Whitehouse: Statement on Adjusting Topline Spending Limit to Fund Disaster Relief, Address Effects of Climate Change

"Mr. President, H.R. 5860 was the continuing resolution signed into law on September 30th, narrowly averting an extremist-led government shutdown. The act included $16 billion in disaster relief for states like Florida, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Louisiana, and others that suffered tremendous losses from extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change. It also provided funding for the thousands of firefighters who protect our communities from the ravages of wildfires. Because that was designated as emergency funding, the Budget Committee Chairman is authorized to increase the Appropriation Committee's topline by the same amount. With this adjustment, the emergency funding will not supplant non-defense discretionary funding--which includes investments for climate mitigation, environmental protection, infrastructure, education, job training, national parks and forests, and law enforcement--that is subject to the fiscal year 2024 discretionary spending limits.

That funding was designated as emergency funding pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. Section 314(a) of the Congressional Budget Act allows the Chairman of the Committee on the Budget to revise the allocations, aggregates, and levels consistent with the amount of emergency funding. Today, I am making that adjustment.

In addition, Mr. President, section 121(c) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 contained a reserve fund to allow the Budget Chairman to revise budget aggregates and committee allocations and to adjust the pay-as-you-go ledger for legislation that would not increase the deficit over the period of fiscal years 2024 to 2033. The authorizing portion of H.R. 5860, Division B, meets the conditions of that reserve fund. Over the 10-year period, Division B reduces deficits by $2 million. As such, I am revising the budget aggregates, committee allocations, and pay-as-you-go ledger to accommodate H.R. 5860.

I ask unanimous consent that the accompanying tables, which provide details about the adjustment, be printed in the Record."

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