Congress boosts funding for border patrol and seeks more accountability for Katrina aid

AP reports:

Congress sent President Bush' President Bush a $32 billion homeland security bill Friday with big increases for patrolling borders, fewer grants for local first responders and a freeze in transit security funding.

And there's also this on an effort to increase the oversight associated with Katrina aid:

The bill also contains a provision, authored by Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., requiring FEMA to provide much more complete information on how $62 billion in hurricane relief funds is being spent, including a full accounting of contracts and the amount of government credit card purchases.

Lawmakers have been dismayed at the paucity of information that has been supplied to Congress under weekly reports required when passing the $62 billion in aid. According to FEMA's latest report, $42 billion remains available in the agency's disaster relief fund.

The details on that provision are found in Section 548 of H.R.2360:

SEC. 548. The weekly report required by Public Law 109-62 detailing the allocation and obligation of funds for `Disaster Relief' shall include: (1) detailed information on each allocation, obligation, or expenditure that totals more than $50,000,000, categorized by increments of not larger than $50,000,000; (2) the amount of credit card purchases by agency and mission assignment; (3) obligations, allocations, and expenditures, categorized by agency, by State, and for New Orleans, and by purpose and mission assignment; (4) status of the Disaster Relief Fund; and (5) specific reasons for all waivers granted and a description of each waiver: Provided, That the detailed information required by paragraph (1) shall include the purpose; whether the work will be performed by a governmental agency or a contractor; and, if the work is to be performed by a contractor, the name of the contractor, the type of contract let, and whether the contract is sole-source, full and open competition, or limited competition.

Hat Tip: Keeler Political Report