June 22, 2000
(House)
H.R. 4690 - DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL, FY 2001
(Sponsors: Young (R), Florida; Rogers (R), Kentucky)
This Statement of Administration Policy provides the Administration's views
on the Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Bill, FY 2001, as reported by the House Committee. Your
consideration of the Administration's views would be appreciated.
The President's FY 2001 Budget is based on a balanced approach that
maintains fiscal discipline, eliminates the national debt, extends the
solvency of Social Security and Medicare, provides for an appropriately
sized tax cut, establishes a new voluntary Medicare prescription drug
benefit in the context of broader reforms, expands health care coverage to
more families, and funds critical investments for our future. An essential
element of this approach is ensuring adequate funding for discretionary
programs. To this end, the President has proposed discretionary spending
limits at levels that we believe are necessary to serve the American
people.
Unfortunately, the FY 2001 congressional budget resolution provides
inadequate resources for discretionary investments. We need realistic
levels of funding for critical government functions that the American
people expect their government to perform well, including education,
national security, law enforcement, environmental protection, preservation
of our global leadership, air safety, food safety, economic assistance for
the less fortunate, research and technology, and the administration of
Social Security and Medicare. Based on the inadequate budget resolution,
the Committee bill fails to address critical needs of the American people.
Consequently, given the severe underfunding of critical programs and highly
objectionable language provisions in the bill, such as language undermining
Justice's current lawsuit to recover funds from the tobacco industry, the
President's senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill if it
were presented to him in its current form.
Below is a discussion of the Administration's specific concerns with the
Committee bill. We look forward to working with the House to resolve these
concerns as the bill moves forward.
Department of Justice
Tobacco Litigation Support. The Administration strongly objects to
the provisions that would limit reimbursement authority by other agencies
to the Department of Justice in support of their litigation against tobacco
companies to recover money properly owed to the Treasury. These provisions
would also restrict the use of the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control
account (HCFAC) by the Department of Justice in pursuit of this litigation.
The Federal Government spends billions of dollars annually treating
veterans, service members, and all Federal medical beneficiaries suffering
from tobacco-related illnesses. The reimbursement from other agencies to
the Department of Justice is crucial in supporting the costs associated
with bringing litigation against tobacco companies. Provisions limiting
the reimbursement of this money and the use of the HCFAC would seriously
undercut and threaten our ability to conduct litigation in this area on
behalf of the American people. The Administration strongly supports an
amendment we understand may be offered that would allow this important
litigation to proceed.
Gun Enforcement. The Administration strongly opposes the bill's
failure to fund key components of the President's Gun Enforcement
Initiative, including $150 million to hire 1,000 state and local gun
prosecutors. These state and local gun prosecutors are critical in taking
more gun criminals off our streets and continuing to bring down gun crime
across America. In addition, the bill fails to provide funding for local
anti-gun violence media campaigns to help cities replicate programs like
Richmond's "Project Exile" that advertise penalties for breaking gun laws.
The bill also does not provide funding to expand research into "smart gun"
technology, which can prevent unauthorized gun use and accidents by
limiting a gun's use to its proper adult owner. Finally, the Committee has
not included the President's proposed doubling of the National Criminal
History Improvement Program (NCHIP) to help make Brady background checks
faster and more effective. We are pleased, however, with the decision to
fully fund the Administration's request to add more Federal gun
prosecutors. The Administration strongly supports an amendment we
understand may be offered to provide funding for 1,000 new state and local
gun prosecutors.
Community Oriented Policing Services. The Administration strongly
opposes the decision to provide only $595 million of the $1,335 million
requested for the highly effective Community Oriented Policing Services
program. The level provided would jeopardize the President's goal of
funding up to 50,000 additional community police officers by FY 2005. The
bill would defund the community prosecutors program, and would seriously
underfund technology funding requested by the President to give law
enforcement the tools they need to fight crime in the 21st Century. The
bill also provides no funds to expand community-based crime prevention
efforts to help build partnerships between law enforcement and the
communities they serve.
Antitrust Enforcement and Consumer Protection. The Committee bill
provides $113 million to the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division,
$21 million below the request, and $135 million for the Federal Trade
Commission, $30 million below the request. These levels would deny
necessary funds to address and review the record number of mergers, to
investigate violations of the antitrust laws, and to protect consumers from
fraud and deception.
