Signed by President George Bush

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a conference report that provides $82.04 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations for the Defense Department, war on terrorism, tsunami relief, and other programs for fiscal year 2005.

Highlights:

Immigration

• Requires states to follow specific procedures and enhance security standards when issuing driver's licenses and identification cards.

• Bars known terrorists from abusing U.S. asylum laws.

• Requires the Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security to create a pilot program that would strengthen U.S. border security by using ground surveillance technology.

• Waives environmental laws in order to complete the 14 miles of border fence between the US and Mexico.

• Exempts returning seasonal farm workers from Immigration Department's cap of 66,000 visas specifically issued for seasonal workers by revising certain requirements for H-2B employers and requiring submission of information regarding H-2B non-immigrants.

Defense

• Expresses the sense of the Senate that all future requests for military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq appear in the proper appropriation bills, not in emergency supplemental bills.

• Increases the military's total death benefits from $250,000 to $400,000.

• Increases the death gratuity from $12,000 to $100,000 for all those military personnel killed in combat and applies the increase retroactively beginning with those killed since October 2001.

• Extended insurance payouts for seriously injured troops from $25,000 to $100,000 retroactive for those injured since Oct. 2001.

• Requires the Navy to maintain 12 aircraft carriers.

• $37.10 billion for military operations and maintenance.

• $17.45 billion for military personnel.

• $17.38 billion for procurement of aircraft, combat vehicles, missiles, weapons, and ammunition.

• $1.29 billion for Afghanistan Security Forces.

• $1.18 billion for military construction through September 2007.

• $552.32 million for military research, development, test and evaluation.

• $308 million for Army procurement of Up-Armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (UAHMMWVs).

• $242 million for drug interdiction and counter-drug activities.

• $211 million for Defense medical and health programs.

• $60 million available for the rapid deployment of Warlock systems and other field jamming devices. 

Foreign Aid

• $907.3 million for Indian Ocean tsunami relief, including $656 million to nations affected by the December 2004 tsunami.

• $680 million for U.S. supported international peacekeeping missions initiated after the FY05 budget was completed, including $60 million for assistance to Ukraine and $50 million for emergency expenses related to the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.

• $150 million for Pakistan, $100 million for Jordan to develop military training centers for the purpose of responding to current and future security threats in the Middle East.

• $108.4 million for migration and refugee assistance.

War on Terrorism

• $1.2 billion forward War on Terror, including $748.5 million for diplomatic and consular programs and $592 million for embassy security, construction, and maintenance.

• $357.77 million for domestic counter terrorism activities, including $161.15 million for the U.S. Coast Guard, $110 million for nuclear nonproliferation, and $78.97 million for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

• $161 million additional funding for the new National Intelligence Office.

• $9.5 million for the newly established Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization that oversees reconstruction in war torn countries.

Other: 

• Allows appropriated funds to be used to provide loan guarantees to construct a Fischer-Tropsch coal-to-oil project.

• Prohibits the use of funds by any Federal agency to produce a prepackaged news story without including in such story a clear notification for the audience that the story was prepared or funded by a Federal agency.

• $104.5 billion for Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that provides $82.04 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations for the Defense Department, the war on terrorism, tsunami relief, and other programs for fiscal year 2005.

Highlights:

Immigration

• Requires states to follow specific procedures and enhance security standards when issuing driver's licenses and identification cards.

• Bars known terrorists from abusing U.S. asylum laws.

• Requires the Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security to create a pilot program that would strengthen U.S. border security by using ground surveillance technology.

• Waives environmental laws in order to complete the 14 miles of border fence between the US and Mexico.

• Exempts returning seasonal farm workers from Immigration Department's cap of 66,000 visas specifically issued for seasonal workers by revising certain requirements for H-2B employers and requiring submission of information regarding H-2B non-immigrants.

Defense

• Expresses the sense of the Senate that all future requests for military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq appear in the proper appropriation bills, not in emergency supplemental bills.

• Increases the military's total death benefits from $250,000 to $400,000.

• Increases the death gratuity from $12,000 to $100,000 for all those military personnel killed in combat and applies the increase retroactively beginning with those killed since October 2001.

