For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 28, 2005

Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives

Dear Mr. Speaker:

Today, in a separate message, I have asked the Congress to reallocate $17.1 billion of available funding in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Disaster Relief Fund to provide for further response and recovery efforts in the regions affected by Hurricane Katrina.

As a further measure to ensure fiscal responsibility as we continue our unprecedented response to Hurricane Katrina, I ask the Congress to consider the enclosed request to rescind $2.3 billion from lower-priority Federal programs and excess funds.

As we help the people of the Gulf Coast region recover and rebuild from Hurricane Katrina, it is more important than ever to redouble our efforts to reduce unnecessary spending elsewhere in the budget.

In concert with this rescission proposal, I urge the Congress to reduce Fiscal Year 2006 nonsecurity spending below last year's levels, as proposed in my Budget. In addition, I urge the Congress to achieve the maximum amount of mandatory savings through reconciliation legislation over the next 5 years. These actions will advance our shared goal to maintain fiscal responsibility as we continue our assistance to hurricane-affected regions.

The details of this request are set forth in the enclosed letter from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Sincerely,

GEORGE W. BUSH

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