Counterterrorism. Despite now widespread recognition that the
threat of terrorism has increased, the Committee has not funded most of the
requested increases to enhance efforts to combat terrorism, including the
initiatives in the Administration's budget amendments. For the FBI, this
includes funding for services to translate electronic intercepts in a
foreign language; equipment to improve the capability to conduct lawful
electronic intercepts; Weapons of Mass Destruction preparedness, including
the Hazardous Devices School; and, counterencryption equipment. For INS,
no funding has been provided for joint terrorism task force staff,
intelligence staff, and border technology, all of which are needed for the
INS to strengthen our defenses on the Northern border and to work
cooperatively with other law enforcement agencies. These increases are
critical to our efforts to combat the increased threat of terrorist
attacks. The recently released report from the National Commission on
Terrorism supports many of the Administration's requests. The
Administration is also disappointed that funding is not provided for the
Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to assume responsibility for the
Nunn-Lugar-Domenici first responder training program. The Administration
believes that OJP could more effectively administer this program than the
Department of Defense.
"Stop Drugs - Stop Crime" and Project Reentry. The bill provides
only $103 million for the "Stop Drugs - Stop Crime" initiative, $87 million
below the request. It does not fund the $75 million request for the
Department of Justice's Zero Tolerance and Drug Intervention Program, which
would help States and localities implement tough new systems to drug test,
treat, and punish drug offenders. The bill provides $40 million, $10
million below the request, for the highly successful Drug Courts Program.
Taken together, these actions would make it difficult, if not impossible,
to achieve the drug reduction targets in the annual drug strategy and in
the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998.
The bill also fails to fund Project Reentry, which would provide greater
community supervision of released offenders to address community safety
concerns, lower recidivism rates, and promote responsible fatherhood among
offenders returning to communities.
Civil Rights Enforcement/Indian Country Law Enforcement. The
Administration urges the House to fully fund the President's request of $98
million for the Civil Rights Division. The Committee level includes no
programmatic increases for FY 2001 and would be inadequate to maintain
current services. Funding increases are needed to continue the Division's
important efforts in enforcing the Voting Rights Act, promoting compliance
with the Americans with Disabilities Act, combating abuses in our
institutions for the mentally ill, and prosecuting cases where there is a
pattern or practice of police misconduct in law enforcement agencies.
Also, the Administration is disappointed that increases for Indian Country
law enforcement programs and the Community Relations Service have not been
provided.
Detention Trustee. The Administration appreciates the Committee's
establishment of the Detention Trustee. However, the bill does not include
the appropriations language or the $25 million requested to cover the
Department of Justice's costs associated with the detention, care, and
removal of illegal migrants held outside of the continental United States.
The establishment of a source of funding for illegal migrant interdiction
and detention away from the Nation's borders is a priority for the
Administration.
Immigration. Funding for the Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS) is $178 million below the Administration's request and reduces the
INS enforcement request for detention, investigations, inspections and the
Border Patrol by $72 million. The allotment neither increases inspection
fees nor removes an exemption from inspection fees for cruise ship
passengers. Lack of inspection fees would result in insufficient funds in
FY 2001 to maintain current inspection operations at the Nation's air and
seaports, resulting in longer passenger wait times. The Administration
likewise is disappointed that the Committee has not reinstated the 245(I)
adjustment of status provision to assist immigrant families as requested.
Radiation Exposure. The bill provides only $3.2 million for the
Radiation Exposure Compensation Trust Fund, $10.5 million below the
request. At this funding level, most of the projected 205 approved
claimants would go uncompensated in FY 2001.
Bureau of Prisons - Advance Appropriations. While the
Administration appreciates that the Committee has fully funded the FY 2001
request for the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), we are disappointed that the bill
fails to provide advance funding requested in FY 2002 and FY 2003 for
prison construction. For capital investment programs that address a known
multi-year need, advance appropriations provide the funding certainty
needed to plan and execute a construction program that will reduce the
overall completion time, saving money and delivering benefits sooner.
Examples of such programs are Bureau of Prisons construction and State
embassy security. Advance appropriations would help to reduce dangerous
levels of prison overcrowding and save money by accelerating the delivery
of new prison beds. Accelerating construction of new prisons by one year
will help BOP keep pace with a Federal prison population expected to almost
double over the next six years.
