING COUNCIL
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $1,287,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 1,300,000
House allowance......................................... 1,300,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,300,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for the District
of Columbia [CJCC] is the primary venue in which District of
Columbia criminal justice agencies can identify and address
interagency coordination issues. Its mission is to address
coordination difficulties among District of Columbia criminal
justice agencies and address criminal justice issues, such as
drugs, juvenile justice, halfway houses, information
technology, and identification of arrestees. The CJCC was
originally established pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement in
May 1998 and operates as an independent working group to foster
cooperation among the more than a dozen Federal and local
governmental agencies which have law enforcement responsibility
in our Nation's Capital. As part of a local enactment in August
2001, the CJCC was established as an independent agency within
the District of Columbia.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a Federal payment of $1,300,000 to
the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council [CJCC]. This is
$13,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and the same
as the budget request. The Committee directs the CJCC to submit
annual performance measures in an annual report, which should
also describe progress made on individual CJCC initiatives.
FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $39,600,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 40,800,000
House allowance......................................... 40,800,000
Committee recommendation................................ 40,800,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Committee continues a three-sector funding arrangement
to provide resources for the District of Columbia Public
Schools, charter schools, and for a scholarship program for
low-income students to attend private schools. Given the
beleaguered state of the District of Columbia Public School
System, the Committee is encouraged by the enactment of Public
Law 110-33 and the Mayor's initiative to chart a new management
course for the troubled public school system. The Committee
acknowledges the daunting challenges this undertaking presents,
given that District of Columbia public school students
chronically perform well below national averages in reading and
mathematics, fewer than half of the core courses in District
schools are taught by teachers who have earned a degree or
passed competency classes in their subjects, antiquated
administrative recordkeeping system falls woefully short of any
reasonable standards, and school buildings throughout the city
suffer from disrepair, including hazardous defects, of 10
waiting months or even years for necessary repairs. Despite
decades of varied and inconsistent efforts and alternative
approaches, past attempts to institute change have regrettably
failed to produce the comprehensive, sustainable results
required for the children of the District.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a Federal payment of $40,800,000,
which is $1,200,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level
and the same as budget request. These funds are allocated as
follows: $13,000,000 for the District of Columbia Public
Schools; $13,000,000 to expand quality charter schools; and
$14,800,000 to the Secretary of Education for opportunity
scholarships for low-income students in the District of
Columbia, $1,800,0000 of which may be used for administrative
expenses. The Committee encourages the Mayor and associated
staff to consider the structure and composition of the Federal
payments for school improvement into the framework of the
District of Columbia Public Schools and the Mayor's policy
agenda.
The Committee notes that the 5-year pilot program for
opportunity scholarships for low-income students is entering
its final year, and expects that evaluation reports will be
timely submitted. The Committee is aware that the Government
Accountability Office is currently reviewing this program. The
Committee directs that within 60 days of enactment, the
Secretary of Education shall report to the Committees on
Appropriations on (1) the sufficiency of the staffing and
accounting systems of the grantee to enable reliable reporting
on program operations; (2) steps taken by the grantee to
provide accurate information to parents regarding the
characteristics of participating schools, including
accreditation and the proportion of teachers holding at least a
bachelor's degree; (3) the extent to which the grantee is
conducting regular site inspections and financial evaluations
of participating schools; (4) whether the grantee maintains
sufficient documentation of tuition and fees of participating
schools so as to ensure that schools charge program
participants and other student the same tuition and fees; and
(5) how the grantee determines whether participating schools
are lawfully operating in the District of Columbia, including
requirements affecting the safety and health of children.
FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR CONSOLIDATED LABORATORY FACILITY
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $4,950,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 10,000,000
House allowance......................................... 10,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 10,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The District's forensics laboratory capacity has not kept
pace with the innovations in the field and is therefore unable
to meet the demands of the current workload. As a result, the
District is forced to seek help from the FBI crime laboratory
in Quantico, Virginia. Because the FBI has its own workload
capacity, it limits the evidence it will process for the
District to four pieces of forensic evidence for violent
crimes. The lack of capacity and outmoded technology have led
to many so-called ``cold'' or unsolved crime cases in the
District. A new comprehensive laboratory will not only allow
the District to more effectively and efficiently process crime
cases, but it will be an essential element in processing
evidence associated with potential bioterrorism attacks.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a Federal payment of $10,000,000
for costs associated with the construction of a new
comprehensive laboratory facility in the District of Columbia.
This is $5,050,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level,
and the same as the budget request. The Committee directs that
this Federal payment be equally matched with local funds.
FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR CENTRAL LIBRARY AND BRANCH LOCATIONS
Appropriations, 2007....................................................
Budget estimate, 2008................................... $10,000,000
House allowance......................................... 10,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 10,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The District's libraries are in a state of significant
disrepair and are poorly equipped. The adult illiteracy rate in
the District of Columbia is 37 percent. In many major
metropolitan areas around the country, new libraries have
revitalized many distressed neighborhoods. A Blue Ribbon Task
Force of local and national experts recommended the creation of
a state-of-the-art library system to add multi-lingual support,
hundreds of new computers with broadband technology, and deep
reference materials and children's programs.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a Federal payment of $10,000,000
as a Federal contribution toward the costs associated with the
renovation and rehabilitation of District of Columbia
libraries. This is $10,000,000 above the fiscal year 2007
enacted level and the same as the budget request.
FEDERAL PAYMENT TO REIMBURSE THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Appropriations, 2007....................................................
Budget estimate, 2008................................... $5,000,000
House allowance......................................... 4,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 5,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Due to lack of capacity at its laboratory, the District of
Columbia has relied on the services of the Federal Bureau of
Investigations to perform evidence examination and analysis in
criminal cases to help process backlogged cases and help solve
cold cases.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a Federal payment to the District
of Columbia of $5,000,000 to remain available until September
30, 2010 to be used to reimburse the Federal Bureau of
Investigation for laboratory services for District of Columbia
cases. This is $5,000,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted
level, and the same as the budget request. The funds shall be
available for the sole purposes of paying costs incurred by the
FBI for evidence examination and subsequent DNA analysis for
the District of Columbia cold case DNA backlog, expansion of
resources dedicated to the processing of District of Columbia
cases, including an increase in personnel, after October 1,
2007, and data entry and analysis for District of Columbia cold
cases.
FEDERAL PAYMENT TO THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR OF THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA
Appropriations, 2007....................................................
Budget estimate, 2008...................................................
House allowance.........................................................
Committee recommendation................................ $14,000,000
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee provides $14,000,000 as a Federal payment to
the Executive Office of the Mayor of the District of Columbia
to enhance the quality of life for the District's residents.
The Committee intends that of this amount, $5,000,000 shall be
to enhance local efforts to improve the water quality of the
Anacostia River; $2,200,000 shall be used to support the
Mayor's new public education initiative; $1,800,000 shall be
used to promote and sustain financial stability for married
couples in the District; $4,000,000 shall be used to expand
pediatric healthcare services; and $1,000,000 for historic
preservation. The Committee directs the Mayor to submit a
detailed spending plan, including performance measures, before
these funds may be expended. The Committee requests that the
Mayor provide this plan within 30 days of the enactment of this
act. The Committee further directs the Mayor to submit a
progress report on activities conducted no later than June 1,
2008, and a final report, including a detailed description of
outcomes achieved, no later than November 1, 2009.
HIGHLIGHTS OF INITIATIVES
The Committee notes the successful launch of the ``Together
is Better'' program in the District of Columbia, a community-
based effort to promote, support and stabilize marriages in
low-income neighborhoods as a strategy for decreasing the
incidence of single parenthood.
In fiscal year 2006, the Committee provided $3,000,000 to
initiate this effort. A key component of the program are
Marriage Development Accounts [MDAs], which offer low-income
married or engaged couples the opportunity to save for the
purchase of a home, to start a business, or to pay for post-
secondary education or job training for themselves or their
children. Couples must meet income and asset requirements to
qualify for an MDA. Participating couples have a high incentive
to save because their contributions will be matched at a ratio
of 3:1 by the Federal Government and partnering private
institutions.
Using Federal funds, community-based organizations are
providing participating couples with financial counseling,
couples' mentoring, couples' counseling, and relationship
training. These organizations are also reaching out to the
community through a media campaign and by hosting informational
events and ``family fun days'' in neighborhood churches, civic
centers, and parks.
The Committee is pleased to highlight some of the first-
year successes of the federally funded ``Together is Better''
program: 100 couples have participated in couples workshops; 40
couples have opened MDA accounts and are saving for appreciable
assets; over 100 men have participated in fatherhood training;
850 families have participated in ``Family Fun Days'' in the
District's Ward 7 and Ward 8; and 125 couples renewed their
vows during ``Celebration of Black Marriage Day.''
The Committee is pleased that the Mayor of the District of
Columbia has recognized these efforts and has provided $400,000
in fiscal year 2007 to continue to support the ``Together is
Better'' program.
Employment Assistance.--The Committee is impressed with the
success of STRIVE-DC which provides assistance for the hard to
serve in obtaining and retaining employment. The Committee
urges the District of Columbia Department of Employment
Services to work with STRIVE-DC to expand and replicate this
model of demonstrated effectiveness in order to serve
additional job seekers.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA LOCAL OPERATING BUDGET
The Committee recommends a total of $9,773,775,000 for the
operating expenses of the District of Columbia as contained in
the fiscal year 2008 budget submitted to the Congress by the
Government of the District of Columbia on June 7, 2007
including requested amendments received on June 29, 2007. Of
the total, $6,111,623,000 is from local funds, $2,015,854,000
is from Federal grant funds, $1,637,736,000 is from other
funds, and $8,562,000 is from private funds. The Committee
directs that any changes to the financial plan as submitted by
the District must follow the reprogramming guidelines.
TITLE V
INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $97,981,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 116,000,000
House allowance......................................... (\1\)
Committee recommendation................................ 116,000,000
\1\This account is funded in the Agriculture appropriations bill in the
House of Representatives, which has not been acted on in the House.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission [CFTC] was
established as an independent agency by the Commodity Futures
Trading Commission Act of 1974 (88 Stat. 1389; 7 U.S.C. 4a).
The Commission administers the Commodity Exchange Act, 7
U.S.C. section 1, et seq. The 1974 Act brought under Federal
regulation futures trading in all goods, articles, services,
rights, and interests; commodity options trading; and leverage
trading in gold and silver bullion and coins; and otherwise
strengthened the regulation of the commodity futures trading
industry. It established a comprehensive regulatory structure
to oversee the volatile futures trading complex.
The CFTC is the sole Federal regulator responsible for
overseeing the futures markets by encouraging competitiveness
and efficiency, ensuring market integrity, and protecting
market participants against manipulation, abusive trading
practices, fraud, and other unscrupulous activities. Effective
oversight by the CFTC enables the markets to better serve their
designated functions of providing a price discovery mechanism
and a means to offset price risk.
Programs in support of the overall mission include market
surveillance analysis and research; registration, audits, and
contract markets; enforcement; reparations; proceedings; legal
counsel; agency direction; and administrative support services.
CFTC activities are carried out in Washington, DC and in
regional offices located in Chicago, New York City, and Kansas
City.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $116,000,000
for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. This is the same
as the budget request, and $18,019,000 above the fiscal year
2007 enacted level. The Committee supports the need for
increased resources for the CFTC to ensure appropriate
oversight of the futures markets, which are expanding steadily
in volume and new users, and rapidly evolving in their
complexity and diversity. The Committee recognizes that to keep
pace with the industry it regulates, the CFTC must reverse
critical staffing declines in order to achieve and sustain a
sufficient level of specialized expertise essential in the face
of a quintupled trading volume on U.S. exchanges, the rapidly
changing nature of traded products, evolving platforms on which
they are traded, and the need for vigilant enforcement to
preserve market integrity and protect market users. The
Committee further acknowledges the need for CFTC to make
mission-critical investments in technology.
Consumer Product Safety Commission
salaries and expenses
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $62,728,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 63,250,000
House allowance......................................... 66,838,000
Committee recommendation................................ 70,000,000
program description
The Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was
established on May 14, 1973, and is responsible for protecting
the public against unreasonable risks of injury from consumer
products; assisting consumers to evaluate the comparative
safety of consumer products; developing uniform safety
standards for consumer products and minimizing conflicting
State and local regulations; and promoting research and
investigation into the causes and prevention of product-related
deaths, illnesses, and injuries.
In carrying out its mandate, the Commission establishes
mandatory product safety standards, where appropriate, to
reduce the unreasonable risk of injury to consumers from
consumer products; helps industry develop voluntary safety
standards; bans unsafe products if it finds that a safety
standard is not feasible; monitors recalls of defective
products; informs and educates consumers about product hazards;
conducts research and develops test methods; collects and
publishes injury and hazard data, and promotes uniform product
regulations by governmental units.
committee recommendation
The Committee recommends $70,000,000 for the Consumer
Product Safety Commission, which is $7,272,000 above the fiscal
year 2007 funding level and $6,750,000 above the budget
request. The Committee provides additional funding to hire
needed employees, particularly in the areas of hazard
identification and reduction, and compliance and field
operations, space for additional employees, and critically
needed IT improvements. The Committee is aware that nearly two-
thirds of all products recalled are imports and two-thirds of
those are made in China. The funding increase provided will
help the CPSC carry out its important mission of protecting
children and families against unreasonable risk of injury and
death from consumer products.
Election Assistance Commission
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $16,263,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 15,467,000
House allowance......................................... \1\15,467,000
Committee recommendation................................ 16,517,000
\1\The House bill also provides $300,950,000 under a separate account
designated for Election Reform Programs.
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Election Assistance Commission [EAC] was created by the
Help America Vote Act of 2002 [HAVA]. Under HAVA, the EAC's
role is to promulgate voluntary State guidelines for election
systems, develop a national certification program for voting
equipment, and provide related guidance. The EAC is also
charged with awarding grants to improve election administration
and enhancing election equipment.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee provides $16,517,000 for EAC's administrative
expenses, which is $254,000 more than the fiscal year 2007
level and $1,050,000 more than the budget request. The
accompanying bill provides $3,250,000 of these funds for
transfer to the National Institute for Standards and Technology
for technical assistance related to the development of
voluntary State voting systems guidelines.
Of the additional funds provided, $750,000 is provided for
the Help America Vote Act College Program. The Committee also
provides $300,000 within the overall amount provided, for mock
election programs for students in secondary education programs
with oversight and competitive award by the EAC. Before funding
is awarded, any grantee shall explain in detail how the mock
elections are to be conducted, the number of students
participating, guidelines that the program employs, internal
fiscal controls used, and a statement attesting to the non-
partisanship of the program.
Research Products.--The Committee directs that no Federal
funds shall be used in a way that would bar the public release
of final research presented to the Commission for its
consideration. While the Commission may determine how to
respond to research performed with Federal funds, any use of
research paid for from the public funds shall be made available
without substantive edits. The Commission shall review and
produce its own reports without partisan influence or bias, and
shall not unduly limit the rights of Federally-funded
researchers to speak freely about the research following the
conclusion of the contract.
Federal Communications Commission
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $291,282,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 313,000,000
House allowance......................................... 313,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 313,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The FCC is charged with regulating interstate and
international communications by radio, television, wire,
satellite, and cable. The FCC is also charged with promoting
the safety of life and property through wire and radio
communications. The mandate of the FCC under the Communications
Act is to make available to all people of the United States a
rapid, efficient, nationwide, and worldwide wire and radio
communication service. The FCC performs five major functions to
fulfill this charge: spectrum allocation, creating rules to
promote fair competition and protect consumers where required
by market conditions, authorization of service, enhancing
public safety and homeland security, and enforcement.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommendation provides $313,000,000 for the
salaries and expenses of the Federal Communications Commission
[FCC], of which $312,000,000 is to be derived from the
collection of fees. The recommendation is $21,718,000 above the
fiscal year 2007 enacted level and the same as the budget
request.
Broadcast Television Standards.--The Committee continues to
be concerned about the declining standards of broadcast
television and the impact this decline is having on America's
children. Overall sexual content, foul language, and violence
have greatly increased over the past decade. The Committee
directs the FCC to continue to report to Congress on the issues
associated with resurrecting a broadcast industry code of
conduct for content of programming that, if adhered to by the
broadcast industry, would protect against the further erosion
of broadcasting standards.
The Committee has included language (sec. 501) to extend
FCC's exemption from the Anti-deficiency Act [ADA] until
December 31, 2008. The ADA contains accounting rules which
would derail the operation of the FCC's universal service
electronic rate program. Requiring the FCC to adhere to the ADA
would result in the disruption of payments to schools and
libraries for broadband services.
The Committee has included language (sec. 502) that
prohibits the FCC from enacting certain recommendations
regarding universal service that were made to it by the Joint
Board of FCC members and State Utility Commissioners. The
recommendation would limit universal support to one line. This
would be harmful to small businesses, especially in rural
areas, which need a second line for a fax or for other business
purposes.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
Appropriations, 2007.................................... ($30,690,000)
Budget estimate, 2008................................... (26,848,000)
House allowance......................................... (26,848,000)
Committee recommendation................................ (26,848,000)
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The FDIC Office of Inspector General conducts audits,
investigations, and other reviews to assist and augment the
FDIC's contribution to the stability of, and public confidence
in, the Nation's financial system. A separate appropriation
more effectively ensures the OIG's independence consistent with
the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended and other
legislation.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $26,848,000 for the FDIC inspector
general, the same as the budget request and $3,842,000 less
than the fiscal year 2007 enacted level. Funds are to be
derived by transfer from the Deposit Insurance Fund and the
FSLIC resolution fund.
Federal Election Commission
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $54,528,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 59,224,000
House allowance......................................... 59,224,000
Committee recommendation................................ 59,224,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Federal Election Commission [FEC] was created through
the 1974 Amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act of
1971 [FECA]. Consistent with its duty of executing our Nation's
Federal campaign finance laws, and in pursuit of its mission of
maintaining public faith in the integrity of the Federal
campaign finance system, FEC conducts three major regulatory
programs: (1) providing public disclosure of funds raised and
spent to influence Federal elections; (2) enforcing compliance
with restrictions on contributions and expenditures made to
influence Federal elections; and (3) administering public
financing of Presidential campaigns.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $59,224,000 for the Federal
Election Commission, which is the same as the budget request
and $4,696,000 more than the fiscal year 2007 enacted level.
So that the Congress may better understand the impact of
the cost of political advertising on the overall escalation of
the costs of House and Senate campaigns, the Government
Accountability Office shall report to the Congress on the 10-
year trend in the cost of House and Senate campaigns as well as
the percentage of those costs that are incurred due to rising
broadcast advertising rates.
The Committee instructs the Government Accountability
Office to revisit and update the report entitled ``Campaign
Finance Reform: Early Experiences of Two States That Offer Full
Public Funding'' (GAO-03-453), to account for data and
experiences from the last two election cycles.
Federal Labor Relations Authority
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $25,372,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 23,718,000
House allowance......................................... 23,641,000
Committee recommendation................................ 23,718,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Federal Labor Relations Authority [FLRA] is an
independent administrative Federal agency created by title VII
of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 with a mission to carry
out five statutory responsibilities: (1) determining the
appropriateness of units for labor organization representation;
(2) resolving complaints of unfair labor practices; (3)
adjudicating exceptions to arbitrator's awards; (4)
adjudicating legal issues relating to duty to bargain; and (5)
resolving impasses during negotiations.
The FLRA's authority is divided by law and by delegation
among a three-member authority and an Office of General
Counsel, appointed by the President and subject to Senate
confirmation; and the Federal Service Impasses Panel, which
consists of seven part-time members appointed by the President.
In addition, the FLRA is engaged in case-related
interventions and training and facilitation of labor-management
partnerships and in resolving disputes. FLRA promotes labor-
management cooperation by providing training and assistance to
labor organizations and agencies on resolving disputes,
facilitates the creation of partnerships, and trains the
parties on rights and responsibilities under the Federal Labor
Relations Management statute.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $23,718,000
for the Federal Labor Relations Authority. This amount is the
same as the budget request and $1,654,000 below the fiscal year
2007 enacted level.