• Extended insurance payouts for seriously injured troops from $25,000 to $100,000 retroactive for those injured since Oct. 2001.

• Requires the Navy to maintain 12 aircraft carriers.

• $37.10 billion for military operations and maintenance.

• $17.45 billion for military personnel.

• $17.38 billion for procurement of aircraft, combat vehicles, missiles, weapons, and ammunition.

• $1.29 billion for Afghanistan Security Forces.

• $1.18 billion for military construction through September 2007.

• $552.32 million for military research, development, test and evaluation.

• $308 million for Army procurement of Up-Armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (UAHMMWVs).

• $242 million for drug interdiction and counter-drug activities.

• $211 million for Defense medical and health programs.

• $60 million available for the rapid deployment of Warlock systems and other field jamming devices. 

Foreign Aid

• $907.3 million for Indian Ocean tsunami relief, including $656 million to nations affected by the December 2004 tsunami.

• $680 million for U.S. supported international peacekeeping missions initiated after the FY05 budget was completed, including $60 million for assistance to Ukraine and $50 million for emergency expenses related to the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.

• $150 million for Pakistan, $100 million for Jordan to develop military training centers for the purpose of responding to current and future security threats in the Middle East.

• $108.4 million for migration and refugee assistance.

War on Terrorism

• $1.2 billion forward War on Terror, including $748.5 million for diplomatic and consular programs and $592 million for embassy security, construction, and maintenance.

• $357.77 million for domestic counter terrorism activities, including $161.15 million for the U.S. Coast Guard, $110 million for nuclear nonproliferation, and $78.97 million for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

• $161 million additional funding for the new National Intelligence Office.

• $9.5 million for the newly established Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization that oversees reconstruction in war torn countries.

Other: 

• Allows appropriated funds to be used to provide loan guarantees to construct a Fischer-Tropsch coal-to-oil project.

• Prohibits the use of funds by any Federal agency to produce a prepackaged news story without including in such story a clear notification for the audience that the story was prepared or funded by a Federal agency.

• $104.5 billion for Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that provides $80.8 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations for the Defense Department, war on terrorism, tsunami relief, and other programs for fiscal year 2005.

Highlights:

Immigration

• Requires states to follow specific procedures and enhance security standards when issuing driver's licenses and identification cards.

• Requires the Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security to create a pilot program that would strengthen U.S. border security by using ground surveillance technology.

• Waves environmental laws in order to complete the 14 miles of border fence between the US and Mexico.

• Exempts returning seasonal farm workers from Immigrations' cap of 66,000 visas specifically issued for seasonal workers by revising certain requirements for H-2B employers and requiring submission of information regarding H-2B non-immigrants (as adopted in Sen. Milkulski's [MD] amendment).

• Expresses the sense of the Senate, that critical funding for Iraq will not be delayed by discussing immigration reform within this bill (as adopted in Sen. Conroy's [TX] amendment).

Defense

• Increases the military's total death benefits to $400,000.

• Increases the death gratuity from $12,000 to $100,000 for all those military personnel killed in combat and applies the increase retroactively beginning in October 2001.

• Extended insurance payouts for seriously injured troops from $25,000 to $100,000 retroactive for those injured since Oct. 2001 (as adopted in Sen. DeWine's amendment).

• Requires the Navy to maintain 12 aircraft carriers (as adopted in Sen. Warner [VA] amendment).

• $30.45 billion for military operations and maintenance.

• $15.87 billion for procurement of aircraft, combat vehicles, missiles, weapons, and ammunition.

• $17.53 billion for military personnel.

• $1.15 billion for military construction through September 2007.

• $1.29 billion for Afghanistan Security Forces.

• $552.32 million for military research, development, test and evaluation.

• $267 million for drug interdiction and counter-drug activities.

• $213 million for Army procurement of Up-Armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (UAHMMWVs).

• $225 million for Defense medical and health programs.

• $60 million available for the rapid deployment of Warlock systems and other field jamming systems ( as adopted in Sen. Boxer's [CA] amendment).