Bureau of Prisons/Section 103. The Administration urges the House
to strike section 103 of the Committee bill, which would prohibit the
Bureau of Prisons from funding abortions except in cases of rape or where
the life of the mother is endangered. The Department of Justice believes
that there is a great likelihood that this provision would be held
unconstitutional.
Department of Commerce
The Administration strongly objects to the inadequate funding provided
virtually across-the-board for Commerce programs. The bill fails to
provide funding at a current services level in most Commerce bureaus. Such
low funding would unnecessarily burden the Nation with impaired levels of
basic and essential services, including basic economic statistics, critical
infrastructure protection, environmental and weather services, high
technology research, trade compliance, economic development activities, and
fee-funded patent and trademark services. Apart from the funding for the
decennial census, the bill provides almost $300 million less for Commerce
programs than was enacted for FY 2000.
Technology Administration Programs. The Administration strongly
opposes the bill's elimination of funding for the Advanced Technology
Program (ATP). ATP is a public-private partnership for developing
high-risk technologies that have significant commercial potential.
Terminating the program would stop 185 ongoing projects as well as new
grants, and would halt research and development efforts that are beginning
to produce widespread economic benefits.
The bill insufficiently funds National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) initiatives to promote the development of new information
technology, nanotechnology, and infrastructure assurance, as well as
enhance the use of e-commerce services by small manufacturers.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Administration
strongly opposes the bill's cuts to the President's Lands Legacy
Initiative, which is funded 63 percent below the request. Coastal
ecosystem protection programs such as Marine Sanctuaries, estuarine
reserves, coral restoration, and State coastal zone grants would be cut,
along with salmon habitat grants, impeding States and Tribes in their
Pacific salmon recovery efforts. In addition, the failure to provide any
funds for U.S. obligations under the Pacific Salmon Treaty would jeopardize
the Treaty's continued implementation and put already dwindling salmon
stocks at further risk.
Failure to provide inflationary cost increases for core programs, along
with other reductions in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) programs, could lead to staffing cuts of up to 1,000 employees.
NOAA customers would receive reduced services -- including nautical charts,
long-term climate and weather data, and fishery stock assessments.
Reductions to the National Weather Service (NWS) request would jeopardize
NWS base operations and would limit radiosonde replacements, potentially
risking upper air observations. The Administration strongly recommends
full funding for the climate services initiative, Climate and Global
Change, the Clean Water Action Plan, the Global Disaster Information
Network, the GLOBE program, NOAA weather radio, polar weather satellites,
the Minority Serving Institutions initiative, and NOAA's investments in
improved financial management.
The Administration urges the House to provide requested funding for design
and construction work at the Suitland Federal Center. The nearly
60-year-old buildings at the Center are failing, threatening the health and
safety of employees of NOAA and the Census Bureau.
Digital Divide Initiatives. The Administration urges full funding
for initiatives to help close the Digital Divide and help communities
benefit from the emerging digital economy. During its six-year history,
the Technology Opportunities Program of the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA) has helped underserved and low-income
communities across the country gain access to innovative information
technology applications. The new Connecting America's Families (Home
Internet Access) program builds on that success by supporting communities
in their efforts to help low-income families receive the benefits of home
access to computers and the Internet. The Committee provides no funding
for the Home Internet Access Program and underfunds the Technology
Opportunities Program. The bill also fails to provide $23 million for the
Economic Development Administration's initiative to deploy broadband
infrastructure in economically-distressed areas.
Chemical Weapons Convention Compliance. The Administration strongly
urges full funding of the President's FY 2001 budget request of $8.5
million for Chemical Weapons Convention inspections at industry facilities.
Without this funding, Commerce will be unable to conduct site assistance
visits to help U.S. companies prepare for these international inspections
and thereby better protect confidential business information. Commerce
will also be unable to host the full complement of industry inspections
required under the Convention. Failure to provide the necessary funds
will likely result in U.S. noncompliance with its industry inspection
obligations under the Convention.
Critical Infrastructure Protection. Recent events have underscored
the importance of protecting critical infrastructure. The Administration
urges support for the provision of the President's requested funding for
the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office and for the Expert Review Team
in NIST to help Government agencies identify vulnerabilities and plan
secure systems. Likewise, the Administration strongly urges funding to
establish the Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection to
address research and development shortfalls related to the protection of
the Nation's critical infrastructures.