Federal Trade Commission
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $211,289,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 240,239,000
House allowance......................................... 247,489,000
Committee recommendation................................ 240,239,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Federal Trade Commission [FTC] administers a variety of
Federal antitrust and consumer protection laws. Activities in
the antitrust area include detection and elimination of illegal
collusion, anticompetitive mergers, unlawful single-firm
conduct, and injurious vertical agreements. The FTC regulates
advertising practices, service industry practices, marketing
practices, and credit practices as it addresses fraud and other
consumer concerns.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommendation provides $240,239,000. The
recommendation is $28,950,000 above the fiscal year 2007
enacted level and the same as the budget request.
Of the amounts provided, $144,600,000 is from Hart-Scott-
Rodino pre-merger filing fees and $19,000,000 is from Do-Not-
Call fees. The total amount of direct appropriations for this
account is therefore $76,639,000. The Committee notes that this
change reflects an increase in offsetting fee collection
receipts since last year.
Do-Not-Call Initiative.--The recommendation includes
$19,000,000 for the FTC Do-Not-Call initiative and
implementation of the Telemarketing Sales Rule [TSR], of which
the entire amount is to be derived from the collection of fees.
The Do-Not-Call initiative was launched pursuant to the FTC's
amended TSR to establish a national database of telephone
numbers of consumers who choose not to receive telephone
solicitations from telemarketers. The Do-Not-Call initiative
has received broad support from, and will provide significant
benefits to, consumers from all corners of the United States.
Child Protection.--The FTC in September of 2000, released a
report entitled: ``Marketing Violent Entertainment to Children:
A Review of Self-Regulation and Industry Practices in the
Motion Picture, Music Recording & Electronic Game Industries''.
The report was very critical of the entertainment industry and
its persistent and calculated marketing of violent games,
movies, and music to children. In response to this report, the
entertainment industry has promised to impose tougher
regulations on itself and to voluntarily comply with the
report's recommendation. The FTC should continue with, and
expand upon, its efforts in this area. The Committee directs
the Commission to continue to engage in consumer research and
workshops, underage shopper-retail compliance surveys, and
marketing data collection.
Internet.--The FTC is charged with monitoring compliance
with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (Public Law
105-277). The recommendation provides the Commission the
funding resources it needs to meet the challenges of increased
fraud on the Internet. The Committee commends the FTC for
recognizing the unique and difficult challenge posed by the
Internet, an international phenomenon that lacks borders, to
protect the safety of our children.
Childhood Obesity.--The Committee previously requested that
the FTC prepare and submit a comprehensive analysis of the
types and amounts of food marketing directed at children and
adolescents including an analysis of commercial advertising
time on television, radio, and in print media; in-store
marketing; direct payments for preferential shelf placement;
events; promotions on packaging; all Internet activities; and
product placements in television shows, movies, and video
games. While the Committee understands that this report is a
significant undertaking, in the 2 years since the report was
originally requested our understanding of the scope of the
problem of childhood obesity has increased dramatically. Given
that nearly 25 million kids are overweight or obese, and risk
having a shorter lifespan than their parents, this information
is critical to making informed policy decisions addressing the
connections between childhood obesity and food marketing. As a
result the final report shall be submitted to the Committee no
later than December 31, 2007.
Oil and Natural Gas.--The activities of the Commission
include review of mergers, acquisitions and other transactions
within the oil and natural gas industries, and investigation of
potential anticompetitive behaviors in those industries. Given
the enormous importance of these industries to the United
States economy and in light of increased market concentration
and rising prices in these industries, beginning on January 1,
2008, the Committee directs the Commission to issue a report
every 6 months to the Committee on Appropriations on all
activities the Commission has taken in the previous 6 month
period with regard to the review of mergers, acquisitions and
other transactions and the investigation of pricing behavior or
any potential anticompetitive actions in those industries, and
on the resources that the Commission has devoted to such
reviews and investigations during that period.
Interchange Rates.--The Committee directs the Commission to
issue a report to the Committee on Appropriations within 60
days of enactment on all activities the Commission has taken in
the previous 12 month period to review the antitrust
implications of the collective setting of credit and debit card
interchange rates and the disclosure, or lack thereof, of the
terms and provisions of interchange rate agreements by credit
card associations and their member banks. The Committee also
directs the Commission to issue a report to the Committee on
Appropriations within 180 days of enactment of this act on the
Commission's analysis of the antitrust implications of the
collective setting of credit and debit card interchange rates
and the disclosure, or lack thereof, of interchange rate
agreements by credit card associations and their member banks
to the merchants who are parties to those card usage
agreements.
Office of International Affairs-Antitrust Training.--The
Committee is aware of the FTC's ongoing and successful program
to deploy experts to developing countries in order to assist in
the establishment of regulatory, trade and antitrust agencies.
Global trade and competition in the 21st century increasingly
involves innovation, intellectual property, and technological
change. The deployment of U.S. Government expertise to emerging
foreign competitive authorities is an essential tool for the
development of regulations and practices that will enable the
adoption of balanced policies that promote and enable free
trade. Congress established the Antitrust Modernization
Commission to examine, identify, and study the worldwide
modernization of antitrust laws. The Committee supports the
efforts of the Commission and encourages the continuation of
its competition policy programs in emerging enforcement
jurisdictions.
General Services Administration
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The General Services Administration [GSA] was established
by the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949
when Congress mandated the consolidation of the Federal
Government's real property and administrative services. GSA is
organized into the Public Buildings Service, the Federal Supply
Service, the Federal Technology Service, the Office of
Governmentwide Policy, and the Office of Citizen Services and
Communications.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Administrator.--The Committee is extremely troubled by
the leadership of the current Administrator. The Special
Counsel has determined that the Administrator violated the
Hatch Act's prohibition against using the Administrator's
official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering
with or affecting the result of an election. These findings
come on top of questionable actions the Administrator has taken
in the past year with regard to procurement protocols.
Furthermore, the Administrator has threatened the independence
of the Inspector General by undermining the IG's ability to
perform its oversight function and inappropriately interfering
with the IG's budget. Moreover, the Administrator has
repeatedly made statements about streamlining oversight, which
could result in undermining compliance with procurement rules.
In the past year, morale has been dampened at GSA and
valuable employees have departed. The actions of this
Administrator, since commencing at this agency approximately 1
year ago, do not reflect well on the standards for ethics and
integrity the public expects from its government.
Policy and Operations.--The Committee does not consolidate
the Operating Expenses account and the Government-wide Policy
account into the ``Policy and Operations'' account as proposed
by the budget request.
GSA and the Office of the Inspector General.--The
obligation of the Office of the Inspector General [OIG] is to
ensure that the agency from top management down fosters respect
for the facts and the law, ensures good stewardship and
recognizes the need for independent scrutiny of government
operations and accountability. The Committee reinforces the
independence of the OIG and enumerates the following
stipulations, many of which reiterate statute: (1) GSA will
continue to reimburse the OIG $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2008
for Multiple Award Schedule pre-award audits and contract
performance assessments of government-wide contracts; (2)
neither GSA personnel nor associated contractors,
subcontractors, or private attorneys will search, read, or copy
the content of emails that are to or from the OIG without
permission; (3) GSA will not automatically obligate and
disburse the funds appropriated for the OIG without prior OIG
consent; (4) GSA will not attempt to impose any unwarranted or
unexplained charges from OIG's appropriated funds; (5) all
budget submissions from OIG will be transmitted by GSA without
any alteration to OMB, and all comments and passbacks from OMB
on such submissions will be conveyed accurately to OIG; (6) GSA
will not impose any freeze on hiring in OIG at any level,
including the Senior Executive Service [SES], in order to
facilitate the OIG's ability to implement the IG Act; (7) OIG
shall exercise authority independent of GSA for processing the
announcement and filling of all SES vacancies, including the
processing of all personnel functions associated with those
positions, allocated by GSA to OIG personnel functions within
the IG; OIG shall retain its authorization to perform all
personnel functions for non-SES positions; (8) OIG will be
granted the authority to initiate, and be responsible for
conducting and adjudicating the background security clearances
for its own employees, and will report those findings to the
appropriate entities at GSA and OPM; and (9) neither GSA
personnel nor associated contractors, subcontractors, or
private attorneys will attempt to impede through intimidation
or obfuscation, or in any other way, thwart an audit or
investigation undertaken by the OIG under the IG Act.
FEDERAL BUILDINGS FUND--LIMITATIONS ON AVAILABILITY OF REVENUE
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Limitation of availability of revenue:
Limitation on availability, 2007....................($7,555,088,000)
Limitation on availability, 2008.................... (8,090,918,000)
House allowance......................................... (7,834,612,000)
Committee recommendation................................ (8,370,706,000)
The Federal Buildings Fund program consists of the
following activities financed from rent charges:
Construction and Acquisition of Facilities.--Space is
acquired through the construction or purchase of facilities and
prospectus-level extensions to existing buildings. All costs
directly attributable to site acquisition, construction, and
the full range of design and construction services, and
management and inspection of construction projects are funded
under this activity.
Repairs and Alterations.--Repairs and alterations of public
buildings as well as associated design and construction
services are funded under this activity. Protection of the
Government's investment, health and safety of building
occupants, transfer of agencies from leased space, and cost
effectiveness are the principal criteria used in establishing
priorities. Primary consideration is given to repairs to
prevent deterioration and damage to buildings, their support
systems, and operating equipment. This activity also provides
for conversion of existing facilities and non-prospectus
extensions.
Installment Acquisition Payments.--Payments are made for
liabilities incurred under purchase contract authority and
lease purchase arrangements. The periodic payments cover
principal, interest, and other requirements on the debt
incurred for construction of Federal buildings.
Rental of Space.--Space is acquired through the leasing of
buildings including space occupied by Federal agencies in U.S.
Postal Service facilities, 174 million rentable square feet in
fiscal year 2007, and 184 million rentable square feet in
fiscal year 2008.
Building Operations.--Services are provided for Government-
owned and leased facilities, including cleaning, utilities and
fuel, maintenance, miscellaneous services (such as moving,
evaluation of new materials and equipment, and field
supervision), and general management and administration of all
real property related programs including salaries and benefits
paid from the Federal Buildings Fund.
Other Programs.--When requested by Federal agencies, the
Public Buildings Service provides building services, such as
tenant alterations, cleaning and other operations, and
protection services which are in excess of those services
provided under the commercial rental charge. For presentation
purposes, the balances of the Unconditional Gifts of Real,
Personal, or Other Property trust fund have been combined with
the Federal Buildings Fund.
CONSTRUCTION AND ACQUISITION
Limitation on availability, 2007........................ $701,137,000
Limitation on availability, 2008........................ 615,204,000
House allowance......................................... 524,540,000
Committee recommendation................................ 894,992,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The construction and acquisition fund shall be available
for site, design, construction, management, and inspection
costs for the construction of new Federal facilities.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a limitation of $894,992,000 for
construction and acquisition, including non-prospectus
projects.
CONSTRUCTION AND ACQUISITION
------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Description Amount Requested by
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AL Mobile, U.S. $2,600,000 The Judiciary, Shelby
Courthouse
AL Tuscaloosa, Federal 21,000,000 Shelby
Building
AZ San Luis, Land Port 7,053,000 The President
of Entry I
CA San Ysidro, Land 37,742,000 The President, Feinstein
Port of Entry
CA San Diego, U.S. 80,000,000 The Judiciary
Courthouse
CA San Jose, U.S. 32,000,000 The Judiciary
Courthouse
DC DHS consolidation 318,887,000 The President
and development of
St. Elizabeths
campus
DC St. Elizabeths West 20,752,000 The President
Campus
Infrastructure
DC St. Elizabeths West 7,000,000 The President
Campus Site
Acquisition
GA Savannah, U.S. 2,059,000 The Judiciary
Courthouse Annex
IL Rockford, U.S. 58,792,000 The Judiciary, Durbin
Courthouse
ME Madawaska, Land Port 17,160,000 The President
of Entry
MD Montgomery County, 57,749,000 The President, Cardin,
FDA consolidation Mikulski
MO Jefferson City, 66,000,000 The Judiciary, Bond
United States
Courthouse
MN Warroad, Land Port 43,628,000 The President
of Entry
NY Alexandria Bay, Land 11,676,000 The President
Port of Entry
TX El Paso, Tronillo- 4,290,000 The President
Guadalupe
TX San Antonio, U.S. 18,000,000 The Judiciary, Hutchison
Courthouse
VT Derby Line, Land 33,139,000 The President, Leahy
Port of Entry
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Environmental and Energy Efficiency.--The Committee is
aware of GSA's environmental and energy-efficient initiatives
including use of alternative-fuel and hybrid vehicles amounting
to 31 percent of the total GSA fleet; use of wind, solar and
other innovative renewable energy sources in its buildings; and
energy-efficient buildings that incorporate sustainable design
principles resulting in less energy consumption. The Committee
understands that future plans include: working with USDA to
identify opportunities to increase use of biobased products;
working with the Customs and Border Protection and Federal
Highway Administration to develop strategies for land ports of
entry to self-generate electricity; and working to integrate
power controls into IT operations. The Committee is encouraged
by these efforts. The Committee provides funding for the use of
photovoltaic energy in public buildings pursuant to the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58). The Committee directs
GSA to report to the Committee within 120 days after enactment
of this act on these and any other initiatives for the
environment, energy efficiency, and conservation.
REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS
Limitation on availability, 2007........................ $618,241,000
Limitation on availability, 2008........................ 804,483,000
House allowance......................................... 733,267,000
Committee recommendation................................ 804,483,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Under this activity, the General Services Administration
[GSA] executes its responsibility for repairs and alterations
[R&A;] of both Government-owned and leased facilities under the
control of GSA. The primary goal of this activity is to provide
commercially equivalent space to tenant agencies. Safety,
quality, and operating efficiency of facilities are given
primary consideration in carrying out this responsibility.
R&A; workload requirements originate with scheduled onsite
inspections of buildings by qualified regional engineers and
building managers. The work identified through these
inspections is programmed in order of priority into the
Inventory Reporting Information System [IRIS] and incorporated
into a 5-year plan for accomplishment, based upon funding
availability, urgency, and the volume of R&A; work that GSA has
the capability to execute annually. Since fiscal year 1995,
design and construction services activities associated with
repair and alteration projects have been funded in this
account.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends new obligational authority of
$804,483,000 for repairs and alterations in fiscal year 2008.
This amount is the same as the President's request.
REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Description Amount Requested by
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DC Eisenhower Executive $172,279,000 The President
Office Building
Phase III
DC Joint Operations 12,800,000 The President
Center
DC Nebraska Avenue 27,673,000 The President
Complex
NV Reno, C. Clifton 12,793,000 The President
Young Federal
Building and
Courthouse
NY Thurgood Marshall 170,544,000 The President
U.S. Courthouse
WV Martinsburg, IRS 35,822,000 The President
Enterprise
Computing Center
------------------------------------------------------------------------
INSTALLMENT ACQUISITION PAYMENTS
Limitation on availability, 2007........................ $163,999,000
Limitation on availability, 2008........................ 155,781,000
House allowance......................................... 155,781,000
Committee recommendation................................ 155,781,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Public Buildings Amendments of 1972 enable GSA to enter
into contractual arrangements for the construction of a backlog
of approved but unfunded projects. This activity provides for
the payment of interest to the Federal Financing Bank related
to facilities acquired pursuant to the Public Buildings
Amendments of 1972 (40 U.S.C. 592).
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a limitation of $155,781,000 for
installment acquisition payments, the same as the budget
request and $8,218,000 below the fiscal year 2007 funding
level.
RENTAL OF SPACE
Limitation on availability, 2007........................ $4,067,881,000
Limitation on availability, 2008........................ 4,383,000,000
House allowance......................................... 4,315,534,000
Committee recommendation................................ 4,383,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
GSA is responsible for leasing general purpose space and
land incident thereto for Federal agencies, except cases where
GSA has delegated its leasing authority. GSA's policy is to
lease privately owned buildings and land only when: (1) Federal
space needs cannot be otherwise accommodated satisfactorily in
existing Government-owned or leased space; (2) leasing proves
to be more efficient than the construction or alteration of a
Federal building; (3) construction or alteration is not
warranted because requirements in the community are
insufficient or are indefinite in scope or duration; or (4)
completion of a new Federal building within a reasonable time
cannot be assured.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a limitation of $4,383,000,000 for
rental of space. The Committee recommendation is the same as
the President's budget request and $315,119,000 above the
fiscal year 2007 enacted level.
BUILDING OPERATIONS
Limitation on availability, 2007........................ $2,003,830,000
Limitation on availability, 2008........................ 2,132,450,000
House allowance......................................... 2,105,490,000
Committee recommendation................................ 2,132,450,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This activity provides for the operation of all Government-
owned facilities under the jurisdiction of GSA and building
services in GSA-leased space where the terms of the lease do
not require the lessor to furnish such services. Services
included in building operations are cleaning, protection,
maintenance, payments for utilities and fuel, grounds
maintenance, and elevator operations. Other related supporting
services include various real property management and staff
support activities such as space acquisition and assignment;
the moving of Federal agencies as a result of space alterations
in order to provide better space utilization in existing
buildings; onsite inspection of building services and
operations accomplished by private contractors; and various
highly specialized contract administration support functions.
The space, operations, and services referred to above are
furnished by GSA to its tenant agencies in return for payment
of rent. Due to considerations unique to their operation, GSA
also provides varying levels of above-standard services in
agency headquarters facilities, including those occupied by the
Executive Office of the President, such as the east and west
wings of the White House.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a limitation of $2,132,450,000 for
building operations. This amount is the same as the President's
budget request and $128,620,000 above the fiscal year 2007
enacted level.
Use of the Stairs.--The Committee supports the continued
promotion of the use of stairs by the GSA. This program has
considerable health benefits for the Government workforce and
the general population at very small cost to the Government.
GSA is urged to include signage outside of elevators and
undertake efforts so that stair use in new construction will be
increased.
Use of the Dollar Coin.--The Presidential Coin Act of 2005
(Public Law 109-145) provided for the removal of barriers to
circulation of the $1 coin. The use of the coin in general
circulation will provide significant savings in the manufacture
of the money supply in the long-term and lower transaction
costs. The Committee directs the General Services
Administration to promote the use of the dollar coin in
facilities under the GSA's control that provide change to
customers including restaurants, cafeterias, stores, and
vending machines.
GOVERNMENT-WIDE POLICY
salaries and expenses
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $52,346,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 54,791,000
House allowance......................................... (\1\)
Committee recommendation................................ 64,791,000
\1\House bill provides $134,945,000 for ``Policy and Operations'' to
include both ``Government-wide Policy'' and ``Operating Expenses.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Office of Government-wide Policy provides for
Government-wide policy development, support, and evaluation
functions associated with real and personal property, supplies,
vehicles, aircraft, information technology, acquisition,
transportation and travel management. This office also provides
for the Federal Procurement Data Center, Workplace Initiatives,
Regulatory Information Service Center, the Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance, and the Committee Management Secretariat.
The Office of Government-wide Policy, working cooperatively
with other agencies, provides the leadership needed to develop
and evaluate the implementation of policies designed to achieve
the most cost-effective solutions for the delivery of
administrative services and sound workplace practices, while
reducing regulations and empowering employees.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $64,791,000
for Government-wide Policy. This amount is $10,000,000 above
the budget request and is an increase of $12,445,000 above the
fiscal year 2007 level.
The Committee notes that the General Services
Administration has awarded five providers contracts under its
NETWORX solicitation, allowing Federal departments and agencies
to select their preferred provider of telecommunications
services. The Committee believes that departments and agencies
should carefully examine the contract vehicles and encourages
GSA to work with OMB and the Office of Federal Procurement
Policy to ensure that the Federal Government uses fair
opportunity to secure both good value for the taxpayer and the
benefits of advances in telecommunication technology.