• $10 million for overseas humanitarian, disaster and civic aid programs

Foreign Aid

• Specifically encourages that funds be made available to provide assistance to children affected by the tsunami (as adopted in Sen. Landrieu's [LA] amendment).

• Provides supplemental funding for international food assistance (as adopted in Sen. Kohl's[WI] amendment).

• $1.64 billion for the Economic Support Fund, including $200 million for Palestine.

• $904.6 million for Indian Ocean tsunami relief, including $656 million to nations affected by the December 2004 tsunami.

• $660 million for international narcotics control and law enforcement.

• $177 million for the U.S. Agency for International Development, including $70 million for assistance to Ukraine and $44 million for emergency expenses related to the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.

• $108.4 million for migration and refugee assistance.

• $5.7 billion for Iraqi Security Forces including $99 million for Jordan to develop military training centers for the purpose of responding to current and future security threats in the Middle East.

War on Terrorism

• Bars known terrorists from abusing U.S. asylum laws.

• Increases funding for Border Security (as adopted in Sen. Bryd's amendment).

• $1.92 billion for the State Department, including $748.5 million for diplomatic and consular programs and $592 million for embassy security, construction, and maintenance.

• Reduces appropriations for the Iraq embassy (as adopted in Coburn's amendment).

• $357.77 million for domestic counter terrorism activities, including $161.15 million for the U.S. Coast Guard, $110 million for defense nuclear nonproliferation, and $78.97 million for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

• $161 million additional funding for the new National Intelligence Office.

• $9.5 million for the newly established Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization that over-sees reconstruction in war torn countries.

Other: 

• Allows appropriated funds to be used to provide loan guarantees to construct a Fischer-Tropsch coal-to-oil project (as adopted in Sen. Santorum's [PA] amendment).

• Prohibits the use of funds by any Federal agency to produce a prepackaged news story without including in such story a clear notification for the audience that the story was prepared or funded by a Federal agency (as adopted in Sen., Byrd's [WV] amendment).

• Expresses the sense of the Senate that all future requests for funding for military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq be requested through the proper appropriation bills and not through emergency supplemental bills (as adopted in Sen. Byrd's amendment).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that provides $81.4 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations for the Defense Department, war on terrorism, tsunami relief, and other programs for fiscal year 2005.

Highlights:

• Appropriates $30.51 billion for military operations and maintenance.

• Appropriates $18.32 billion for procurement of aircraft, combat vehicles, missiles, weapons, and ammunition.

• Appropriates $15.52 billion for military personnel.

• Appropriates $5.70 billion for Iraqi Security Forces, including $99 million for Jordan to develop military training centers for the purpose of responding to current and future security threats in the Middle East.

• Appropriates $1.3 billion for military construction.

• Appropriates $1.29 billion for Afghanistan Security Forces.

• Appropriates $508.32 million for military research, development, test and evaluation.

• Appropriates $257 million for drug interdiction and counter-drug activities.

• Appropriates $175.55 million for Department of Defense medical and health programs.

• Appropriates $10 million for overseas humanitarian, disaster and civic aid programs.

• Appropriates $1.06 billion for the Economic Support Fund, including $200 million for Palestine.

• Appropriates $904.6 million for Indian Ocean tsunami relief, including $656 million to nations affected by the December 2004 tsunami.

• Appropriates $194 million for international narcotics control and law enforcement.

• Appropriates $53.4 million for migration and refugee assistance.

• Appropriates $70.9 million for assistance to former Soviet Republics.

• Appropriates $1.92 billion for the State Department, including $748.5 million for diplomatic and consular programs and $592 million for embassy security, construction, and maintenance.

• Appropriates $357.77 million for domestic counter terrorism activities, including $161.15 million for the U.S. Coast Guard, $110 million for defense nuclear nonproliferation, and $78.97 million for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

• Bars known terrorists from abusing U.S. asylum laws (Sec. 101).

• Waives environmental laws in order to complete a 14 mile section of border fence between the US and Mexico (Sec. 102).

• Requires states to follow specific procedures and enhance security standards when issuing driver's licenses and identification cards (Sec. 202).

• Requires the Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security to create a pilot program that would strengthen U.S. border security by using ground surveillance technology (Sec. 302).

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text