Economic and Statistical Infrastructure. While the Administration
appreciates the bill's funding for the decennial census, the Congress
should ensure that the census is not burdened with restrictive
reprogramming language. Moreover, other statistical programs are
inadequately funded, including the Census Bureau's continuous measurement
program, which will provide current information to allocate nearly $200
billion in Federal funds annually, and the economic statistics programs in
the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Failure to upgrade the Economic and
Statistics Administration's inadequate computer and production systems
would jeopardize production of the Nation's core economic statistics,
including Gross Domestic Product and balance of trade accounts, and planned
improvements in estimates of e-business, non-salary income, economic
well-being, and exports.
International Trade Administration. The Administration urges the
House to fully fund the $16 million trade compliance initiative requested
to support the International Trade Administration's trade enforcement
capabilities and ensure that U.S. companies and workers receive the full
benefits of international agreements.
Patent and Trademark Office. The Committee bill reduces the Patent
and Trademark Office (PTO) program level by $134 million from the request.
Such severe constraints on the use of PTO fees when patent and trademark
applications are at record levels make it difficult for the agency to
process applications in a timely manner and issue patent and trademarks
more rapidly. Longer processing times weaken the Nation's intellectual
property system's ability to support the current high technology boom.
While urging the House to fully fund the request for PTO, the
Administration opposes an amendment we understand may be offered that would
increase funding by imposing severe cuts elsewhere in Commerce and other
departments (for example, cutting Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis
programs and Census Bureau activities significantly).
Public Television's Digital Transition. The Administration urges
full funding for NTIA's Public Telecommunications Facilities, Planning and
Construction Program. Failure to fund this program could jeopardize the
ability of public broadcasters to meet the Federally-mandated May 2003
deadline for the transition to digital broadcasting.
Economic Development Administration. The Committee mark would
impair the Economic Development Administration (EDA) efforts to assist
economically disadvantaged communities. It would eliminate assistance to
be provided by EDA's proposed Office of Community Economic Adjustment to
communities injured by economic downturns due to trade and other causes.
The bill would also restrict EDA's ability to assist Native American and
Delta communities, which have some of the Nation's most distressed economic
conditions.
Security and Departmental Management. The bill fails to provide the
centralized security funds requested to ensure a secure environment for
Commerce employees and for sensitive data. In addition, the bill does not
provide funds to upgrade the Department's electronic communications systems
and create paperless administrative processes.
Legal Services Corporation
The bill funds the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) at $141 million, $163
million below the FY 2000 level and $199 million below the President's
request of $340 million. This funding level is unacceptable and would
severely cripple the program. Such a low funding level would undermine the
commitment of the Federal Government to ensuring that all Americans,
regardless of income, have access to the judicial system. The
Administration urges the House to fully fund the President's request for
the LSC.
Kyoto Protocol
The Administration opposes Committee bill and report language relating to
the Kyoto Protocol. The bill language, which purports to prohibit
implementation of the Kyoto Protocol is unnecessary, as the Administration
has no intention of implementing the Protocol prior to ratification. To
the extent these provisions could be read to prevent the United States from
negotiating with foreign governments, it would be inconsistent with the
President's Constitutional authority. In addition, the report language
goes far beyond the compromise negotiated by conferees on the language
originally agreed to in the FY 1999 appropriations process.
Small Business Administration
The Administration is deeply concerned that the Committee bill provides
insufficient funding for critical Small Business Administration programs,
especially the following:
Small Business Loans. The Committee bill provides only $9.2 billion
in loan volume, a reduction of $500 million from the enacted level and $2.3
billion from the Administration's request. In addition, the Committee only
provides $1.778 billion of the $2 billion requested for the SBIC
participating securities program. The microloan direct loan level and its
accompanying technical assistance are less than half of the funding
requested. The funding level for these programs would be insufficient to
meet demand for small business loans and would lead to fewer new business
start-ups.
New Markets Initiative. The Committee bill fails to provide the
$58.3 million requested for the programs in the May 23rd New Markets
Agreement between the President and the Speaker of the House ($21.7 million
for venture capital, $30 million for technical assistance, and $6.6 million
for BusinessLINC). Without these funds, the Administration and the
Congress would be unable to keep commitments to bring America's economic
prosperity and growth to those communities lagging behind the rest of the
Nation.
Business Assistance Programs. The Committee has failed to provide
the Administration's request for several business assistance programs,
including: PRIME Technical Assistance Grants ($15 million), SBIR Phase III
($15 million), Electronic Commerce ($5 million), and HUBZones ($5 million).