OPERATING EXPENSES
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $83,176,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 89,547,000
House allowance......................................... (\1\)
Committee recommendation................................ 89,547,000
\1\House bill provides $134,945,000 for ``Policy and Operations'' to
include both ``Government-wide Policy'' and ``Operating Expenses.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Operating Expenses provides funding for Government-wide
activities associated with the utilization and donation of
surplus personal property; disposal of real property;
telecommunications, information technology management, and
related technology activities; agency-wide policy direction and
management; ancillary accounting, records management, and other
support services; services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109; and
other related operational expenses.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $89,547,000
for the Operating Expenses. This amount is the same as the
budget request and $6,371,000 above the fiscal year 2007
enacted level.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $52,621,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 47,382,000
House allowance......................................... 53,382,000
Committee recommendation................................ 52,682,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This appropriation provides agency-wide audit and
investigative functions to identify and correct management and
administrative deficiencies within the General Services
Administration [GSA], including conditions for existing or
potential instances of fraud, waste and mismanagement. This
audit function provides internal audit and contract audit
services. Contract audits provide professional advice to GSA
contracting officials on accounting and financial matters
relative to the negotiation, award, administration, repricing,
and settlement of contracts. Internal audits review and
evaluate all facets of GSA operations and programs, test
internal control systems, and develop information to improve
operating efficiencies and enhance customer services. The
investigative function provides for the detection and
investigation of improper and illegal activities involving GSA
programs, personnel, and operations.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $52,682,000
for the Office of Inspector General. This amount is $5,300,000
more than the budget request and $61,000 above the fiscal year
2007 enacted level. The fiscal year 2008 budget provides for up
to $5,000,000 in reimbursable authority for pre-award audits
and surveys with the understanding that the OIG and Federal
Acquisition Service will work together to pilot alternative
methods for reviewing contract-related activities.
ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT [E-GOV] FUND
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $2,970,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 5,000,000
House allowance......................................... 2,970,000
Committee recommendation................................ 5,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This program supports interagency ``electronic government''
or ``e-gov'' initiatives, i.e., projects that use the Internet
or other electronic methods to provide individuals, businesses,
and other government agencies with simpler and more timely
access to Federal information, benefits, services, and business
opportunities.
Proposals for funding must meet capital planning guidelines
and include adequate documentation to demonstrate a sound
business case, attention to security and privacy, and a way to
measure performance against planned results. In addition, a
small portion of the money could be used for awards to those
project management teams that delivered the best product to
meet customer needs.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $5,000,000 for
the Electronic Government Fund. This amount is $2,030,000 more
than the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and the same as the
budget request.
ALLOWANCES AND OFFICE STAFF FOR FORMER PRESIDENTS
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $2,922,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 2,500,000
House allowance......................................... 2,500,000
Committee recommendation................................ 2,500,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This appropriation provides for an annual pension and
compensation of office staffs and other related operating
expenses for each former President pursuant to Public Law 85-
745, as amended. The annual pension for the widow of former
President Johnson and costs of franking privileges for the
widows of former President Johnson, former President Reagan and
Former President Ford are also funded in this appropriation.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $2,500,000 for allowances and
office staff for former Presidents, $422,000 below the fiscal
year 2007 funding level and the same as the budget request. The
amount provided reflects the decrease associated with the
closure of former President Ford's office.
Below is listed a detailed analysis of the Committee's
recommendation for fiscal year 2008 funding:
FISCAL YEAR 2008 BUDGET ALLOWANCES AND OFFICE STAFF FOR FORMER PRESIDENTS
[In thousands of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carter Bush Clinton Widows Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Personnel Compensation................................... 96 96 96 ......... 288
Personnel Benefits....................................... 2 64 65 ......... 131
Benefits for Former Presidents........................... 191 191 201 20 603
Travel................................................... 2 56 50 ......... 108
Rental Payments to GSA................................... 102 175 516 ......... 793
Communications, Utilities and Miscellaneous charges:
Telephone............................................ 10 17 79 ......... 106
Postage.............................................. 15 13 15 14 57
Printing................................................. 5 14 14 ......... 33
Other Services........................................... 83 76 65 ......... 224
Supplies and Materials................................... 5 15 26 ......... 46
Equipment................................................ 7 69 35 ......... 111
------------------------------------------------------
Total Obligations........................................ 518 786 1,162 34 2,500
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEDERAL CITIZEN INFORMATION CENTER FUND
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $14,874,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 17,790,000
House allowance......................................... 15,798,000
Committee recommendation................................ 17,790,000
program description
The Federal Citizen Information Center [FCIC] brings
together an array of U.S. Government information and services
and makes them accessible to the public. This information is
made available on the Internet, via e-mail, in print, or over
the telephone.
Originally established within the General Services
Administration [GSA] by Executive order on October 26, 1970, to
help Federal departments and agencies promote and distribute
printed consumer information, FCIC has evolved and consolidated
a variety of complementary functions to augment the original
print and media channels through which it informed the public.
On January 28, 2000, the FCIC assumed responsibility for
the operations of the Federal Information Center [FIC] program.
The FIC program was established within the General Services
Administration in 1966, and was formalized by Public Law 95-491
in 1980. The program's purpose is to provide the public with
direct information about all aspects of Federal programs,
regulations, and services. To accomplish this mission,
contractual services are used to respond to public inquiries
via the nationwide toll-free National Contact Center.
On June 30, 2002, FCIC assumed operational control of the
FirstGov.gov website, the official portal of the U.S.
Government, and became a critical part of GSA's newly
established Office of Citizen Services and Communications. This
Office brings together all of GSA's citizen-centered programs.
The new Office serves as a central Federal gateway for
citizens, businesses, other governments, and the media to
easily obtain information and services from the Government. On
March 31, 2003, FCIC began accepting e-mail and fax inquiries
from the public through the FirstGov.gov website and responds
to them at its National Contact Center. FirstGov.gov was
recently renamed USA.gov.
Public Law 98-63, enacted July 30, 1983, established a
revolving fund for the FCIC. Under this fund, FCIC activities
are financed from the following: annual appropriations from the
general funds of the Treasury, reimbursements from agencies for
distribution of publications and contact center services, user
fees collected from the public, and any other income incident
to FCIC activities. All are available as authorized in
appropriation acts without regard to fiscal year limitations.
committee recommendation
The Committee recommends $17,790,000 for the Federal
Citizen Information Center, an increase of $2,916,000 above the
fiscal year 2007 enacted level and equal to the budget request.
The appropriation will be augmented by reimbursements from
Federal agencies for distribution of consumer publications,
user fees from the public, and other income.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS--GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Section 510 authorizes GSA to credit accounts with certain
funds received from Government corporations.
Section 511 authorizes GSA to use funds for the hire of
passenger motor vehicles.
Section 512 authorizes GSA to transfer funds within the
Federal buildings fund for meeting program requirements.
Section 513 limits funding for courthouse construction
which does not meet certain standards of a capital improvement
plan.
Section 514 provides that no funds may be used to increase
the amount of occupiable square feet, provide cleaning
services, security enhancements, or any other service usually
provided, to any agency which does not pay the requested rate.
Section 515 continues the provision that permits GSA to pay
small claims (up to $250,000) made against the Government.
Section 516 prohibits the use of funds by GSA to reorganize
its organizational structure except through an operating plan
change.
Merit Systems Protection Board
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $38,666,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 40,086,000
House allowance......................................... 40,086,000
Committee recommendation................................ 40,086,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Merit Systems Protection Board [MSPB] was established
by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. MSPB is an independent
quasi-judicial agency manifested to protect Federal merit
systems against partisan political and other prohibited
personnel practices and to ensure adequate protection for
employees against abuses by agency management.
MSPB assists Federal agencies in running a merit-based
civil service system. This is accomplished on a case-by-case
basis through hearing and deciding employee appeals, and on a
systemic basis by reviewing significant actions and regulations
of the Office of Personnel Management [OPM] and conducting
studies of the civil service and other merit systems. The
intended results of MSPB's efforts are to assure that personnel
actions taken against employees are processed within the law,
and that actions taken by OPM and other agencies support and
enhance Federal merit principles.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $37,507,000
for the Merit Systems Protection Board. This is an increase of
$1,444,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and the
same as the budget request. The Committee makes available no
more than $2,579,000 for adjudicated appeals through an
appropriation from the trust fund consistent with past
practice, allowing for appropriate funding for MSPB to continue
as arbitrator for the additional appeals cases from the
Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.
Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental
Policy Foundation
FEDERAL PAYMENT TO MORRIS K. UDALL SCHOLARSHIP AND EXCELLENCE IN
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY FOUNDATION
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $1,984,000
Budget estimate, 2008...................................................
House allowance......................................... 2,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 3,750,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Public Law 106-568 authorized the Morris K. Udall
Foundation to establish training programs for professionals in
health care policy and public policy, such as the Native
Nations Institute [NNI]. NNI, based at the University of
Arizona, will provide Native Americans with leadership and
management training and analyze policies relevant to tribes.
The General Fund payment to the Morris K. Udall Fund is
invested in Treasury securities with maturities suitable to the
needs of the Fund. Interest earnings from the investments are
used to carry out the activities of the Morris K. Udall
Foundation. The Foundation awards scholarships, fellowships and
grants, and funds activities of the Udall Center.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $3,750,000 for
the Morris K. Udall Foundation. There was no budget request and
the fiscal year 2007 amount was $1,984,000. The Committee
includes language to allow up to 60 percent of the
appropriation to be used for the expenses of the Native Nations
Institute.
ENVIRONMENTAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION FUND
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $1,896,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 750,000
House allowance......................................... 2,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 2,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution is
a Federal program established by Public Law 105-156 to assist
parties in resolving environmental, natural resource, and
public lands conflicts. The Institute is part of the Morris K.
Udall Foundation, and serves as an impartial, non-partisan
institution providing professional expertise, services, and
resources to all parties involved in such disputes. The
Institute helps parties determine whether collaborative problem
solving is appropriate for specific environmental conflicts,
how and when to bring all the parties together for discussion,
and whether a third-party facilitator or mediator might be
helpful in assisting the parties in their efforts to reach
consensus or to resolve the conflict. In addition, the
Institute maintains a roster of qualified facilitators and
mediators with substantial experience in environmental conflict
resolution, and can help parties in selecting an appropriate
neutral professional.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $2,000,000 for
the Morris K. Udall Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund. This
amount is $104,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and
$1,250,000 above the budget request.
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration [NARA] is
the national recordkeeper. NARA is an independent agency
created by statute in 1934 to safeguard the records of all
three branches of the Federal Government. NARA administers the
Information Security Oversight Office [ISOO], is the publisher
of the Federal Register and makes grants for historical
documentation through the National Historical Publications and
Records Commission [NHPRC].
OPERATING EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $279,338,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 312,874,000
House allowance......................................... 315,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 313,911,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This account provides for basic operations dealing with
management of the Federal Government's archives and records,
operation of Presidential Libraries, and for the review for
declassification of classified security information.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $313,911,000 for operating
expenses of the National Archives and Records Administration
for fiscal year 2008. This amount is $34,573,000 above the
fiscal year 2007 funding level and $1,037,000 above the budget
request.
The Committee's recommendation includes additional funds to
maintain current service levels, to support the Public Interest
Declassification Board, to prepare for the new George W. Bush
Presidential Library, to relocate the Southwest and Central
Plains Regional Archives facilities, operate the Nixon
Presidential Library, and to provide IG oversight of the ERA
program.
The Committee is aware that the Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library and Museum [ALPLM] opened in April 2005.
It has attracted more than 1 million visitors from around the
world, the fastest attendance pace of any Presidential library.
The Committee encourages NARA and the ALPLM to work together to
advance the legacy of Abraham Lincoln in preparation for the
16th President's bicentennial celebration.
The Committee is aware of discussions between NARA and the
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and encourages NARA to
explore mutual benefits of a partnership with the Woodrow
Wilson Presidential Library to identify, gather, sort,
catalogue, and digitize materials related to the history of
Woodrow Wilson.
The Committee is concerned that the Information Security
Oversight Office has experienced prolonged difficulty in
securing cooperation and compliance by the Office of the Vice
President with the requirements of Executive Order 12958
governing the handling of national security information. The
Committee directs the ISOO to notify the Committees on
Appropriations of the Senate and House of Representatives on a
quarterly basis concerning efforts taken and the responses
obtained to address the failure or refusal of any agencies and
entities in the executive branch that come into the possession
of classified information to comply with directives of the
ISOO.
ELECTRONIC RECORDS ARCHIVES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $45,254,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 58,028,000
House allowance......................................... 58,028,000
Committee recommendation................................ 58,028,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
National Archives and Records Administration [NARA] is
developing an Electronic Records Archives [ERA] that will
ensure the preservation of and access to Government electronic
records. With the rapid changes in technology today, the
formats in which records are stored become obsolete within a
few years, making records inaccessible even if they are
preserved intact with the most modern technology. ERA will
preserve electronic records generated in a manner that enables
requesters to access them on computer systems now and in the
future.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $58,028,000 for the Electronics
Records Archives project. This amount is an increase of
$12,774,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and the
same as the budget request. Bill language is included requiring
NARA to submit a spending plan for these funds.
The Committee strongly supports the Electronic Record
Archives [ERA] program at the National Archives Records
Administration. The Committee continues to emphasize the
importance that amounts requested in the President's budget be
adequate to meet current program requirements for the
development of systems to interface with agencies, receive all
documents, and conduct all necessary training programs. The
Committee remains committed to working to ensure that this
program is adequately funded on an expedited basis so ERA can
preserve the Nation's important records at the earliest
feasible date.
However, the Committee is disappointed to learn that the
contractor for the ERA project has stated that it will not be
able to meet the September 2007 scheduled date for delivering
Initial Operating Capacity due to poor design flaws and poor
management of software development processes. This
functionality would allow NARA and selected agencies to enter
record schedules into the system, accept electronic records
from NARA's legacy systems and agencies, and verify the
location of the records. It appears that only the ability to
enter record schedules into the system will meet the September
2007 deadline. The Committee is further concerned to learn that
the cost overrun has now grown to about $1,000,000. The
Committee does not expect this delay to affect the ability to
take in and manage the electronic records from the White House
in 2009 and urges the contractor and NARA to redouble efforts
to get this project back on track in order to meet the 2009
deadline. The Committee is appreciative of GAO's involvement in
this project. The Committee directs NARA to work expeditiously
with the contractor and, within 45 days of enactment, agree on
an action plan for moving forward on the ERA acquisition. This
plan should address management and implementation weaknesses in
the project to date; recognize the need for delivery of a
usable component of the system at the initial operating
capability milestone; and minimize the cost impact on the
government.
REPAIRS AND RESTORATION
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $9,120,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 8,663,000
House allowance......................................... 16,095,000
Committee recommendation................................ 25,173,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This account provides for the repair, alteration, and
improvement of Archives facilities and Presidential libraries
nationwide, and provides adequate storage for holdings. It will
better enable NARA to maintain its facilities in proper
condition for public visitors, researchers, and NARA employees,
and also maintain the structural integrity of the buildings.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $25,173,000 for the repairs and
restoration account. This amount is $16,053,000 above the
fiscal year 2007 enacted level and $16,510,000 above the budget
request.
The Committee provides $9,663,000 for ongoing repairs and
restoration and recommends specific funding to be distributed
as follows:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
recommendation Requested by
------------------------------------------------------------------------
LBJ Presidential Library....... $3,760,000 Hutchison
FDR Presidential Library....... 750,000 Clinton, Schumer, Reid
JFK Presidential Library....... 8,000,000 Kerry
Nixon Presidential Library..... 1,000,000 Cochran
Anchorage Regional Archives and 2,000,000 Stevens
Records Center.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee has prioritized funding under this account
with input from NARA's capital improvement plan and projects
already underway. Therefore, the Committee has included
$3,760,000 to complete renovations for the Lyndon Baines
Johnson [LBJ] Presidential Library, $8,000,000 for land
acquisition and site preparation for the JFK Presidential
Library, $750,000 to complete design of the FDR Presidential
Library, $1,000,000 for the expansion of the Richard Nixon
Presidential Library and $2,000,000 for the Anchorage Regional
Archives and Records Center. The Committee looks forward to
seeing resources dedicated for the remainder of the funding
needed for the Nixon Library in the fiscal year 2009 budget
request. The Committee directs NARA to update its comprehensive
capital needs assessment for its entire infrastructure of
Presidential libraries and records facilities, as part of its
fiscal year 2009 budget submission and urges that an
appropriate level of funding for these facilities be included
in the fiscal year 2009 budget submission and urges that an
appropriate level of funding be included in the fiscal year
2009 budget submission.
The Committee recognizes the need for a new, built-to-suit,
archives facility to replace rented space currently housing the
National Archives and Records Administration--Pacific Region
facility in Laguna Niguel, California. The Committee
understands that the Orange County Great Park has offered a
parcel of land to NARA in the planned museum district on the
former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station for a new facility, to
encompass the regional archives as well as exhibit space and
public vaults. The Committee encourages NARA to continue
discussions with the Great Park Corporation Board and looks
forward to seeing resources dedicated for this purpose in the
fiscal year 2009 budget.
National Historical Publications and Records Commission
GRANTS PROGRAM
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $7,425,000
Budget estimate, 2008...................................................
House allowance......................................... 10,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 10,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The National Historical Publications and Records Commission
[NHPRC] provides grants nationwide to preserve and publish
records that document American history. Administered within the
National Archives, which preserves Federal records, NHPRC helps
State, local, and private institutions preserve non-Federal
records, helps publish the papers of major figures in American
history, and helps archivists and records managers improve
their techniques, training, and ability to serve a range of
information users.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $10,000,000 for the National
Historical Publications and Records Commission [NHPRC]. This
amount is $2,575,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level
and $10,000,000 above the budget request.
The Committee strongly supports the NHPRC program and has
provided funding to continue this important program. This
program has played a central role in the preservation and
dissemination of the Nation's documentary heritage. Further,
the program has been successful in leveraging private sector
contributions.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION
The Committee includes an administrative provision
directing NARA to include in its fiscal year 2009 budget
justifications a comprehensive capital needs assessment for its
entire infrastructure of presidential libraries and records
facilities. Funding should be included in the fiscal year 2009
budget to address the highest priorities, including projects
already underway.
National Credit Union Administration
central liquidity facility
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Direct loan Administrative
limitation expenses
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriations, 2007.............. $1,500,000,000 $323,000
Budget estimate, 2008............. 1,500,000,000 329,000
House allowance................... 1,500,000,000 329,000
Committee recommendation.......... 1,500,000,000 329,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------
program description
The National Credit Union Administration [NCUA] Central
Liquidity Facility [CLF] was created by the National Credit
Union Central Liquidity Facility Act (Public Law 95-630). The
CLF is a mixed-ownership Government corporation managed by the
National Credit Union Administration Board and owned by its
member credit unions.
The purpose of the CLF is to improve the general financial
stability of credit unions by meeting their seasonal and
emergency liquidity needs and thereby encourage savings,
support consumer and mortgage lending, and provide basic
financial resources to all segments of the economy. To become
eligible for CLF services, credit unions invest in the capital
stock of the CLF, and the facility uses the proceeds of such
investments and the proceeds of borrowed funds to meet the
liquidity needs of credit unions. The primary sources of funds
for the CLF are stock subscriptions from credit unions and
borrowings.
The CLF may borrow funds from any source, with the amount
of borrowing limited to 12 times the amount of subscribed
capital stock and surplus.
Loans are available to meet short-term requirements for
funds attributable to emergency outflows from managerial
difficulties or local economic downturns. Seasonal credit is
also provided to accommodate fluctuations caused by cyclical
changes in such areas as agriculture, education, and retail
business. Loans can also be made to offset protracted credit
problems caused by factors such as regional economic decline.
committee recommendation
The Committee recommends the budget request of limiting
administrative expenses for the Central Liquidity Fund [CLF] to
$329,000 in fiscal year 2008. The Committee recommends a
limitation of $1,500,000,000 for the principal amount of new
direct loans to member credit unions. These amounts are the
same as the budget request.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT REVOLVING LOAN FUND
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $941,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 950,000
House allowance......................................... 1,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 950,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Community Development Revolving Loan Fund Program
[CDRLF] was established in 1979 to assist officially designated
``low-income'' credit unions in providing basic financial
services to low-income communities. Low-interest loans and
deposits are made available to assist these credit unions.