The Committee also has not provided the requested $5.75 million for the
Native American Initiative ($3 million for Native American Small Business
Development Centers, $1.25 million of BusinessLINC program funding and $1.5
million for Tribal Business Information Centers), which would provide
needed business assistance to an important economically-underserved segment
of our Nation. Further, the Committee has not provided the requested
increases necessary to support other business assistance programs,
including Women's Business Centers, One Stop Capital Shops, and SCORE.
Administrative Expenses. The Committee bill fails to provide the
full Administration request for operating expenses, the additional $5
million requested for the Systems Modernization Initiative to begin work to
modernize the disaster loan systems, $4 million for Workforce
Transformation, and $7 million requested for the needed upgrade and
maintenance of SBA's IT systems. These reductions would weaken SBA's loan
program management and result in higher loan program costs.
Department of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors
Contributions to International Peacekeeping. The Administration is
strongly opposed to the devastating $241 million reduction of funding to
pay our U.N. peacekeeping assessments. These payments fund ongoing
operations and are for bills that we must pay. The absence of full and
timely payment of our assessments would severely impede the success of
critical U.N. missions in Kosovo, East Timor, Sierra Leone, Congo, Lebanon,
and elsewhere. These missions support important U.S. interests. This
reduction would also create substantial new arrears to the U.N. and
jeopardize negotiations for much needed reforms that the Administration is
undertaking to achieve the goals of the United Nations Reform Act of 1999
passed by the Congress last year, including a reduction in the U.S.
peacekeeping assessment percentage.
Contributions to International Organizations. The Administration
strongly opposes a provision that would withhold $100 million of our U.N.
assessment pending a semi-annual budget certification. This provision
would only serve to handicap the U.N. finances unnecessarily, delay payment
of our assessment as much as 20 months from the due date, and seriously
undermine our campaign to lower the U.N. assessment rate ceilings for both
the U.N. regular budget and for peacekeeping. We share the Committee's
commitment to strict budget discipline at the United Nations and have
worked hard to reduce the U.N.'s proposed operations budget to a level less
than $3 million above the budget for the 1998-1999 biennium. We will
continue to insist, as we have successfully done in the past, that any
program increases in the U.N. be fully offset by program decreases. The
Administration is also very concerned by a reduction of $43 million from
our $923 million request that would leave us unable to pay our full
assessments to the budgets of the U.N. and other international
organizations. This reduction would also lead to the creation of new
arrears.
State Department Operations and Embassy Security. The
Administration appreciates the Committee's continued strong support for
Administration efforts to improve embassy security by providing the
President's full request for this critical activity. The Administration
also appreciates funding provided to support the worldwide operations of
the Department of State. However, the Administration is concerned that
several earmarks, language provisions, and report language seek to
micro-manage the activities of the Department of State and reduce the
Administration's flexibility to address foreign policy needs. Of
particular concern is report language that seeks to restrict the
Department's ability to construct Agency for International Development
facilities to be colocated on embassy compounds as required by the Secure
Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999. The Administration
is also concerned with the spending limit on machine readable visa fee
revenues, constraining a program important to our border security, and is
disappointed that the Committee has not recommended permanent authority to
retain machine readable visa fees essential to sustaining the Department's
border security program in future years. The Administration appreciates
the Committee's support for the pilot test of a common information
technology infrastructure overseas as recommended in the Overseas Presence
Advisory Panel but regrets that additional new funding is not provided in
the bill. Finally, the Administration is disappointed that the bill does
not include requested advance appropriations for embassy security, funds
for trade compliance and labor and environmental standards coordination,
and transfer authority to meet potential needs of the Presidential Advisory
Commission on Holocaust Assets. We believe the requested advance
appropriations for embassy security will help ensure successful
implementation of that long-term capital investment program.
Other International Accounts. The Administration is concerned about
the large reductions below the FY 2001 request for the International
Boundary and Water Commission, the International Joint Commission, the
International Boundary Commission, the Border Environment Cooperation
Commission, and the International Fisheries Commissions. These reductions
would place a disproportionate burden on the operating budgets of these
small agencies and would make it impossible to meet international treaty
obligations. We also oppose the Committee's decision to eliminate funding
for the East-West Center and the North-South Center.
International Broadcasting Operations. The Administration
appreciates the Committee's support for the consolidation of WORLDNET with
the Voice of America.
Emergencies in the Diplomatic and Consular Services. The Committee
bill cuts the President's request for emergencies in the diplomatic and
consular services by 50 percent, leaving the Department unprepared to bear
the costs associated with evacuations above only a minimal level and to pay
rewards currently advertised for the capture of suspected terrorists,
narcotics traffickers, and war criminals.
Educational and Cultural Exchanges. While the Administration
appreciates funding provided to continue ongoing educational and cultural
exchanges at a current services level, we are disappointed that no program
increases were provided, including the requested increase to the J. William
Fulbright Educational Exchange Program.
Departmental Management. The Committee bill contains two
unrequested authorization provisions that would significantly affect the
management and operation of the Department of State. Section 403 would
limit the number of Deputy Assistant Secretaries to 71 and constrain the
Department's ability to meet current management requirements. Section 405
would create a new position, the Deputy Secretary for Management and
Resources. The Secretary of State has identified an immediate need for the
creation of an additional Under Secretary position for Security, Law
Enforcement and Counter Terrorism. We oppose the creation of a second
Deputy, and believe that any other organizational changes should be
addressed through the regular authorization process.
Foreign Policy Issues. A number of provisions regarding the conduct
of foreign affairs raise constitutional concerns. Section 610 regarding
Vietnam would unconstitutionally constrain the President's authority with
respect to the conduct of diplomacy. In addition, two provisions would
unconstitutionally constrain the President's authority as
Commander-in-Chief and authority with respect to the conduct of diplomacy:
section 609, which relates to command and control of United Nations
peacekeeping efforts; and, language in the Contributions for International
Peacekeeping Activities that would require a report to Congress prior to
voting for a U.N. Peacekeeping mission.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The Committee mark for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
would eliminate over $30 million in requested program increases needed to
ensure fair, efficient, and effective handling of employment discrimination
charges, preventing the EEOC from achieving its goal of reducing its
private-sector backlog to under 29,000. The Committee's $10 million
increase over the enacted level falls short of amount needed by EEOC just
to cover inflationary increases, forcing it to absorb the difference
through program reductions. The Committee level would also set back the
Commission's efforts to expand mediation opportunities for employers and
employees. In addition, the EEOC will be unable to provide training and
outreach to combat wage discrimination as part of the President's Equal Pay
Initiative. The Administration urges the House to support these important
activities.
Commission on Civil Rights
The Committee's recommendation to freeze the Commission's funding at the FY
2000 level of $9 million, $2 million below the President's request, would
impair the Commission's ability to advance civil rights for all Americans.
Office of the United States Trade Representative
The Committee mark, which is below the current services level for the
Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), would reduce
USTR's personnel level at a time when the President's Executive Order on
environmental reviews, the Trade and Development Act of 2000, and the entry
of China into the WTO would add major additional responsibilities to USTR's
expanding workload, reinforcing the need for the 25 additional positions
requested. The bill does not fund the 13 new enforcement positions
requested as part of the President's Trade Compliance Initiative, which are
needed to enforce those agreements that the United States has already
concluded, and to ensure that our trading partners live up to their
commitments so that American companies and workers receive the benefits
promised under these agreements. Nor does the bill provide requested funds
for the 12 professional positions for core negotiators and a security
officer -- positions that are needed in the China, Agriculture, Japan, and
other offices to implement existing trade laws and agreements, including
the "Built-In" agenda under the Uruguay Round Agreement for agriculture and
service. Without these additional staff, the implementation of these
agreements will be slowed, and trade benefits for U.S. companies delayed.
Federal Communications Commission
The Committee mark would reduce funding for the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) below the FY 2000 level. This could seriously impair the
FCC's ability to carry out its mission by delaying implementation of
necessary information technology systems and would likely require an
agency-wide furlough. In turn, this would slow down the FCC's regulatory
processes leading to delays in implementation of new communication
technologies. The Administration urges the House to fully fund FCC.
Securities and Exchange Commission
The Administration appreciates the Committee's increase of $25 million over
the FY 2000 enacted level to provide for adjustments to base funding.
However, the Administration encourages the House to provide an additional
$30 million in requested program increases for information systems,
additional staff, and special pay rates that are critical to ensuring the
Commission can adequately respond to changes in the securities industry.
Given the anticipated level of fees and the dynamic nature of the
securities markets, it would be wise to enhance the Commission's oversight
capacity.
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