Loans or deposits are normally repaid in 5 years, although
shorter repayment periods may be considered. Technical
assistance grants [TAGs] are also available to low-income
credit unions. Until fiscal year 2001, only earnings generated
from the CDRLF were available to fund TAGs. Grants are
available for improving operations as well as addressing safety
and soundness issues. In fiscal year 2004, NCUA designated
funds for specific programs, including taxpayer assistance,
financial education, home ownership initiatives, remittance
services, individual development accounts [IDAs], and training
assistance.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends $950,000 for technical assistance
grants to community development credit unions. This funding
level is equal to the budget request and is $9,000 more than
the 2007 enacted level. The Committee expects the CDRLF to
continue making loans from their available funds derived from
repaid loans and interest earned on previous loans to
designated credit unions.
The Committee supports NCUA's outreach efforts to
underserved rural and urban communities across America through
technical assistance grants provided within CDRLF. The
Committee encourages NCUA to continue their efforts in
providing an alternative to predatory lending services through
their targeted technical assistance grants and support.
Office of Government Ethics
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $11,115,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 11,750,000
House allowance......................................... 11,750,000
Committee recommendation................................ 11,750,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Office of Government Ethics [OGE], a separate agency
within the executive branch, was established by the Ethics in
Government Act of 1978. OGE is charged by law to provide
overall direction of executive branch policies designed to
prevent conflicts of interest and ensure high ethical
standards. OGE carries out these responsibilities by developing
regulations pertaining to conflicts of interest, postemployment
restrictions, standards of conduct, and public and confidential
financial disclosure in the executive branch; by monitoring
compliance with financial disclosure requirements by
recommending appropriate corrective action when necessary; by
evaluating the effectiveness of applicable laws; and by
preparing advisory opinions and policy memoranda interpreting
requirements regarding conflicts of interest, post employment
restrictions, standards of conduct, and financial disclosure.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $11,750,000
for salaries and expenses of the Office of Government Ethics in
fiscal year 2008. This amount is the same as the budget request
and $635,000 above the fiscal year 2007 level. The Committee
encourages OGE to alert the Committee to emerging needs
resulting from enactment of any new legislation affecting
ethics obligations of executive branch officials and employees,
as well as initiatives undertaken to fulfill OGE's critical
role in Presidential transition issues, including education on
post-employment restrictions for outgoing officials and
processing the expected surge of public financial disclosure
reports of incoming officials.
Office of Personnel Management
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $111,605,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 101,765,000
House allowance......................................... 101,765,000
Committee recommendation................................ 101,765,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Office of Personnel Management [OPM] was established by
Public Law 95-454, the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978,
enacted on October 13, 1978. In that act, the Office of
Personnel Management was established in section 1101 of title
5, United States Code. Subsequent sections of chapter 11
provide for the principal officials of the agency and the
functions of the Director, which are really the functions of
the Agency, as well as providing for the delegation of
authority for personnel management from the President and,
subsequently, by the Director.
OPM is the Federal Government agency responsible for
management of Federal human resources policy and oversight of
the merit civil service system. Although individual agencies
are increasingly responsible for personnel operations, OPM
provides a Governmentwide policy framework for personnel
matters, advises and assists agencies (often on a reimbursable
basis), and ensures that agency operations are consistent with
requirements of law on issues such as veterans preference. OPM
oversees examining of applicants for employment, issues
regulations and policies on hiring, classification and pay,
training, investigations, other aspects of personnel
management, and operates a reimbursable training program for
the Federal Government's managers and executives. OPM is also
responsible for administering the retirement, health benefits
and life insurance programs affecting most Federal employees,
retired Federal employees, and their survivors.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a general fund appropriation of
$101,765,000 for the salaries and expenses of the Office of
Personnel Management, which is $9,840,000 less than the fiscal
year 2007 level and the same as the budget request.
The recommendation includes $5,991,000 for the Enterprise
Human Resources Integration project, $1,351,000 for the Human
Resources Line of Business project, $340,000 for the E-Payroll
project, and $170,000 for the E-Training program.
The Committee is concerned with the Office of Personnel
Management's approach to human resources products and services.
Federal agencies need to have the flexibility to contract as
they see fit, including contracting with the private sector to
provide online employment applications and processing services,
as well as choice in selecting service providers and human
resource systems. While the Committee understands the need for
standards in public and private human resources contracts, the
Committee expects OPM to allow Federal agencies to have choices
in such decisions. The Committee directs OPM to report to the
Committee no later than 120 days after enactment of this act,
on its human resources products and services, including actions
taken in response to these concerns, and indicating which
products and services OPM has identified as not reasonably
available from private sector providers. Furthermore, the
Committee directs the Office of Management and Budget to report
no later than 120 days after enactment of this act, on how the
human resources products and services that OPM provides to
Federal agencies meet established standards, and on the demon-
strable steps OPM has taken to avoid any potential conflicts
between OPM's role as a human resources IT products and
services provider and its role as the designated lead agency of
the Human Resources Line of Business.
Child Care.--The Committee directs OPM to work with and
through the Chief Human Capital Officers Council to: (1)
encourage agencies to review their agency-specific results of
OPM's dependent care survey and assess their unique current and
future dependent care needs; (2) identify agencies that need
guidance and assistance with a review of their agency-specific
survey results and assessment of their unique dependent care
needs. When assessing whether current Federal dependent care
programs meet the needs of their employees, agencies should
consider conditions and circumstances unique to their agency
and employees, such as the age and income of their workforce
and geographic distribution of employees; (3) encourage
agencies and assist them with a review of the workplace
flexibilities they offer and a determination of whether such
flexibilities best balance the needs of employees with agency
mission requirements. The agencies should also determine
whether opportunities exist to use flexible work options to
address any recruitment and retention challenges; and (4) use
the dependent care survey results to determine the most
effective ways to inform and educate agencies and employees
about Federal dependent care programs that are available and
ensure agencies are using these methods.
FPRAC.--The Committee has been concerned with the lengthy
delay by the Office of Personnel Management in appointing a
Chair to the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee
[FPRAC]. This vacancy has left the FPRAC unable to make
decisions affecting the Federal Wage System [FWS], which is
harming hard-working blue collar Federal workers. In
particular, the Committee is aware that FPRAC has failed to
consider the merging of the Narragansett Bay wage area with the
Boston wage area, which was originally placed on the FPRAC's
agenda on May 20, 2004. Federal employees within the
Narragansett Bay wage area, who are paid under one of the
lowest FWS pay scales while residing in an area with one of the
highest costs of living, have waited 3 years for the FPRAC to
address their concerns. Disparities between Narragansett Bay
area wages and those in proximate wage areas raise questions
about the equity of the Federal wage pay scales in the region.
The Committee directs that the immediate order of business of
the FPRAC shall be to address the Narragansett Bay wage area.
Retirement System Modernization.--The Committee supports
the Retirement Systems Modernization project, an effort
initiated in 1997 to automate and streamline the manual and
paper-intensive business processes used to administer the
Federal employee retirement program. With 60 percent of the
Federal workforce eligible for retirement within 10 years, it
is crucial that there is an efficient and effective system in
place for current and future retirees. The Committee
understands that the project will be phased in five waves due
to the volume of retirement records. The RSM project is
entering a stage where management, integration, evaluation, and
testing are of critical importance due to the February 2008
date of commencing operation. The Committee encourages OPM to
continue to work cooperatively with GAO to minimize potential
risks and project delays.
limitation
(TRANSFER OF TRUST FUNDS)
Limitation, 2007........................................ $112,546,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 111,936,000
House allowance......................................... 123,401,000
Committee recommendation................................ 124,401,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
These funds will be transferred from the appropriate trust
funds of the Office of Personnel Management to cover
administrative expenses for the retirement and insurance
programs, including the cost of automating the retirement
recording systems.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a limitation of $124,401,000,
which is $11,855,000 over the fiscal year 2007 level and
$12,465,000 more than the budget request. The amount includes
$27,465,000 for retirement systems modernization, an increase
of $12,465,000 over the request.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
salaries and expenses
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $2,061,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 1,519,000
House allowance......................................... 1,519,000
Committee recommendation................................ 1,519,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Office of Inspector General is charged with
establishing policies for conducting and coordinating efforts
which promote economy, efficiency, and integrity in the Office
of Personnel Management's activities which prevent and detect
fraud, waste, and mismanagement in the agency's programs.
Contract audits provide professional advice to agency
contracting officials on accounting and financial matters
regarding the negotiation, award, administration, repricing,
and settlement of contracts. Internal agency audits review and
evaluate all facets of agency operations, including financial
statements. Evaluation and inspection services provide detailed
technical evaluations of agency operations. Insurance audits
review the operations of health and life insurance carriers,
health care providers, and insurance subscribers. The
investigative function provides for the detection and
investigation of improper and illegal activities involving
programs, personnel, and operations. Administrative sanctions
debar from participation in the health insurance program those
health care providers whose conduct may pose a threat to the
financial integrity of the program itself or to the well-being
of insurance program enrollees.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $1,519,000 for
salaries and expenses of the Office of Inspector General in
fiscal year 2008. This amount is $542,000 less than the fiscal
year 2007 enacted level and the same as the budget request.
(LIMITATION ON TRANSFER FROM TRUST FUNDS)
Limitation, 2007........................................ $16,278,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 16,481,000
House allowance......................................... 16,981,000
Committee recommendation................................ 17,081,000
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a limitation on transfers from the
trust funds in support of the Office of Inspector General
activities totaling $17,081,000 for fiscal year 2008. This
amount is $803,000 more than the fiscal year 2007 enacted
level, and $600,000 above the budget request. The increased
funds will help restore the OIG's budget to previous levels.
government payment for annuitants, employees health benefits
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $8,780,260,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 8,884,000,000
House allowance......................................... 8,884,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 8,884,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This appropriation covers the Government's share of the
cost of health insurance for annuitants covered by the Federal
Employees Health Benefits Program and the Retired Federal
Employees Health Benefits Act of 1960, as well as
administrative expenses incurred by OPM for these programs.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a mandatory appropriation of
$8,884,000,000 for Government payments for annuitants,
employees health benefits.
government payment for annuitants, employee life insurance
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $39,000,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 41,000,000
House allowance......................................... 41,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 41,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Public Law 96-427, the Federal Employees' Group Life
Insurance Act of 1980 requires that all employees under the age
of 65 who separate from the Federal Government for purposes of
retirement on or after January 1, 1990, continue to make
contributions toward their basic life insurance coverage after
retirement until they reach the age of 65. These retirees will
contribute two-thirds of the cost of the basic life insurance
premium, identical to the amount contributed by active Federal
employees for basic life insurance coverage. As with the active
Federal employees, the Government is required to contribute
one-third of the cost of the premium for retirees' basic
coverage. OPM, acting as the payroll office on behalf of
Federal retirees, has requested, and the Committee has
provided, the funding necessary to make the required Government
contribution associated with annuitants' post-retirement life
insurance coverage.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a mandatory appropriation of
$41,000,000 for the Government payment for annuitants, employee
life insurance.
payment to civil service retirement and disability fund
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $10,532,000,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 11,941,000,000
House allowance......................................... 11,941,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 11,941,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The civil service retirement and disability fund was
established in 1920 to administer the financing and payment of
annuities to retired Federal employees and their survivors. The
fund covers the operation of the Civil Service Retirement
System and the Federal Employees' Retirement System.
This appropriation provides for the Government's share of
retirement costs, transfers of interest on the unfunded
liability and annuity disbursements attributable to military
service, and survivor annuities to eligible former spouses of
some annuitants who did not elect survivor coverage.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a mandatory appropriation of
$11,941,000,000 for payment to the civil service retirement and
disability fund.
Office of Special Counsel
salaries and expenses
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $15,524,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 16,368,000
House allowance......................................... 16,368,000
Committee recommendation................................ 16,368,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel [OSC] was first
established on January 1, 1979. From 1979 until 1989, it
operated as an autonomous investigative and prosecutorial arm
of the Merit Systems Protection Board (the Board). In 1989,
Congress enacted the Whistleblower Protection Act, which made
OSC an independent agency within the executive branch. In 1994,
the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
became law. It defined employment-related rights of persons in
connection with military service, prohibited discrimination
against them because of that service, and gave OSC new
authority to pursue remedies for violations by Federal
agencies.
OSC investigates Federal employee allegations of prohibited
personnel practices with an emphasis on protecting Federal
Government whistleblowers, and, when appropriate, prosecutes
cases before the Merit Systems Protection Board and enforces
the Hatch Act. OSC also provides a channel for whistleblowing
by Federal employees, and may transmit allegations of reprisal
to whistleblowing to the agency head concerned and require an
agency investigation and a report to Congress and the President
when appropriate.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $16,368,000
for the Office of Special Counsel. This amount is the same as
the budget request and is $844,000 above the fiscal year 2007
enacted level.
The Committee is encouraged by OSC's sustained effort to
reduce a chronic backlog of cases and expedite case processing.
However, the Committee strongly urges the OSC to work with
whistleblower advocacy organizations to promote the highest
level of confidence in the Whistleblower Protection Act and the
OSC. The Committee acknowledges that OSC continues to
experience growth in its caseload, as a result of heightened
awareness of the Hatch Act stemming from media focus on several
high-profile cases, a more vigorous focus on complaints under
the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act,
and actions under the Whistleblower Protection Act. The
Committee urges the OSC to evaluate the need for additional
resources to handle recently initiated investigations, and if
additional funds are necessary to conduct these investigations,
pursue with the Office of Management and Budget a budget
amendment to formally request the funds.
The Committee further directs OSC to communicate with the
Committee 45 days in advance of any organizational change, if
such a change would cause the geographic staffing numbers to
vary above or below the following levels: Office of Special
Counsel headquarters: 70 to 75 FTEs, the Midwest field office:
6 to 8 FTEs, the Dallas field office: 9 to 11 FTEs, the Oakland
field office: 8 to 10 FTEs, and the District of Columbia field
office: 9 to 12 FTEs. Thus the total number of FTEs for the
Office of Special Counsel should not be below 102 or above 116.
Securities and Exchange Commission
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $892,560,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 905,330,000
House allowance......................................... 908,442,000
Committee recommendation................................ 905,330,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC] is an
independent agency responsible for administering many of the
Nation's laws regulating the areas of securities and finance.
The mission of the SEC is to administer and enforce Federal
securities laws in order to protect investors and to maintain
fair, honest, and efficient markets. This includes ensuring
full disclosure of financial information, regulating the
Nation's securities markets, and preventing and policing fraud
and malpractice in the securities and financial markets. The
strength of the American economy and our Nation's financial
markets is dependent upon investors' confidence in the
financial disclosures and statements released by publicly
traded companies.
The Committee is concerned that American investors may be
unwittingly investing in companies with ties to countries that
sponsor terrorism or are linked to human rights violations. The
Committee believes that a company's association with sponsors
of terrorism and human rights abuses, no matter how large or
small, can have a materially adverse result on a public
company's operations, financial condition, earnings, and stock
prices, all of which can negatively affect the value of an
investment. In order to protect American investors' savings and
to disclose these business relationships to investors, an
Office of Global Security Risk was established within the
Division of Corporation Finance. The Committee expects the work
of the Office to remain a high priority during fiscal year 2008
and directs the SEC to continue to submit quarterly reports on
its activities.
The Committee expects the SEC to implement key controls to
effectively safeguard the confidentiality, integrity, and
availability of its financial and sensitive information and
systems.
The Committee encourages the SEC to continue its efforts to
improve the timeliness of disbursement of funds to investors
victimized by securities fraud, including the establishment of
a specialized office devoted to ensuring that funds are
promptly disbursed and installation of a new computer system to
simplify the tracking, collection, and distribution of assessed
penalties.
The Committee also urges the SEC to pursue plans to
simplify information and improve electronic access to
investment information through interactive data systems.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends a total budget (obligational)
authority of $905,330,000 for the salaries and expenses of the
SEC, including $863,933,000 from new fee collections and
$41,397,000 from prior year balances. This total funding level
is the same as the budget request and $12,770,000 above the
fiscal year 2007 enacted level.
Selective Service System
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $24,850,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 22,000,000
House allowance......................................... 22,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 22,000,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Selective Service System [SSS] is an independent
Federal agency, operating with permanent authorization under
the Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 451 et
seq.). The agency is not part of the Department of Defense
[DOD], but its basic mission is to be prepared to supply
manpower to the Armed Forces adequate to ensure the security of
the United States during a time of national emergency. Since
1973, the Armed Forces have relied on volunteers to fill
military manpower requirements. However, the Selective Service
System remains the primary vehicle by which personnel will be
brought into the military if Congress and the President should
authorize a return to the draft.
In December 1987, Selective Service was tasked by law
(Public Law 100-180, sec. 715) to develop plans for a post-
mobilization health care personnel delivery system capable of
providing the necessary critically skilled healthcare personnel
to the Armed Forces in time of emergency. An automated system
capable of handling mass registration and inductions is now
complete, together with necessary draft legislation, a draft
Presidential proclamation, prototype forms and letters, and
other products. These products will be available should the
need arise. The development of supplemental standby products,
such as a compliance system for health care personnel,
continues using very limited existing resources.
committee recommendation
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $22,000,000
for the Selective Service System. This amount is the same as
the budget request and $2,850,000 below the fiscal year 2007
enacted level. The Committee encourages the system to continue
the development of its Central Registrant Processing Portal
Initiative, and to improve the cost effectiveness of the
registration process by continuing to increase the percentage
of electronic and automatic registrations.
Small Business Administration
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $571,927,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 463,517,000
House allowance......................................... 582,497,000
Committee recommendation................................ 567,517,000
The Committee recommendation provides $567,517,000 for the
Small Business Administration [SBA]. The recommendation is
$4,410,000 below the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and
$104,000,000 over the budget request. Funding is distributed
among the SBA appropriation accounts as described below.
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $327,592,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 310,103,000
House allowance......................................... 346,553,000
Committee recommendation................................ 412,103,000
The Committee recommendation provides $412,103,000. The
recommendation is $84,511,000 above the fiscal year 2007
enacted level and $102,000,000 above the budget request.
Within the amounts made available under this heading, the
Committee recommends grants for the following organizations and
programs:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
State Description Amount Requested by
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AL Mitchell College of $300,000 Shelby
Business, Business
Library and Career
Resource Center
AL Alabama 300,000 Shelby
Entrepreneurial
Research Network,
Small Business
Incubator,
Tuscaloosa, AL
AL Alabama Small 250,000 Shelby
Business Institute
of Commerce, Small
Business Incubator,
Rainbow City, AL
AL Shoals 225,000 Shelby
Entrepreneurial
Career Network
Renovation, Small
Business Incubator,
Florence, AL
AL Alabama A&M; Research 225,000 Shelby
Institute for Small
Business Training
and Development
AR University of 500,000 Lincoln; Pryor
Arkansas Research
and Technology Park
CA Grow Inglewood small 500,000 Feinstein
business loan
program, Inglewood,
CA
CO Colorado State 350,000 Salazar
University
Sustainable
Biofuels
Development Center
CT Women's Business 300,000 Lieberman
Development Center,
Stamford, CT
DE First State 500,000 Biden; Carper
Innovation, Inc.
for business
development
organization
focused on high
tech businesses,
Wilmington, DE
FL Florida Business 500,000 Bill Nelson
Continuity and Risk
Management Center,
Pensacola, FL
IL Franklin Hospital 400,000 Durbin
archiving and
communications
system, Benton, IL
IL Business incubator, 250,000 Durbin
Illinois State
University
IL Illinois Department 1,500,000 Durbin
of Commerce and
Economic
Opportunity for
statewide broadband
infrastructure and
connectivity,
Springfield, IL
IL Safer Foundation for 300,000 Durbin
transitional
employment
placement, Chicago,
IL
IL Uhlich Children's 250,000 Durbin
Advantage Network
for job training,
placement and
retention services,
Chicago, IL
IL First responder 750,000 Obama
education
initiative,
Benedictine
University, Lisle,
IL
IL Federation of 250,000 Obama
Independent
Illinois Colleges
and Universities
for training to
address workforce
shortage in nursing
and allied health,
Springfield, IL
IN Indiana State 500,000 Bayh
University, City of
Terre Haute, and
the Rose Hulman
Institute of
Technology for
business incubator,
Terre Haute, IN
IA Entrepreneurial 500,000 Harkin
Development Center
business
accelerator, Cedar
Rapids, IA
IA Student Business 500,000 Grassley
Incubator at the
University of
Northern Iowa,
Cedar Falls, IA
KS Community Child Care 500,000 Roberts
Facility for the
facilitation of
Daycare needs of
small businesses in
the area,
Manhattan, KS
KS Technical Education 1,000,000 Brownback
and Training
Center, Sedgwick
County, KS
KS South Topeka 1,000,000 Brownback
Boulevard Business
Corridor for
infrastructure
upgrades, Topeka,
KS
KS Equipment for 750,000 Brownback
Pharmaceutical
Small Business
Development at the
University of
Kansas
KS Technology 400,000 Brownback
Entrepreneurship
Development at the
Kansas Technology
Enterprise
Corporation,
Topeka, KS
KY University of 1,000,000 McConnell
Kentucky/New
Product Development
and
Commercialization
Center for Rural
Manufacturers
LA Women's Business 45,000 Landrieu
Resource Center,
New Orleans, LA
LA Northeast Louisiana 250,000 Landrieu
Business and
Community
Development Center,
University of
Louisiana at Monroe
LA Grambling State 250,000 Landrieu
University
Expanding Minority
Entrepreneurship
Regionally Across
the Louisiana Delta
[EMERALD] Program
(Lincoln Parish)
LA Maritime Business 150,000 Vitter
Training Center for
Construction of a
Training Facility,
Covington, LA
LA Southeastern 100,000 Vitter
Louisiana
University Hispanic
Business and
Leadership
Institute, Hammond,
LA
MD Small business trade 350,000 Cardin
assistance office,
Prince George's
County, MD
MA Tribal Governance 350,000 Kennedy; Kerry
and Economic
Development Center,
Mashpee, MA
MI Economic Development 300,000 Levin; Stabenow
Coalition of
Southeast Michigan
for business
accelerator, Wayne
County, MI
MS Pontotoc/Union/Lee 1,500,000 Cochran
County Alliance for
industrial park
development and
small business
assistance
MS Mississippi 1,000,000 Cochran
Technology Alliance
Center for
Innovation and
Entrepreneurial
Alliances
MS Industrial Outreach 500,000 Cochran
Center at
Mississippi State
University
MS Innovation Center at 500,000 Cochran
the University of
Mississippi for a
business incubator
MS Jackson State 500,000 Cochran
University for
continuation of the
Lynch Street
Corridor
Redevelopment
MS University of 500,000 Lott
Southern
Mississippi
National Center for
Excellence in
Economic
Development and
Entrepreneurship
MO Hispanic Chamber of 500,000 Bond
Commerce of
Metropolitan St.
Louis to open and
equip a business
technology research
center
MO University of 750,000 Bond
Missouri for an
Asian Equities
Research Center,
Kansas City, MO
MT Technology Venture 500,000 Baucus; Tester
Center at Montana
State University
for statewide
outreach for job
creation, Bozeman,
MT
NE Center for Rural 250,000 Ben Nelson
Affairs for small
business training
and technical
assistance website,
Lyons, NE
NV Hispanic business 400,000 Reid
and demographic
information
initiative,
University of
Nevada, Reno
NV Center for 200,000 Reid
Entrepreneurship
and Technology,
Reno, NV
NJ New Jersey 150,000 Lautenberg
Association of
Women Business
Owners for women's
business growth
initiative,
Hamilton, NJ
NJ Rowan University 250,000 Lautenberg
South Jersey
Technology Park,
Glassboro, NJ
NJ Cedarbridge small 300,000 Menendez
business incubator,
Lakewood, NJ
NM Deployment of 500,000 Bingaman
broadband
technology,
Sandoval County, NM
NM Arrowhead Center at 1,250,000 Domenici
New Mexico State
University
NM Adelante's ACCENT 500,000 Domenici
School-to-Work
Transition Program,
Albuquerque, NM
NY Northern Manhattan 275,000 Schumer; Clinton
Coalition for
Economic
Development for
business outreach
center, New York,
NY
NY City of Buffalo for 500,000 Clinton; Schumer
microloan program
for small business,
Buffalo, NY
NC University of North 100,000 Burr
Carolina for the
expansion of the
Morehead Destiny
Project
ND Great Plains Energy 250,000 Dorgan; Conrad
Corridor
Coordinating
Office, Bismarck,
ND
ND Nanotechnology and 150,000 Dorgan; Conrad
Applied Science
Laboratory, North
Dakota State
College of Science
OR Portland State 500,000 Wyden
University for a
science research
and teaching cen-
ter
PA Altoona-Blair County 300,000 Specter
Development
Corporation's
Entrepreneurial
Institute, Altoona,
PA
RI Newport County 500,000 Reed; Whitehouse
Chamber of Commerce
for marine trades
training expansion,
Newport, RI
SD The N2TEC Institute 330,000 Johnson
for a rural
technology-based
economic
development
program, Rapid
City, SD
TN Pellissippi Research 250,000 Alexander
Centre on the Oak
Ridge Corridor R&D;
Community, Alcoa,
TN
TN Center for 250,000 Alexander
Entrepreneurial
Growth, Hamilton
County, TN
UT GAMBIT/FAST 500,000 Bennett
Manufacturing &
Business Technology
Center, Salt Lake
City, UT
VT Vermont Small 300,000 Sanders
Business
Development Center
for veterans'
business program,
Randolph Center, VT
VT Vermont Center for 750,000 Leahy
Emerging
Technologies for a
small business
incubator,
Burlington, VT
VA Virginia Center for 225,000 Webb; Warner
Innovative
Technology energy
independence
program, Herndon,
VA
VA Virginia Small 600,000 Warner; Webb
Business Workforce
Web Portal Project,
Richmond, VA
WA Northwest 400,000 Murray
Agriculture
Business Center,
Burlington, WA
WA Seattle--King County 125,000 Murray
Workforce
Development Council
for Puget Sound
regional economic
development
initiative
WA Small business 300,000 Cantwell
development center
at Highline
Community College,
Des Moines, WA
WV Haddad Riverfront 2,000,000 Byrd
Park renovations,
Charleston, WV
WV Wheeling Park 1,000,000 Byrd
Commission for a
conference center
at National
Training Center for
Public Facility
Managers, Wheeling,
WV
WI Northwest Enterprise 750,000 Kohl
Center Network for
business
incubators,
Spooner, WI
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NON-CREDIT BUSINESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
The Committee recommendation provides $144,826,000 for the
SBA non-credit business assistance programs. The recommendation
is $38,400,000 above the budget request.
The Committee recommendations, by program are displayed in
the following table:
NON-CREDIT BUSINESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
[In thousands of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Committee
recommendation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Small Business Development Centers.................... 97,120
Drug-free Workplace Grants............................ 990
SCORE................................................. 4,950
Women's Business Centers.............................. 16,880
Women's Council....................................... 743
Microloan Technical Assistance........................ 15,000
Veteran's Business Development Assistance............. 743
PRIME................................................. 3,000
Native American Outreach.............................. 1,000
7(j) Technical Assistance............................. 2,300
HUBZone............................................... 2,100
-----------------
Total, Non-credit Business Assistance Program... 144,826
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee continues to support the Small Business
Development Center Program.
The Committee directs the SBA to designate a full-time
international finance specialist in the SBA Office of
International Trade to be located in the New Orleans U.S.
Export Assistance Center. The Committee is concerned that the
international finance specialists that serve the gulf are
located in other parts of the country and that this particular
post has been vacant since early 2003. Assigning a specialist
to be located in the region will encourage exporting in the
gulf coast and assist local businesses with their economic
recovery efforts following Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.
The Committee commends the SBA on its ongoing efforts to
improve the agency's disaster planning and response for future
disasters. To ensure that the SBA is better prepared and more
responsive to disaster victims during this hurricane season,
the Committee directs the SBA, not later than 3 months after
the date of enactment of this act, to submit a report to the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on
Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate detailing how
the SBA can improve the processing, approval, and disbursing of
SBA disaster loans. The report should outline legislative
changes, if any, to implement findings of the SBA Accelerated
Disaster Response Initiative and also detail methods, if any,
for the SBA to expedite loss verification and loan processing
of disaster loans for businesses which are a major source of
employment in an area or are vital to recovery efforts in the
area such as debris removal services, manufactured housing, or
building materials.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $13,835,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 15,000,000
House allowance......................................... 15,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 15,000,000
The Committee recommendation provides $15,000,000 for the
Office of Inspector General. The recommendation is $1,165,000
above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level and the same as the
budget request.
SURETY BOND GUARANTEES REVOLVING FUND
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $2,824,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 3,000,000
House allowance......................................... 3,000,000
Committee recommendation................................ 3,000,000
The Committee recommendation provides $3,000,000. The
recommendation is $176,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted
level and the same as the budget request.
BUSINESS LOANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT
(INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $121,145,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 135,414,000
House allowance......................................... 217,944,000
Committee recommendation................................ 137,414,000
The Committee recommendation provides $137,414,000. The
recommendation is $16,269,000 above the fiscal year 2007
enacted level and $2,000,000 above the budget request.
The amount provided for administrative expenses may be
transferred to and merged with SBA salaries and expenses, to
cover the common overhead expenses associated with the business
loans programs.
The recommendation provides $2,000,000 for the Microloan
Direct program.
DISASTER LOANS PROGRAM ACCOUNT
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $112,631,000
Budget estimate, 2008...................................................
House allowance.........................................................
Committee recommendation................................................
The Committee provides no new funding for the Disaster
Loans Program Account. Necessary administrative expenses for
fiscal year 2008 were provided in the Supplemental
Appropriations Act, 2007 (Public Law 110-28) from unobligated
balances remaining. Any direct loan subsidies required in
fiscal year 2008 will be derived from available unobligated
balances. As always, SBA is urged to seek out emergency funding
in the event of a disaster requiring loan assistance.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
Section 520 continues a provision concerning transfer
authority and availability of funds.
Section 521 provides that all disaster loans issued in
Alaska or North Dakota shall not be sold.
Section 522 makes a technical correction to the designee
for a prior year's directed grant.
United States Postal Service
PAYMENT TO THE POSTAL SERVICE FUND
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $108,915,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 88,864,000
House allowance......................................... 88,864,000
Committee recommendation................................ 117,864,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Post Office dates back to 1775. It became the Postal
Service in 1971 as an independent establishment of the
executive branch of the United States Government. The Postal
Service's basic function and obligation is to provide postal
services to bind the Nation together through the personal,
educational, literary, and business correspondence of the
people. Its mission is to provide prompt, reliable and
efficient services to patrons in all areas and render postal
services to all communities.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends appropriations totaling
$117,864,000 for payment to the Postal Service Fund, an
increase of $29,000,000 above the budget request, and
$8,949,000 above the fiscal year 2007 enacted level.
This amount includes: $29,000,000 for revenue forgone on
free and reduced-rate mail pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 2401(d). The
recommendation also includes $88,864,000 as an advance
appropriation for fiscal year 2009.
Revenue forgone on free and reduced-rate mail enables
postage rates to be set at levels below the unsubsidized rates
for certain categories of mail as authorized by subsections (c)
and (d) of section 2401 of title 39, United States Code. Free
mail for the blind and overseas voters will continue to be
provided at the funding level recommended by the Committee.
The Committee includes provisions in the bill that would
assure that mail for overseas voting and mail for the blind
shall continue to be free; that 6-day delivery and rural
delivery of mail shall continue without reduction; and that
none of the funds provided be used to consolidate or close
small rural and other small post offices in fiscal year 2008.
These are services that must be maintained in fiscal year 2008
and beyond.
The Committee believes that 6-day mail delivery is one of
the most important services provided by the Federal Government
to its citizens. Especially in rural and small town America,
this critical postal service is the linchpin that serves to
bind the Nation together.
Emergency Preparedness.--In the aftermath of the anthrax
attacks using the U.S. mail, Congress appropriated funds for
the Postal Service's use in building a treatment facility in
Washington, DC. This treatment is focused on mail delivered to
Federal agencies in the Washington region and intended to
render harmless biological threats in this mail. The Committee
directs the Comptroller General to assess the status of the
treatment process, including the cost of the treatment; the
volume of treated mail and how it has changed over time; and
the extent of delays in mail delivery as a result of the
treatment step and how they have changed over time. The
Government Accountability Office shall provide a report of its
findings and any recommendations to the House and Senate
Committees on Appropriations by July 1, 2008.
Mail Delivery in Chicago.--The Committee is concerned about
mail delivery delays in Chicago, Illinois and supports the
comprehensive review being conducted by the Postmaster General
designed to upgrade postal operations and improve customer
service. The Committee will continue to closely follow the
Postal Service's management reform initiatives in order to
secure and sustain the highest level of mail delivery service
for postal consumers in Chicago.
Consolidation of Mail Processing Facilities.--The Committee
understands that the results of a GAO study of the Postal
Service's mail processing realignment efforts will be released
soon. The Committee understands that significant issues still
remain with regard to the Service's Area Mail Processing
Consolidation Initiative. Among the concerns are that criteria
used to select facilities for consolidation and make
implementation decisions are unclear and based on inconsistent
data, that actual delivery performance is not considered, and
that proposed improvements to the communication process do not
change information provided to the public to ensure compliance
with the public input process mandated by Congress in the
Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. The Committee
directs that consolidation decisions pertaining to Sioux City,
Iowa, Aberdeen, South Dakota, and Alexandria, Louisiana will
not be implemented until the Postal Service fully implements
the recommendations of the GAO and develops a mechanism to
evaluate potential and actual impacts on delivery. The
Committee directs that the Postal Service to keep the Committee
informed of its consolidation plan and further directs GAO to
continue the monitoring these efforts.
Local Postal Management.--The Committee urges the Postal
Service to solicit and take into consideration the view of
local postal management in the development of appropriate
staffing levels to ensure that postal customers receive the
quality mail service that they expect and deserve. The
Committee directs that the Postal Service report in writing 180
days after enactment of this act to the Committees on
Appropriations of the Senate and House of Representatives, the
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs,
and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on
the steps taken to achieve this objective.
Forever Stamp.--The Committee commends the Postal Service
on the release of the ``Forever Stamp,'' which will remain
valid for letter postage even after future rate changes. This
innovation should make postal rate changes far easier for
household mailers, who are the main users of adhesive postage
stamps. Consumers may avoid both the inconvenience of obsolete,
leftover stamps and the need for last-minute trips to the post
office to buy makeup stamps. The Committee commends the Postal
Service for its efforts to develop innovative proposals such as
the ``Forever Stamp,'' and trusts that the Postal Service will
continue to find new ways to make the mail a more attractive
and user-friendly communications medium for the American
household.
United States Tax Court
salaries and expenses
Appropriations, 2007.................................... $47,625,000
Budget estimate, 2008................................... 45,326,000
House allowance......................................... 45,069,000
Committee recommendation................................ 45,326,000
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The U.S. Tax Court is an independent judicial body in the
legislative branch established in 1969 under Article I of the
Constitution of the United States. The Court was created to
provide a national forum for the resolution of disputes between
taxpayers and the Internal Revenue Service, resolve cases
expeditiously while giving careful consideration to the merits
of each matter, and ensure the uniform interpretation of the
Internal Revenue Code. The matters over which the Court has
jurisdiction are set forth in various sections of title 26 of
the United States Code.
The court is composed of 19 judges, one of whom the judges
elect as chief judge. In their judicial duties the judges are
assisted by senior judges, who participate in the adjudication
of regular cases, and by special trial judges, who hear small
tax cases and certain regular cases assigned to them by the
chief judge.
The court conducts trial sessions throughout the United
States, including Hawaii and Alaska. Decisions by the court are
reviewable by the U.S. Courts of Appeals and, if certiorari is
granted, by the Supreme Court.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $45,326,000
for the U.S. Tax Court. This amount is the same as the budget
request and $2,299,000 below the fiscal year 2007 enacted
level. The Committee notes that the reduced funding reflects
two major initiatives, specifically productivity gains achieved
through prior investment in information technology and reduced
personnel compensation based on several cost-cutting management
decisions. The Committee encourages the Court to implement the
security measures outlined by the Court, including installation
of security systems in the homes of Tax Court judicial officers
and reimbursement of the United States Marshals Service for
supplying security personnel in courtrooms where the Tax Court
presides.
STATEMENT CONCERNING GENERAL PROVISIONS
The Financial Services and General Government appropriation
bill includes general provisions which govern both the
activities of the agencies covered by the bill, and, in some
cases, activities of agencies, programs, and general government
activities that are not covered by the bill.
The bill contains a number of general provisions that have
been carried in this bill for years and which are routine in
nature and scope. General provisions in the bill are explained
under this section of the report. Those general provisions that
deal with a single agency only are shown immediately following
that particular agency's or department's appropriation accounts
in the bill. Those provisions that address activities or
directives affecting all of the agencies covered in this bill
are contained in title VI. General provisions that are
governmentwide in scope are contained in title VII of this
bill. General provisions applicable to the District of Columbia
are contained in title VIII of this bill.
TITLE VI
GENERAL PROVISIONS THIS ACT
Section 601 continues the provision requiring pay raises to
be absorbed within appropriated levels in this act or previous
appropriations acts.
Section 602 continues the provision prohibiting pay and
other expenses for non-Federal parties in regulatory or
adjudicatory proceedings funded in this act.
Section 603 continues the provision prohibiting obligations
beyond the current fiscal year and prohibits transfers of funds
unless expressly so provided herein.
Section 604 continues the provision limiting expenditures
for consulting service through procurement contracts where such
expenditures are a matter of public record and available for
public inspection.
Section 605 continues the provision prohibiting funds in
this act to be transferred without express authority.
Section 606 continues the provision prohibiting the use of
funds to engage in activities that would prohibit the
enforcement of section 307 of the 1930 Tariff Act (46 Stat.
590).
Section 607 continues the provision protecting employment
rights of Federal employees who return to their civilian jobs
after assignment with the Armed Forces.
Section 608 continues the provision prohibiting the use of
funds in compliance with the Buy American Act.
Section 609 continues the provision prohibiting funding for
any person or entity convicted of violating the Buy American
Act.
Section 610 continues and modifies the provision
authorizing the reprogramming of funds and specifies the
reprogramming procedures for agencies funded by this act.
Section 611 continues the provision ensuring that 50
percent of unobligated balances may remain available for
certain purposes.
Section 612 continues the provision restricting the use of
funds for the Executive Office of the President to request
official background reports from the Federal Bureau of
Investigation without the written consent of the individual who
is the subject of the report.
Section 613 continues the provision ensuring that the cost
accounting standard shall not apply with respect to a contract
under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
Section 614 continues the provision referencing non-foreign
area cost of living allowances.
Section 615 continues the provision waiving restrictions on
the purchase of non-domestic articles, materials, and supplies
in the case of acquisition by the Federal Government of
information technology.
Section 616 continues the provision prohibiting the use of
funds for a proposed rule related to the determination that
real estate brokerage activities are financial activities.
Section 617 is a new provision amending the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act to increase the civil and
criminal penalties under the act. The Committee includes this
provision because of the situation in the Sudan and the crisis
in Darfur.
Section 618 is a new provision requiring a report on the
overall impact of economic sanctions on the Government of Sudan
and the crisis in Darfur.
Section 619 prohibits the use of funds to enforce a
provision of the Cuban Assets Control Regulations that impedes
sales to Cuba.
Section 620 is a provision relating to travel to Cuba for
commercial sales of agricultural and medical goods.
TITLE VII
GENERAL PROVISIONS GOVERNMENT-WIDE, DEPARTMENTS, AGENCIES, AND
CORPORATIONS
Section 701 continues and makes permanent the provision
authorizing agencies to pay travel costs of the families of
Federal employees on foreign duty to return to the United
States in the event of death or a life threatening illness of
the employee.
Section 702 continues the provision requiring agencies to
administer a policy designed to ensure that all of its
workplaces are free from the illegal use of controlled
substances.
Section 703 continues the provision regarding price
limitations on vehicles purchased by the Federal Government.
Price limitations are updated consistent with the President's
budget request.
Section 704 continues the provision allowing funds made
available to agencies for travel to also be used for quarters
allowances and cost-of-living allowances.
Section 705 continues the provision prohibiting the
government, with certain specified exceptions, from employing
non-U.S. citizens whose posts of duty would be in the
continental United States.
Section 706 continues the provision ensuring that agencies
will have authority to pay the General Services Administration
bills for space renovation and other services.
Section 707 continues the provision allowing agencies to
finance the costs of recycling and waste prevention programs
with proceeds from the sale of materials recovered through such
programs.
Section 708 continues the provision providing that funds
may be used to pay rent and other service costs in the District
of Columbia.
Section 709 continues and makes permanent the provision
prohibiting the use of appropriated funds to pay the salary of
any nominee after the Senate voted not to approve the
nomination.
Section 710 continues the provision precluding interagency
financing of groups absent prior statutory approval.
Section 711 continues the provision prohibiting the use of
appropriated funds for enforcing regulations disapproved in
accordance with the applicable law of the United States.
Section 712 continues the provision limiting the pay
increases of certain prevailing rate employees.
Section 713 continues the provision limiting the amount
that can be used for redecoration of offices under certain
circumstances.
Section 714 continues the provision that permits
interagency funding of national security and emergency
preparedness telecommunications initiatives, which benefit
multiple Federal departments, agencies, and entities.
Section 715 continues the provision requiring agencies to
certify that a schedule C appointment was not created solely or
primarily to detail the employee to the White House.
Section 716 continues and makes permanent the provision
requiring agencies to administer a policy designed to ensure
that all of its workplaces are free from discrimination and
sexual harassment.
Section 717 continues the provision prohibiting the use of
funds to prevent Federal employees from communicating with
Congress or to take disciplinary or personnel actions against
employees for such communication.
Section 718 continues the provision prohibiting Federal
training not directly related to the performance of official
duties.
Section 719 continues the provision prohibiting the
expenditure of funds for the implementation of agreements in
certain nondisclosure policies unless certain provisions are
included in the policies.
Section 720 continues the provision prohibiting use of
appropriated funds for publicity or propaganda designed to
support or defeat legislation pending before Congress.
Section 721 continues the provision prohibiting the use of
appropriated funds by an agency to provide Federal employees
home address to labor organizations, absent employee
authorization or court order.
Section 722 continues the provision prohibiting the use of
appropriated funds to provide non-public information such as
mailing or telephone lists to any person or organization
outside of the Government without approval of the Committees on
Appropriations.
Section 723 continues the provision prohibiting the use of
appropriated funds for publicity or propaganda purposes within
the United States not authorized by Congress.
Section 724 continues the provision directing agencies
employees to use official time in an honest effort to perform
official duties.
Section 725 continues the provision authorizing the use of
current fiscal year funds to finance an appropriate share of
the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board.
Section 726 continues the provision, with technical
modifications, authorizing agencies to transfer funds to or
reimburse the Government-wide Policy account of the General
Services Administration to finance an appropriate share of
various government-wide boards and councils.
Section 727 continues the provision authorizing
breastfeeding at any location in a Federal building or on
Federal property.
Section 728 continues the provision permitting interagency
funding of the National Science and Technology Council, and
provides for an OMB report on the budget and resources of the
Council.
Section 729 continues the provision requiring
identification of the Federal agencies providing Federal funds
and the amount provided for all proposals, solicitations, grant
applications, forms, notifications, press releases, or other
publications related to the distribution of funding to a State.
Section 730 continues a provision which extends the
authorization for franchise fund pilots for one year with
modification.
Section 731 continues the provision prohibiting the use of
funds to monitor personal information relating to the use of
Federal Internet sites.
Section 732 continues the provision regarding contraceptive
coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan.
Section 733 continues the provision recognizing the U.S.
Anti-Doping Agency as the official anti-doping agency for
Olympic, Pan American, and Paralympic sports in the United
States.
Section 734 continues the provision allowing departments
and agencies to use official travel funds to participate in the
fractional aircraft ownership pilot programs.
Section 735 continues the provision prohibiting funds for
implementation of OPM regulations limiting detailees to the
legislative branch and placing certain limitations on the Coast
Guard Congressional Fellowship program.
Section 736 continues the provision prohibiting the
expenditure of funds for the acquisition of certain additional
Federal law enforcement training facilities.
Section 737 continues the provision providing funding for
the Midway Atoll Airfield.
Section 738 continues the provision concerning the use of
funds for the ``e-Gov'' initiative that were not appropriated
specifically for that purpose.
Section 739 continues the provision, with modifications,
establishing a set of outsourcing contracting requirements that
provide an even playing field for the private and public
sector.
Section 740 continues a provision, with modifications,
providing that the adjustment in rates of basic pay for
employees under statutory pay systems taking effect in fiscal
year 2008 shall be an increase of 3.5 percent. Language has
been updated to reflect the current status of Department of
Defense employees covered under the National Security Personnel
System.
Section 741 continues a provision that prohibits executive
branch agencies from creating or funding prepackaged news
stories that are broadcast or distributed in the United States
unless specific notification conditions are met.
Section 742 continues the provision prohibiting funds used
in contravention of the Privacy Act, section 552a of title 5,
United States Code or section 522.224 of title 48 of the Code
of Federal Regulations.
Section 743 continues, with a modification, the provision
requiring each department and agency to evaluate the
creditworthiness of an individual before issuing the individual
a Government purchase charge card or travel card. The Committee
includes new language, as requested, authorizing an assessment
of the individual's consumer report from a consumer reporting
agency. The Committee expects this authority to evaluate
consumer credit reports shall be used for no other purpose
other than to assess creditworthiness for purposes of issuing
an individually billed Government travel charge card.
Section 744 includes a provision concerning the application
of these general provisions to title IV and title VIII.
Section 745 includes a provision prohibiting funds from
being used for any Federal Government contract with any foreign
incorporated entity which is treated as an inverted domestic
corporation.
Section 746 includes a provision requiring improvements to
enhance public access to information on agency Inspector
General websites.
TITLE VIII
GENERAL PROVISIONS
District of Columbia
Section 801 continues the provision that specifies that an
appropriation for a particular purpose or object shall be
considered as the maximum amount that may be expended for said
purpose or object.
Section 802 continues the provision that permits funds for
travel and payment of dues.
Section 803 continues the provision that appropriates funds
for refunding overpayments of taxes collected and for paying
settlements and judgments against the District of Columbia
government.
Section 804 modifies the provision that prohibits the use
of appropriation for publicity or propaganda purposes, and
permits the use of local funds for carry out lobbying activity.
Section 805 modifies the provision that establishes
reprogramming and transfer requirements with respect to
notification requirements for the reprogramming of local funds.
Section 806 continues the provision that prohibits use of
funds only to the objects for which the appropriations were
made.
Section 807 continues the provision that clarifies the pay
setting authority for District employees as the District's
Merit Personnel Act rather than title 5 of the United States
Code.
Section 808 continues the provision that directs the Mayor
of the District of Columbia to submit new fiscal year 2008
revenue estimates as of the end of such quarter.
Section 809 continues the provision that prohibits the use
of Federal funds for salaries, expenses, or other costs
associated with the offices of U.S. Senator or Representative
under section 4(d) of the D.C. Statehood Constitutional
Convention Initiatives of 1979.
Section 810 continues the provision restricting use of
Federal funds for the implementation or enforcement of the
Health Care Benefits Expansion Act of 1992.
Section 811 continues the provision that allows the mayor
to accept, obligate, and expend Federal, private, and other
grants received by the District government that are not
reflected in the amounts appropriated in this act.
Section 812 modifies the provision that restricts the use
of official vehicles to official duties and not between a
residence and workplace, except in the case of a police officer
who resides in the District of Columbia at the discretion of
the Chief, an officer or employee of the D.C. Fire and
Emergency Medical Services Department who resides in the
District of Columbia and is on call 24 hours a day, an officer
or employee of the District of Columbia Department of
Corrections, the Mayor of the District of Columbia, and the
Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia.
Section 813 modifies the provision that prohibits the use
of appropriated funds by the Corporation Counsel or any other
officer or entity of the District government to provide
assistance for any petition drive or civil action which seeks
to require Congress to provide for voting representation in
Congress for the District of Columbia.
Section 814 continues the provision that prohibits the use
of any funds in this act to carry out any program of
distributing sterile needles or syringes for the hypodermic
injection of any illegal drug.
Section 815 continues the provision that requires the Chief
Financial Officers of the District of Columbia to certify that
they understand the duties and restrictions applicable to their
agency as a result of this act.
Section 816 continues the provision that includes a
``conscience clause' on legislation that pertains to
contraceptive coverage by health insurance plans.
Section 817 modifies the provision that requires the Mayor
of the District of Columbia to submit reports on various issues
pertaining to the District of Columbia.
Section 818 continues the provision that requires the CFO
to submit a revised appropriated funds operating budget in the
format of the budget that the District government submitted
pursuant to section 442 of the D.C. Home Rule Act for all
agencies no later than 30 calendar days after the date of
enactment of this act.
Section 819 continues the provision that prohibits the use
of any funds in the act to: (1) pay the fees of an attorney who
represents a party in an action or any attorney who defends any
action, including an administrative proceeding, brought against
D.C. Public Schools under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act [IDEA] in excess of $4,000 for that action; (2)
pay the fees of an attorney or firm whom the CFO determines to
have a pecuniary interest, either through an attorney, officer
or employee of the firm, in any special education diagnostic
services, schools, or other special education service
providers; and (3) require all savings to be used to expand
special education services within the District. The Committee
has been assured by the Executive Office of the Mayor that the
District of Columbia will support removal of the cap on
attorneys' fees, as applied prospectively to actions brought
against it under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,
in fiscal year 2009. The Committee accepts this assurance in
recognition of the fact that the Mayor has been exercising
control of the public school system for less than a month and
because it wishes to give the Mayor and his new school
leadership team adequate time to develop a fiscal year 2009
budget that takes into consideration this change in policy and
also to make substantive reforms to the special education
system in the District that the Committee is hopeful will
result in less frequent litigation of disputes under the act.
Section 820 continues the provision that allows for
appropriations in this act to be increased by no more than
$50,000,000 from unexpended general funds, and may be used only
for one-time expenditures, to avoid deficit spending, for debt
reduction, for program needs, or to avoid revenue shortfalls.
Section 821 continues the provision that allows the
District to spend ``other-type funds'' under certain
conditions.
Section 822 continues the provision that allows for short-
term borrowing from the emergency and contingency reserve funds
established under section 450A of the District of Columbia Home
Rule Act (Public Law 98-198; D.C. Official Code, sec. 1-
204.50a) under certain circumstances.
Section 823 continues the provision prohibiting use of
funds to change the legality of marijuana use.
Section 824 continues the provision relating to abortion.
Section 825 includes a new provision which adopts a budget
treatment for the Public Defender Services for the District of
Columbia independent of the Court Services and Offender
Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia.
Section 826 includes a new provision to mitigate the
necessity for dual budgeting of local funds when such funds are
transferred but not expended.
Section 827 includes a new provision to permit full
implementation of changes for education reform.
Section 828 includes a provision to permit an increase in
the compensation of the District of Columbia Chief Financial
Officer.
Section 829 includes a provision to permit transfer of
unobligated balances in the District of Columbia Crime Victim's
Compensation Act to the Crime Victim Assistance Fund in
accordance with a spending plan submitted to Congress.
Section 830 continues the provision which limits references
to ``this Act'' as referring to only this title. Z03rept.038
COMPLIANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 7, RULE XVI, OF THE STANDING RULES OF THE
SENATE
Paragraph 7 of rule XVI requires that Committee reports on
general appropriations bills identify each Committee amendment
to the House bill ``which proposes an item of appropriation
which is not made to carry out the provisions of an existing
law, a treaty stipulation, or an act or resolution previously
passed by the Senate during that session.''
Items providing funding for fiscal year 2008 which lack
authorization are as follows:
Department of the Treasury
Departmental Offices
Department-wide Systems and Capital Investments
Office of the Inspector General
Inspector General for Tax Administration
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
Financial Management Service
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
Bureau of the Public Debt
Community Development and Financial Institutions Fund
Internal Revenue Service:
Taxpayer Services
Enforcement
Operations Support
Business Systems Modernization
Health Insurance Tax Credit Administration
Executive Office of the President
Office of Management and Budget
ONDCP: Training for drug court professionals
District of Columbia
Federal Payment for the DC Water and Sewer Authority
Federal Payment for School Improvement
Federal Payment for Central Library and Branch Locations
Federal Payment for Consolidated Laboratory Facility
Federal Payment to Reimburse the Federal Bureau of
Investigation
Federal Payment to the Executive Officer of the Mayor
Independent Agencies
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Election Assistance Commission
Federal Communications Commission
Federal Elections Commission
Federal Trade Commission
General Services Administration:
Federal Building Fund
GSA E-government Fund
Office of Government Ethics
Office of Special Counsel
Merit Systems Protection Board
Securities and Exchange Commission
Small Business Administration
COMPLIANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 7(C), RULE XXVI, OF THE STANDING RULES OF THE
SENATE
Pursuant to paragraph 7(c) of rule XXVI, on July 12, 2007,
the Committee ordered reported H.R. 2829, making appropriations
for financial services and general government for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes, with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute; with the bill subject
to further amendment and subject to the budget allocations, by
a recorded vote of 15-14, a quorum being present. The vote was
as follows:
Yeas Nays
Chairman Byrd Mr. Cochran
Mr. Inouye Mr. Stevens
Mr. Leahy Mr. Specter
Mr. Harkin Mr. Domenici
Ms. Mikulski Mr. Bond
Mr. Kohl Mr. McConnell
Mrs. Murray Mr. Shelby
Mr. Dorgan Mr. Gregg
Mrs. Feinstein Mr. Bennett
Mr. Durbin Mr. Craig
Mr. Johnson Mrs. Hutchison
Ms. Landrieu Mr. Brownback
Mr. Reed Mr. Allard
Mr. Lautenberg Mr. Alexander
Mr. Nelson
COMPLIANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 12, RULE XXVI OF THE STANDING RULES OF THE
SENATE
Paragraph 12 of rule XXVI requires that Committee reports
on a bill or joint resolution repealing or amending any statute
or part of any statute include ``(a) the text of the statute or
part thereof which is proposed to be repealed; and (b) a
comparative print of that part of the bill or joint resolution
making the amendment and of the statute or part thereof
proposed to be amended, showing by stricken-through type and
italics, parallel columns, or other appropriate typographical
devices the omissions and insertions which would be made by the
bill or joint resolution if enacted in the form recommended by
the Committee.''
In compliance with this rule, the following changes in
existing law proposed to be made by this bill are shown as
follows: existing law to be omitted is enclosed in black
brackets; new matter is printed in italic; and existing law in
which no change is proposed is shown in roman.
TITLE 5--GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES
* * * * * * *
PART III--EMPLOYEES
* * * * * * *
SUBPART I--MISCELLANEOUS
CHAPTER 95--PERSONNEL FLEXIBILITIES RELATING TO THE INTERNAL REVENUE
SERVICE
* * * * * * *
Sec. 9502. Pay authority for critical positions
(a) When the Secretary of the Treasury seeks a grant of
authority under section 5377 for critical pay for 1 or more
positions at the Internal Revenue Service, the [Office of
Management and Budget] Office of Personnel Management may fix
the rate of basic pay, notwithstanding sections 5377(d)(2) and
5307, at any rate up to the salary set in accordance with
section 104 of title 3.
* * * * * * *
Sec. 9503. Streamlined critical pay authority
(a) Notwithstanding section 9502, and without regard to the
provisions of this title governing appointments in the
competitive service or the Senior Executive Service and
chapters 51 and 53 (relating to classification and pay rates),
the Secretary of the Treasury may, [for a period of 10 years
after the date of enactment of this section] before July 23,
2013, establish, fix the compensation of, and appoint
individuals to, designated critical administrative, technical,
and professional positions needed to carry out the functions of
the Internal Revenue Service, if--
(1) * * *
* * * * * * *
Sec. 9504. Recruitment, retention, relocation incentives, and
relocation expenses
(a) [For a period of 10 years after the date of enactment of
this section] Before July 23, 2013 and subject to approval by
the Office of Personnel Management, the Secretary of the
Treasury may provide for variations from sections 5753 and 5754
governing payment of recruitment, relocation, and retention
incentives.
(b) [For a period of 10 years after the date of enactment of
this section] Before July 23, 2013, the Secretary of the
Treasury may pay from appropriations made to the Internal
Revenue Service allowable relocation expenses under section
5724a for employees transferred or reemployed and allowable
travel and transportation expenses under section 5723 for new
appointees, for any new appointee appointed to a position for
which pay is fixed under section 9502 or 9503 after June 1,
1998.
Sec. 9505. Performance awards for senior executives
(a) [For a period of 10 years after the date of enactment of
this section] Before July 23, 2013, Internal Revenue Service
senior executives who have program management responsibility
over significant functions of the Internal Revenue Service may
be paid a performance bonus without regard to the limitation in
section 5384(b)(2) if the Secretary of the Treasury finds such
award warranted based on the executive's performance.
* * * * * * *
TITLE 22--FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 79--TRADE SANCTIONS REFORM AND EXPORT ENHANCEMENT
* * * * * * *
Sec. 7209. Requirements relating to certain travel-related transactions
with Cuba
(a) Authorization of travel relating to commercial sale of
agricultural commodities
The Secretary of the Treasury shall promulgate regulations
under which the travel-related transactions listed in
subsection (c) of section 515.560 of title 31, Code of Federal
Regulations, may be authorized on a case-by-case basis by a
specific license for travel to, from, or within Cuba for the
commercial export sale of agricultural commodities pursuant to
the provisions of this chapter.
(a) Authorization of Travel Relating to Commercial Sales of
Agricultural and Medical Goods.--The Secretary of the Treasury
shall promulgate regulations under which the travel-related
transactions listed in paragraph (c) of section 515.560 of
title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, are authorized by
general license for travel to, from, or within Cuba for the
marketing and sale of agricultural and medical goods pursuant
to the provisions of this title.
* * * * * * *
TITLE 28--JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 5--DISTRICT COURTS
* * * * * * *
Sec. 128. Washington
* * * * * * *
(b) * * *
Court for the Western District shall be held at
[Bellingham, Seattle, and Tacoma] Bellingham, Seattle,
Tacoma, and Vancouver.
* * * * * * *
Sec. 1491. Claims against United States generally; actions involving
Tennessee Valley Authority
(a) * * *
(b)(1) * * *
* * * * * * *
(5) If a private sector interested party commences an
action described in paragraph (1) in the case of a public-
private competition conducted under Office of Management and
Budget Circular A-76 regarding performance of an activity or
function of a Federal agency, or a decision to convert a
function performed by Federal employees to private sector
performance without a competition under Office of Management
and Budget Circular A-76, then an official or person described
in section 3551(2)(B) of title 31 shall be entitled to
intervene in that action.
* * * * * * *
TITLE 31--MONEY AND FINANCE
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 33--DEPOSITING, KEEPING, AND PAYING MONEY
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER III--MISCELLANEOUS
* * * * * * *
Sec. 3333. Relief for payments made without negligence
(a)(1) * * *
* * * * * * *
[(3) The amount of the relief shall be charged to the Check
Forgery Insurance Fund (31 U.S.C. 3343). A recovery or
repayment of a loss for which replacement is made out of the
fund shall be credited to the fund and is available for the
purposes for which the fund was established.]
(3) The amount of the relief and the amount of any relief
granted to an official or agent of the Department of the
Treasury under 31 U.S.C. 3527, shall be charged to the Check
Forgery Insurance Fund (31 U.S.C. 3343). A recovery or
repayment of a loss for which replacement is made out of the
fund shall be credited to the fund and is available for the
purposes for which the fund was established.
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 35--ACCOUNTING AND COLLECTION
SUBCHAPTER I--GENERAL
Sec.
3501. Definition.
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER V--PROCUREMENT PROTEST SYSTEM
* * * * * * *
3557. Expedited action in protests for public-private competitions.
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER V--PROCUREMENT PROTEST SYSTEM
Sec. 3551. Definitions
In this subchapter:
(1) * * *
[(2)(A) The term ``interested party'', with respect
to a contract or a solicitation or other request for
offers described in paragraph (1), means an actual or
prospective bidder or offeror whose direct economic
interest would be affected by the award of the contract
or by failure to award the contract.
[(B) The term includes the official responsible for
submitting the Federal agency tender in a public-
private competition conducted under Office of
Management and Budget Circular A-76 regarding an
activity or function of a Federal agency performed by
more than 65 full-time equivalent employees of the
Federal agency.]
(2) The term ``interested party''--
(A) with respect to a contract or a
solicitation or other request for offers
described in paragraph (1), means an actual or
prospective bidder or offeror whose direct
economic interest would be affected by the
award of the contract or by failure to award
the contract; and
(B) with respect to a public-private
competition conducted under Office of
Management and Budget Circular A-76 regarding
performance of an activity or function of a
Federal agency, or a decision to convert a
function performed by Federal employees to
private sector performance without a
competition under OMB Circular A-76, includes--
(i) any official who submitted the
agency tender in such competition; and
(ii) any one person who, for the
purpose of representing them in a
protest under this subchapter that
relates to such competition, has been
designated as their agent by a majority
of the employees of such Federal agency
who are engaged in the performance of
such activity or function.
* * * * * * *
Sec. 3557. Expedited action in protests for public-private
competitions.
For protests in cases of public-private competitions
conducted under Office of Management and Budget Circular A-76
regarding performance of an activity or function of Federal
agencies, the Comptroller General shall administer the
provisions of this subchapter in a manner best suited for
expediting final resolution of such protests and final action
in such competitions.
* * * * * * *
TITLE 40--PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PROPERTY, AND WORKS
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 33--ACQUISITION, CONSTRUCTION, AND ALTERATION
* * * * * * *
Sec. 3313. Delegation
(a) * * *
(1) shall, except for the authority contained in section
3305(b) of this title, be delegated on request to the
appropriate [executive] federal agency when the estimated cost
of the project does not exceed $100,000; and
(2) may be delegated to the appropriate [executive] federal
agency when the Administrator determines that delegation will
promote efficiency and economy.
* * * * * * *
TITLE 50--WAR AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 35--INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY ECONOMIC POWERS
* * * * * * *
[Sec. 1705. Penalties
[(a) A civil penalty of not to exceed $10,000 may be
imposed on any person who violates, or attempts to violate, any
license, order, or regulation issued under this chapter.
[(b) Whoever willfully violates, or willfully attempts to
violate, any license, order, or regulation issued under this
chapter shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $50,000,
or, if a natural person, may be imprisoned for not more than
ten years, or both; and any officer, director, or agent of any
corporation who knowingly participates in such violation may be
punished by a like fine, imprisonment, or both.]
SEC. 206. PENALTIES.
(a) Unlawful Acts.--It shall be unlawful for a person to
violate, attempt to violate, conspire to violate, or cause a
violation of any license, order, regulation, or prohibition
issued under this title.
(b) Civil Penalty.--A civil penalty may be imposed on any
person who commits an unlawful act described in subsection (a)
in an amount not to exceed the greater of--
(1) $250,000; or
(2) an amount that is twice the amount of the
transaction that is the basis of the violation with
respect to which the penalty is imposed.
(c) Criminal Penalty.--A person who willfully commits,
willfully attempts to commit, or willfully conspires to commit,
or aids or abets in the commission of, an unlawful act
described in subsection (a) shall, upon conviction, be fined
not more than $1,000,000, or if a natural person, may be
imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both.
* * * * * * *
FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT, PUBLIC LAW 91-508
* * * * * * *
Sec. 604. Permissible purposes of reports
(a) In General.--Subject to subsection (c), any consumer
reporting agency may furnish a consumer report under the
following circumstances and no other:
(1) * * *
* * * * * * *
(3) To a person which it has reason to believe--
(A) * * *
* * * * * * *
(G) executive departments and agencies in
connection with the issuance of government-
sponsored individually-billed travel charge
cards.
* * * * * * *
FEDERAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ACT OF 1994, PUBLIC LAW 103-356
* * * * * * *
SEC. 403. FRANCHISE FUND PILOT PROGRAMS.
(a) * * *
* * * * * * *
(f) Termination.--The provisions of this section shall
expire on [October 1, 2006] October 1, 2008.
* * * * * * *
DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUICIARY, AND RELATED
AGENCICES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1998, PUBLIC LAW 105-119
* * * * * * *
Sec. 122. (a) * * *
* * * * * * *
(g)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law and subject
to paragraph (2), the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized
to establish, for a period of [8 years] 10 years from date of
enactment of this provision, a personnel management
demonstration project providing for the compensation and
performance management of not more than a combined total of 950
employees who fill critical scientific, technical, engineering,
intelligence analyst, language translator, and medical
positions in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
* * * * * * *
AIR TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AND SYSTEM STABILIZATION ACT, PUBLIC LAW 107-
942
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Air Transportation Safety and
System Stabilization Act''.
TITLE I--AIRLINE STABILIZATION
SEC. 101. AVIATION DISASTER RELIEF.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
the President shall take the following actions to compensate
air carriers for losses incurred by the air carriers as a
result of the terrorist attacks on the United States that
occurred on September 11, 2001:
[(1) Subject to such terms and conditions as the
President deems necessary, issue Federal credit
instruments to air carriers that do not, in the
aggregate, exceed $10,000,000,000 and provide the
subsidy amounts necessary for such instruments in
accordance with the provisions of the Federal Credit
Reform Act of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661 et seq.).]
* * * * * * *
[SEC. 102. AIR TRANSPORTATION STABILIZATION BOARD.
[(a) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions
apply:
[(1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Air
Transportation Stabilization Board established under
subsection (b).
[(2) Financial obligation.--The term ``financial
obligation'' means any note, bond, debenture, or other
debt obligation issued by an obligor in connection with
financing under this section and section 101(a)(1).
[(3) Lender.--The term ``lender'' means any non-
Federal qualified institutional buyer (as defined by
section 230.144A(a) of title 17, Code of Federal
Regulations (or any successor regulation) known as Rule
144A(a) of the Securities and Exchange Commission and
issued under the Security Act of 1933, including--
[(A) a qualified retirement plan (as defined
in section 4974(c) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 4974(c)) that is a qualified
institutional buyer; and
[(B) a governmental plan (as defined in
section 414(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 (26 U.S.C. 414(d)) that is a qualified
institutional buyer.
[(4) Obligor.--The term ``obligor'' means a party
primarily liable for payment of the principal of or
interest on a Federal credit instrument, which party
may be a corporation, partnership, joint venture,
trust, or governmental entity, agency, or
instrumentality.
[(b) Air Transportation Stabilization Board.--
[(1) Establishment.--There is established a board (to
be known as the ``Air Transportation Stabilization
Board'') to review and decide on applications for
Federal credit instruments under section 101(a)(1).
[(2) Composition.--The Board shall consist of--
[(A) the Secretary of Transportation or the
designee of the Secretary;
[(B) the Chairman of the Board of Governors
of the Federal Reserve System, or the designee
of the Chairman, who shall be the Chair of the
Board;
[(C) the Secretary of the Treasury or the
designee of the Secretary; and
[(D) the Comptroller General of the United
States, or the designee of the Comptroller
General, as a nonvoting member of the Board.
[(c) Federal Credit Instruments.--
[(1) In general.--The Board may enter into agreements
with 1 or more obligors to issue Federal credit
instruments under section 101(a)(1) if the Board
determines, in its discretion, that--
[(A) the obligor is an air carrier for which
credit is not reasonably available at the time
of the transaction;
[(B) the intended obligation by the obligor
is prudently incurred; and
[(C) such agreement is a necessary part of
maintaining a safe, efficient, and viable
commercial aviation system in the United
States.
[(2) Terms and limitations.--
[(A) Forms; terms and conditions.--A Federal
credit instrument shall be issued under section
101(a)(1) in such form and on such terms and
conditions and contain such covenants,
representations, warranties, and requirements
(including requirements for audits) as the
Board determines appropriate.
[(B) Procedures.--Not later than 14 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget
shall issue regulations setting forth
procedures for application and minimum
requirements, which may be supplemented by the
Board in its discretion, for the issuance of
Federal credit instruments under section
101(a)(1).
[(d) Financial Protection of Government.--
[(1) In general.--To the extent feasible and
practicable, the Board shall ensure that the Government
is compensated for the risk assumed in making
guarantees under this title.
[(2) Government participation in gains.--To the
extent to which any participating corporation accepts
financial assistance, in the form of accepting the
proceeds of any loans guaranteed by the Government
under this title, the Board is authorized to enter into
contracts under which the Government, contingent on the
financial success of the participating corporation,
would participate in the gains of the participating
corporation or its security holders through the use of
such instruments as warrants, stock options, common or
preferred stock, or other appropriate equity
instruments.
[(3) Deposit in treasury.--All amounts collected by
the Secretary of the Treasury under this subsection
shall be deposited in the Treasury as miscellaneous
receipts.]
* * * * * * *
[SEC. 104. LIMITATION ON CERTAIN EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION.
[(a) In General.--The President may only issue a Federal
credit instrument under section 101(a)(1) to an air carrier
after the air carrier enters into a legally binding agreement
with the President that, during the 2-year period beginning
September 11, 2001, and ending September 11, 2003, no officer
or employee of the air carrier whose total compensation
exceeded $300,000 in calendar year 2000 (other than an employee
whose compensation is determined through an existing collective
bargaining agreement entered into prior to September 11,
2001)--
[(1) will receive from the air carrier total
compensation which exceeds, during any 12 consecutive
months of such 2-year period, the total compensation
received by the officer or employee from the air
carrier in calendar year 2000; and
[(2) will receive from the air carrier severance pay
or other benefits upon termination of employment with
the air carrier which exceeds twice the maximum total
compensation received by the officer or employee from
the air carrier in calendar year 2000.
[(b) Total Compensation Defined.--In this section, the term
``total compensation'' includes salary, bonuses, awards of
stock, and other financial benefits provided by an air carrier
to an officer or employee of the air carrier.]
* * * * * * *
SEC. 107. DEFINITIONS.
In this title, the following definitions apply:
(1) * * *
[(2) Federal credit instrument.--The term ``Federal
credit instrument'' means any guarantee or other pledge
by the Board issued under section 101(a)(1) to pledge
the full faith and credit of the United States to pay
all or part of any of the principal of and interest on
a loan or other debt obligation issued by an obligor
and funded by a lender.]
* * * * * * *
UNIVERSAL SERVICE ANTIDEFICIENCY TEMPORARY SUSPENSION ACT OF 2004,
PUBLIC LAW 108-494
* * * * * * *
TITLE III
* * * * * * *
SEC. 302. APPLICATION OF CERTAIN TITLE 31 PROVISIONS TO UNIVERSAL
SERVICE FUND.
(a) In General.--During the period beginning on the date of
enactment of this Act and ending on [December 31, 2007]
December 31, 2008, section 1341 and subchapter II of chapter 15
of title 31, United States Code, do not apply--
(1) to any amount collected or received as Federal
universal service contributions required by section 254
of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254),
including any interest earned on such contributions;
nor
(2) to the expenditure or obligation of amounts
attributable to such contributions for universal
service support programs established pursuant to that
section.
(b) Post-2005 Fulfillment of Protected Obligations.--
Section 1341 and subchapter II of chapter 15 of title 31,
United States Code, do not apply after [December 31, 2007]
December 31, 2008, to an expenditure or obligation described in
subsection (a)(2) made or authorized during the period
described in subsection (a).
* * * * * * *
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICIAL CODE
* * * * * * *
TITLE 1--GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 2--DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOME RULE
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER IV--THE DISTRICT CHARTER
* * * * * * *
PART Bi. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
* * * * * * *
Sec. 1-204.24b. Appointment of the Chief Financial Officer.
(a) * * *
(b) * * *
(5) Pay.--The Chief Financial Officer shall be paid at an
annual rate equal to the rate of basic pay payable for [level
I] level I times 1.50 of the Executive Schedule.
* * * * * * *
TITLE 2--GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 16--PUBLIC DEFENDER SERVICE
* * * * * * *
Sec. 2-1607. Appropriation; public grants and private contributions.
(a) [There are authorized to be appropriated through the
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District
of Columbia (or, until such Agency assumes its duties pursuant
to Sec. 24-133(a), through the Trustee appointed pursuant to
Sec. 24-132) in each fiscal year such sums as may be necessary
to carry out this chapter. Funds appropriated pursuant to this
subsection shall be transmitted by the Agency (or, if
applicable, by the Trustee) to the Service.] There are
authorized to be appropriated to the Service in each fiscal
year such funds as may be necessary to carry out this chapter.
The Service may arrange by contract or otherwise for the
disbursement of appropriated funds, procurement, and the
provision of other administrative support functions by the
General Services Administration or by other agencies or
entities, not subject to the provisions of the District of
Columbia Code or any law or regulation adopted by the District
of Columbia Government concerning disbursement of funds,
procurement, or other administrative support functions. The
Service shall submit an annual appropriations request to the
Office of Management and Budget.
* * * * * * *
TITLE 4--PUBLIC CARE SYSTEM
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 5--COMPENSATION OF VICTIMS OF VIOLENT CRIME
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER I--GENERAL
* * * * * * *
Sec. 4-515. Crime Victims Compensation Fund.
[(d) Any unobligated balance existing in the Fund as of the
end of each fiscal year (beginning with fiscal year 2000) shall
be transferred from the Fund to the Crime Victims Assistance
Fund established by section 16a (D.C. Official Code Sec. 4-
515.01) and shall be available for obligation and expenditures
without fiscal year limitations. All such expenditures shall be
in accordance with a plan developed by the District of Columbia
which that is submitted to the Committees on Appropriations of
the Senate and House of Representatives, the Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform of the House of
Representatives, and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate, except that under such
plan: (1) 50 percent of such balance shall be used for direct
compensation payments to crime victims through the Fund under
this section and in accordance with this chapter; and (2) 50
percent of such balance shall be transferred from the Fund to
the Crime Victims Assistance Fund established by Sec. 4-515.01
and shall be used without fiscal year limitation for outreach
activities designed to increase the number of crime victims who
apply for such direct compensation payments.]
(d) Any unobligated balance existing in the Fund as of the
end of each fiscal year (beginning with fiscal year 2007) shall
be transferred from the Fund to the Crime Victims Assistance
Fund established by section 16a (D.C. Official Code Sec. 4-
515.01) and shall be available for obligation and expenditures
without fiscal year limitation. All such expenditures shall be
in accordance with a plan developed by the District of Columbia
that is submitted to the Committees on Appropriations of the
Senate and House of Representatives, the Committee on Oversight
and Government Reform of the House of Representatives, and the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the
Senate.
* * * * * * *
TITLE 24--PRISONERS AND THEIR TREATMENT
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER 1--TRANSFER OF PRISON SYSTEM TO FEDERAL AUTHORITY
* * * * * * *
SUBCHAPTER III--OFFENDER SUPERVISION AND PAROLE
* * * * * * *
Sec. 24-133. Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency.
(a) * * *
* * * * * * *
[(f) Receipt and Transmittal of Appropriations for Public
Defender Service.--The Director of the Agency shall receive and
transmit to the District of Columbia Public Defender Service
all funds appropriated for such agency.]
* * * * * * *
BUDGETARY IMPACT OF BILL
PREPARED IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE PURSUANT TO SEC. 308(a), PUBLIC LAW 93-344, AS
AMENDED
[In millions of dollars]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Budget authority Outlays
---------------------------------------------------
Committee Amount of Committee Amount of
allocation bill allocation bill
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comparison of amounts in the bill with Committee allocations
to its subcommittees of budget totals for 2008:
Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government:
Mandatory............................................... 21,394 21,394 21,388 \1\21,388
Discretionary........................................... 21,394 21,800 21,625 \1\21,508
Projections of outlays associated with the recommendation:
2008.................................................... ........... ........... ........... \2\38,439
2009.................................................... ........... ........... ........... 3,047
2010.................................................... ........... ........... ........... 612
2011.................................................... ........... ........... ........... 383
2012 and future years................................... ........... ........... ........... 343
Financial assistance to State and local governments for NA 638 NA 435
2008.......................................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Includes outlays from prior-year budget authority.
\2\Excludes outlays from prior-year budget authority.
NA: Not applicable.
NOTE. Consistent with the funding recommended in the bill for tax enforcement and in accordance with section
207(c)(2)(B) of Senate Concurrent Resolution 21 (110th Congress), the Committee anticipates that the Budget
Committee will file a revised section 302(a) allocation for the Committee on Appropriations reflecting an
upward adjustment of $406,000,000 in budget authority and associated outlays.
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF NEW BUDGET (OBLIGATIONAL) AUTHORITY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2007 AND BUDGET ESTIMATES AND AMOUNTS RECOMMENDED IN THE BILL FOR FISCAL
YEAR 2008
[In thousands of dollars]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Senate Committee recommendation compared with (+
or -)
Item 2007 Budget estimate House allowance Committee --------------------------------------------------
appropriation recommendation 2007
appropriation Budget estimate House allowance
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF THE
Departmental Offices
Salaries and expenses............ 216,348 250,141 250,591 251,641 +35,293 +1,500 +1,050
Executive direction.......... (10,753) (9,636) (10,115) (11,136) (+383) (+1,500) (+1,021)
General Counsel.............. (8,713) (10,179) (9,700) (10,179) (+1,466) ............... (+479)
Economic policies and (36,154) (45,450) (45,450) (45,450) (+9,296) ............... ...............
programs....................
Financial policies and (24,632) (28,869) (29,069) (28,869) (+4,237) ............... (-200)
programs....................
Terrorism and Financial (43,457) (56,225) (56,475) (56,225) (+12,768) ............... (-250)
Intelligence................
Treasury-wide management..... (17,837) (20,810) (19,010) (20,810) (+2,973) ............... (+1,800)
Administration............... (74,802) (78,972) (80,772) (78,972) (+4,170) ............... (-1,800)
Department-wide systems and 30,268 18,710 18,710 18,710 -11,558 ............... ...............
capital investments programs....
Office of Inspector General...... 16,957 18,450 18,450 18,450 +1,493 ............... ...............
Treasury Inspector General for 132,861 140,533 140,533 140,533 +7,672 ............... ...............
Tax Administration..............
Air transportation stabilization ............... -3,600 -3,600 -3,600 -3,600 ............... ...............
program account.................
Financial Crimes Enforcement 73,216 85,844 83,344 85,844 +12,628 ............... +2,500
Network.........................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Departmental (469,650) (510,078) (508,028) (511,578) (+41,928) (+1,500) (+3,550)
Offices...................
Financial Management Service..... 235,381 235,191 234,423 235,191 -190 ............... +768
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade 90,618 93,515 93,515 97,015 +6,397 +3,500 +3,500
Bureau: Salaries and expenses...
Bureau of the Public Debt........ 177,623 172,871 172,871 172,871 -4,752 ............... ...............
Community development financial 54,506 28,557 100,000 90,000 +35,494 +61,443 -10,000
institutions fund program
account.........................
Payment of government losses in 500 1,000 1,000 1,000 +500 ............... ...............
shipment........................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Dept. of Treasury, 1,028,278 1,041,212 1,109,837 1,107,655 +79,377 +66,443 -2,182
non-IRS...................
Internal Revenue Service
Taxpayer services................ 2,138,238 2,103,089 2,155,000 2,149,200 +10,962 +46,111 -5,800
Enforcement...................... 4,686,478 4,925,498 4,925,498 4,925,498 +239,020 ............... ...............
Operations support............... 3,544,835 3,769,587 3,769,587 3,769,587 +224,752 ............... ...............
Business systems modernization... 212,659 282,090 282,090 282,090 +69,431 ............... ...............
Health Insurance Tax Credit 14,856 15,235 15,235 15,235 +379 ............... ...............
Administration..................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Internal Revenue 10,597,066 11,095,499 11,147,410 11,141,610 +544,544 +46,111 -5,800
Service...................
======================================================================================================================
Total, title I, Department 11,625,344 12,136,711 12,257,247 12,249,265 +623,921 +112,554 -7,982
of the Treasury...........
======================================================================================================================
TITLE II--EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE
PRESIDENT AND FUNDS APPROPRIATED
TO THE PRESIDENT
The White House
Salaries and expenses............ ............... 186,920 ............... ............... ............... -186,920 ...............
Compensation of the President ............... 450 ............... ............... ............... -450 ...............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Salaries and ............... 187,370 ............... ............... ............... -187,370 ...............
expenses..................
Compensation of the President and
the White House Office:
Compensation of the President 450 ............... 450 450 ............... +450 ...............
Salaries and expenses........ 53,616 ............... 53,156 51,656 -1,960 +51,656 -1,500
Executive Residence at the White
House:
Operating expenses........... 12,398 ............... 12,814 12,814 +416 +12,814 ...............
White House repair and 1,683 ............... 1,600 1,600 -83 +1,600 ...............
restoration.................
Council of Economic Advisers..... 4,032 ............... 4,118 4,118 +86 +4,118 ...............
Office of Policy Development..... 3,487 ............... 3,482 3,482 -5 +3,482 ...............
National Security Council........ 8,684 ............... 8,640 8,640 -44 +8,640 ...............
Privacy and Civil Liberties ............... ............... ............... 2,000 +2,000 +2,000 +2,000
Oversight Board.................
Office of Administration......... 88,643 ............... 92,829 92,829 +4,186 +92,829 ...............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, The White House..... 172,993 187,370 177,089 177,589 +4,596 -9,781 +500
Office of Management and Budget.. 76,714 70,866 78,394 78,394 +1,680 +7,528 ...............
Office of National Drug Control
Policy
Office of National Drug Control 26,766 23,883 26,636 25,152 -1,614 +1,269 -1,484
Policy, S&E.....................;
Counterdrug Technology Assessment 20,000 5,000 10,000 ............... -20,000 -5,000 -10,000
Center..........................
High intensity drug trafficking 224,730 220,000 226,000 235,000 +10,270 +15,000 +9,000
areas program...................
Other Federal drug control 192,951 224,485 197,800 204,735 +11,784 -19,750 +6,935
programs........................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Office of Drug 464,447 473,368 460,436 464,887 +440 -8,481 +4,451
Control Policy............
Unanticipated needs.............. 990 1,000 1,000 1,000 +10 ............... ...............
Special Assistance to the
President and Official Residence
of the Vice President:
Salaries and expenses........ 4,432 4,432 4,432 4,432 ............... ............... ...............
Operating expenses........... 322 320 320 320 -2 ............... ...............
======================================================================================================================
Total, title II, Executive 719,898 737,356 721,671 726,622 +6,724 -10,734 +4,951
Office of the President
and Funds Appropriated to
the President.............
======================================================================================================================
TITLE III--THE JUDICIARY
Supreme Court of the United
States
Salaries and expenses:
Salaries of justices......... 2,000 2,149 2,149 2,149 +149 ............... ...............
Other salaries and expenses.. 60,576 64,377 64,377 64,373 +3,797 -4 -4
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal................... (62,576) (66,526) (66,526) (66,522) (+3,946) (-4) (-4)
Care of the building and grounds. 11,427 12,201 12,201 12,201 +774 ............... ...............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Supreme Court of the 74,003 78,727 78,727 78,723 +4,720 -4 -4
United States.............
United States Court of Appeals
for the Federal Circuit
Salaries and expenses:
Salaries of judges........... 2,000 2,431 2,431 2,431 +431 ............... ...............
Other salaries and expenses.. 23,311 26,107 25,545 25,007 +1,696 -1,100 -538
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, U.S. Court of 25,311 28,538 27,976 27,438 +2,127 -1,100 -538
Appeals for the Federal
Circuit...................
United States Court of
International Trade
Salaries and expenses:
Salaries of judges........... 2,000 1,765 1,765 1,765 -235 ............... ...............
Other salaries and expenses.. 13,825 14,962 14,779 14,867 +1,042 -95 +88
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, U.S. Court of 15,825 16,727 16,544 16,632 +807 -95 +88
International Trade.......
Courts of Appeals, District
Courts, and Other Judicial
Services
Salaries and expenses:
Salaries of judges and 316,000 332,434 332,434 332,434 +16,434 ............... ...............
bankruptcy judges...........
Judges COLA.................. ............... 5,000 ............... 5,000 +5,000 ............... +5,000
Other salaries and expenses.. 4,160,569 4,517,021 4,328,156 4,372,557 +211,988 -144,464 +44,401
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Salaries and (4,476,569) (4,854,455) (4,660,590) (4,709,991) (+233,422) (-144,464) (+49,401)
expenses..................
Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust 3,952 4,099 4,099 4,099 +147 ............... ...............
Fund............................
Defender services................ 776,283 859,834 830,499 840,601 +64,318 -19,233 +10,102
Fees of jurors and commissioners. 60,945 62,350 62,350 63,081 +2,136 +731 +731
Court security................... 378,663 421,789 396,476 412,720 +34,057 -9,069 +16,244
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Courts of Appeals, 5,696,412 6,202,527 5,954,014 6,030,492 +334,080 -172,035 +76,478
District Courts, and Other
Judicial Services.........
Administrative Office of the
United States Courts
Salaries and expenses............ 72,377 78,536 75,667 78,536 +6,159 ............... +2,869
Federal Judicial Center
Salaries and expenses............ 22,874 24,835 23,994 24,475 +1,601 -360 +481
Judicial Retirement Funds
Payment to judiciary trust funds. 58,300 65,400 65,400 65,400 +7,100 ............... ...............
United States Sentencing
Commission
Salaries and expenses............ 14,601 16,191 15,477 15,477 +876 -714 ...............
======================================================================================================================
Total, title III, the 5,979,703 6,511,481 6,257,799 6,337,173 +357,470 -174,308 +79,374
Judiciary.................
Mandatory (380,300) (404,179) (404,179) (404,179) (+23,879) ............... ...............
appropriations........
Discretionary (5,599,403) (6,107,302) (5,853,620) (5,932,994) (+333,591) (-174,308) (+79,374)
appropriations........
======================================================================================================================
TITLE IV--DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
FEDERAL FUNDS
Federal payment for Resident 32,868 35,100 35,100 33,000 +132 -2,100 -2,100
Tuition Support.................
Federal payment for Emergency 8,533 3,000 3,352 3,352 -5,181 +352 ...............
Planning and Security Costs in
the District of Columbia........
Federal payment to the District 216,723 213,861 256,395 217,318 +595 +3,457 -39,077
of Columbia Courts..............
Defender Services in District of 43,475 43,475 52,475 43,475 ............... ............... -9,000
Columbia Courts.................
Federal payment to the Court 179,603 190,343 190,343 190,791 +11,188 +448 +448
Services and Offender
Supervision Agency for the
District of Columbia............
Federal payment to the District 31,103 32,710 32,710 32,710 +1,607 ............... ...............
of Columbia Public Defender
Service.........................
Federal payment to the District 6,930 12,000 12,000 12,000 +5,070 ............... ...............
of Columbia Water and Sewer
Authority.......................
Federal payment for the Anacostia 2,970 ............... ............... ............... -2,970 ............... ...............
Waterfront Initiative...........
Federal payment to the Criminal 1,287 1,300 1,300 1,300 +13 ............... ...............
Justice Coordinating Council....
Federal payment for 990 ............... ............... ............... -990 ............... ...............
Transportation Assistance.......
Federal payment for Foster Care 1,980 ............... ............... ............... -1,980 ............... ...............
Improvements in the District of
Columbia........................
Federal payment to the Office of 20,000 ............... 6,148 ............... -20,000 ............... -6,148
the Chief Financial Officer of
the District of Columbia........
Federal payment for School 39,600 40,800 40,800 40,800 +1,200 ............... ...............
Improvement.....................
Federal payment for Consolidated 4,950 10,000 10,000 10,000 +5,050 ............... ...............
Laboratory Facility.............
Federal payment for Central ............... 10,000 10,000 10,000 +10,000 ............... ...............
Library/branch locations........
Federal payment to reimburse the ............... 5,000 4,000 5,000 +5,000 ............... +1,000
FBI.............................
Federal payment to the Executive ............... ............... ............... 14,000 +14,000 +14,000 +14,000
Office of the Mayor.............
======================================================================================================================
Total, Title IV, District 591,012 597,589 654,623 613,746 +22,734 +16,157 -40,877
of Columbia...............
======================================================================================================================
TITLE V--OTHER INDEPENDENT
AGENCIES
Commodity Futures Trading 97,981 116,000 ............... 116,000 +18,019 ............... +116,000
Commission......................
Consumer Product Safety 62,728 63,250 66,838 70,000 +7,272 +6,750 +3,162
Commission......................
Election Assistance Commission
Salaries and expenses............ 16,263 15,467 15,467 16,517 +254 +1,050 +1,050
Election Reform Programs......... ............... ............... 300,950 ............... ............... ............... -300,950
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Election Assistance 16,263 15,467 316,417 16,517 +254 +1,050 -299,900
Commission................
Federal Communications Commission
Salaries and expenses............ 291,282 313,000 313,000 313,000 +21,718 ............... ...............
Transfer from USF for OIG audits ............... (20,480) (20,980) (20,480) (+20,480) ............... (-500)
(by transfer)...................
Offsetting fee collections-- -290,295 -312,000 -312,000 -312,000 -21,705 ............... ...............
current year....................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Direct appropriation......... 987 1,000 1,000 1,000 +13 ............... ...............
Federal Deposit Insurance (30,690) (26,848) (26,848) (26,848) (-3,842) ............... ...............
Corporation: Office of Inspector
General (by trans- fer)........
Federal Election Commission...... 54,528 59,224 59,224 59,224 +4,696 ............... ...............
Federal Labor Relations Authority 25,372 23,718 23,641 23,718 -1,654 ............... +77
Federal Trade Commission
Salaries and expenses............ 211,289 240,239 247,489 240,239 +28,950 ............... -7,250
Offsetting fee collections-- -129,000 -144,600 -139,000 -144,600 -15,600 ............... -5,600
current year....................
Offsetting fee collections, -23,000 -19,000 -20,000 -19,000 +4,000 ............... +1,000
telephone database..............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Direct appropriation......... 59,289 76,639 88,489 76,639 +17,350 ............... -11,850
General Services Administration
Federal Buildings Fund
Appropriations................... (93,586) (344,450) (88,144) (624,901) (+531,315) (+280,451) (+536,757)
Limitations on availability of
revenue:
Construction and acquisition 701,137 615,204 524,540 894,992 +193,855 +279,788 +370,452
of facilities...............
Repairs and alterations...... 618,241 804,483 733,267 804,483 +186,242 ............... +71,216
Installment acquisition 163,999 155,781 155,781 155,781 -8,218 ............... ...............
payments....................
Rental of space.............. 4,067,881 4,383,000 4,315,534 4,383,000 +315,119 ............... +67,466
Building operations.......... 2,003,830 2,132,450 2,105,490 2,132,450 +128,620 ............... +26,960
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal................... (7,555,088) (8,090,918) (7,834,612) (8,370,706) (+815,618) (+279,788) (+536,094)
Repayment of debt................ 43,338 50,804 50,804 50,804 +7,466 ............... ...............
Rental income to fund............ -7,845,000 -7,916,272 -7,916,272 -7,916,272 -71,272 ............... ...............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Federal Buildings -246,574 225,450 -30,856 505,238 +751,812 +279,788 +536,094
Fund......................
Policy and operations............ ............... 144,338 134,945 ............... ............... -144,338 -134,945
Government-wide policy........... 52,346 ............... ............... 64,791 +12,445 +64,791 +64,791
Operating expenses............... 83,176 ............... ............... 89,547 +6,371 +89,547 +89,547
Office of Inspector General...... 52,621 47,382 53,382 52,682 +61 +5,300 -700
Electronic Government Fund....... 2,970 5,000 2,970 5,000 +2,030 ............... +2,030
Allowances and Office Staff for 2,922 2,500 2,500 2,500 -422 ............... ...............
Former Presidents...............
Federal Citizen Information 14,874 17,790 15,798 17,790 +2,916 ............... +1,992
Center Fund.....................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, General Services -37,665 442,460 178,739 737,548 +775,213 +295,088 +558,809
Administration............
Merit Systems Protection Board
Salaries and expenses............ 36,063 37,507 37,507 37,507 +1,444 ............... ...............
Limitation on administrative 2,603 2,579 2,579 2,579 -24 ............... ...............
expenses........................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Merit Systems 38,666 40,086 40,086 40,086 +1,420 ............... ...............
Protection Board..........
Morris K. Udall Foundation
Morris K. Udall Trust Fund....... 1,984 ............... 2,000 3,750 +1,766 +3,750 +1,750
Environmental Dispute Resolution 1,896 750 2,000 2,000 +104 +1,250 ...............
Fund............................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Morris K. Udall 3,880 750 4,000 5,750 +1,870 +5,000 +1,750
Foundation................
National Archives and Records
Administration
Operating expenses............... 279,338 312,874 315,000 313,911 +34,573 +1,037 -1,089
Reduction of debt............ -10,026 -10,896 -10,896 -10,896 -870 ............... ...............
Electronic records archive....... 45,254 58,028 58,028 58,028 +12,774 ............... ...............
Repairs and restoration.......... 9,120 8,663 16,095 25,173 +16,053 +16,510 +9,078
National Historical Publications 7,425 ............... 10,000 10,000 +2,575 +10,000 ...............
and Records Commission: Grants
program.........................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, National Archives 331,111 368,669 388,227 396,216 +65,105 +27,547 +7,989
and Records Administration
National Credit Union
Administration
Central liquidity facility:
(Limitation on direct loans). (1,500,000) (1,500,000) (1,500,000) (1,500,000) ............... ............... ...............
(Limitation on admin (323) (329) (329) (329) (+6) ............... ...............
expenses, corporate funds)..
Community development credit 941 950 1,000 950 +9 ............... -50
union revolving loan fund.......
Office of Government Ethics...... 11,115 11,750 11,750 11,750 +635 ............... ...............
Office of Personnel Management
Salaries and expenses............ 111,605 101,765 101,765 101,765 -9,840 ............... ...............
Limitation on administrative 112,546 111,936 123,401 124,401 +11,855 +12,465 +1,000
expenses....................
Office of Inspector General...... 2,061 1,519 1,519 1,519 -542 ............... ...............
Limitation on administrative 16,278 16,481 16,981 17,081 +803 +600 +100
expenses....................
Govt Payment for Annuitants, 8,780,260 8,884,000 8,884,000 8,884,000 +103,740 ............... ...............
Employees Health Benefits.......
Govt Payment for Annuitants, 39,000 41,000 41,000 41,000 +2,000 ............... ...............
Employee Life Insurance.........
Payment to Civil Svc Retirement 10,532,000 11,941,000 11,941,000 11,941,000 +1,409,000 ............... ...............
and Disability Fund.............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Office of Personnel 19,593,750 21,097,701 21,109,666 21,110,766 +1,517,016 +13,065 +1,100
Management................
Office of Special Counsel........ 15,524 16,368 16,368 16,368 +844 ............... ...............
Securities and Exchange
Commission
Salaries and expenses............ 892,560 905,330 908,442 905,330 +12,770 ............... -3,112
Prior year unobligated balances.. -25,000 -30,330 -41,397 -41,397 -16,397 -11,067 ...............
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Direct appropriation....... 867,560 875,000 867,045 863,933 -3,627 -11,067 -3,112
Selective Service System......... 24,850 22,000 22,000 22,000 -2,850 ............... ...............
Small Business Administration
Salaries and expenses............ 327,592 310,103 346,553 412,103 +84,511 +102,000 +65,550
Rescission (unobligated -6,100 ............... ............... ............... +6,100 ............... ...............
balances)...................
Office of Inspector General...... 13,835 15,000 15,000 15,000 +1,165 ............... ...............
By transfer from Disaster (1,485) (500) (500) ............... (-1,485) (-500) (-500)
Loans Program account.......
Surety bond guarantees revolving 2,824 3,000 3,000 3,000 +176 ............... ...............
fund............................
Business Loans Program Account:
Direct loans subsidy......... 1,283 ............... 2,530 2,000 +717 +2,000 -530
Guaranteed loans subsidy..... ............... ............... 80,000 ............... ............... ............... -80,000
Administrative expenses...... 124,862 135,414 135,414 135,414 +10,552 ............... ...............
Rescission (unobligated -5,000 ............... ............... ............... +5,000 ............... ...............
balances)...................
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Total, Business loans 121,145 135,414 217,944 137,414 +16,269 +2,000 -80,530
program account...........
Disaster Loans Program Account:
Direct loans subsidy......... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ............... ...............
Administrative expenses (by ............... (156,000) ............... ............... ............... (-156,000) ...............
transfer)...................
Administrative expenses...... 114,931 ............... ............... ............... -114,931 ............... ...............
Rescission (unobligated -2,300 ............... ............... ............... +2,300 ............... ...............
balances)...................
Disaster Relief, FEMA ............... (-200,000) (-500) ............... ............... (+200,000) (+500)
(transfer out)..............
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Total, Disaster loans 112,631 ............... ............... ............... -112,631 ............... ...............
program account...........
(by transfer).......... ............... (156,000) ............... ............... ............... (-156,000) ...............
(transfer out)......... ............... (-200,000) (-500) ............... ............... (+200,000) (+500)
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Total, Small Business 571,927 463,517 582,497 567,517 -4,410 +104,000 -14,980
Administration............
United States Postal Service
Payment to the Postal Service 29,000 ............... ............... 29,000 ............... +29,000 +29,000
Fund............................
Advance appropriations........... 79,915 88,864 88,864 88,864 +8,949 ............... ...............
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Total, United States Postal 108,915 88,864 88,864 117,864 +8,949 +29,000 +29,000
Service...................
United States Tax Court.......... 47,625 45,326 45,069 45,326 -2,299 ............... +257
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Total, title V, Independent 21,895,347 23,828,739 23,910,920 24,299,172 +2,403,825 +470,433 +388,252
Agencies..................
Appropriations......... (21,828,832) (23,739,875) (23,822,056) (24,210,308) (+2,381,476) (+470,433) (+388,252)
Rescissions............ (-13,400) ............... ............... ............... (+13,400) ............... ...............
Advances............... (79,915) (88,864) (88,864) (88,864) (+8,949) ............... ...............
(by transfer).......... (32,175) (203,828) (48,328) (47,328) (+15,153) (-156,500) (-1,000)
(transfer out)......... ............... (-200,000) (-500) ............... ............... (+200,000) (+500)
======================================================================================================================
Grand total................ 40,811,304 43,811,876 43,802,260 44,225,978 +3,414,674 +414,102 +423,718
Appropriations......... (40,744,789) (43,723,012) (43,713,396) (44,137,114) (+3,392,325) (+414,102) (+423,718)
Rescissions............ (-13,400) ............... ............... ............... (+13,400) ............... ...............
Advances............... (79,915) (88,864) (88,864) (88,864) (+8,949) ............... ...............
(by transfer).......... (32,175) (203,828) (48,328) (47,328) (+15,153) (-156,500) (-1,000)
(transfer out)......... ............... (-200,000) (-500) ............... ............... (+200,000) (+500)
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