4837 , the Military Construction Appropriations andEmergency Hurricane Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 , into law on October 13, 2004 ( P.L.108-324 ). The President signed H.R. 108-375 ). 4837 on July 15,2004 ( H.Rept. H.R. A separate bill, H.R. H.R. The subcommittee completed theinformal markup of its bill on July 14, and the full committee reported its mark on S. 2674 on July 15 ( S.Rept. The Senate passed the amendedH.R. The conferees added Division B, the Emergency SupplementalAppropriations for Hurricane Disasters Assistance Act, 2005 , and Division C, the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act , to the basic bill. TheFY2005 budget submitted by the President on February 2, 2004, as subsequentlyamended, requested $9.6 billion in new budget authority, an amount $112.7 millionbelow the 2004 enactment. (29) The Senate version of the bill ( S. 2400 , incorporated into H.R. Because the language raising thebudget authority cap was struck from the House bill on a point of order, the principaleffect of this amendment is to allow the issue to be raised in conference. The Senatepassed the amended bill on September 20, 2004. The Office of Management and Budget devoted a significant portion of itsStatement of Administration Policy on S. 2674 , the Senate version ofthe Military Construction Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2005, issued onSeptember 20, 2004, to an explanation of its position on the issue of the housingprivatization cap, stating:
The President's Budget included arequest that would increase the military housing privatization cap from $850 millionto $1.85 billion. (35) 

	Legislation

		Military Construction Appropriations

H.R. Making appropriations for militaryconstruction, family housing, and base realignment and closure for the Departmentof Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005, and for other purposes.The House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Military Construction,held nine hearings between February 25 and June 22, 2004. Section 129 of itsreported bill, H.R. On October 8, the House agreed without objection to disagree with the Senateamendment and appointed its conferees. The Senate sent a message on its action tothe House on September 30, and the bill was presented to the President, who signedit into law the same day ( P.L. 501) on October 6and wasreceived in the Senate on October 7, 2004. (41) The bill'slanguage was incorporated into H.R. Defense Authorization

H.R. To authorize appropriationsfor FY2005 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for militaryconstruction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribepersonnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.Introduced on April 22, 2004, and referred to the House Committee on ArmedServices, it was further referred to the Subcommittees on Strategic Forces, TacticalAir and Land Forces, Readiness, Projection Forces, Total Force, and Terrorism,Unconventional Threats and Capabilities (several subcommittees held hearings priorto the introduction of the bill). H.R. The bill was received in the Senate on May 21, 2004, read twice, and placedon the Legislative Calendar under General Orders (Calendar No. CRS Report RL32305 . Authorization and Appropriations for FY2005: Defense , by[author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].
The military construction (MilCon) appropriations bill provides funding for (1) militaryconstruction projects in the United States and overseas; (2) military family housing operations andconstruction; (3) U.S. contributions to the NATO Security Investment Program; and (4) the bulk ofbase realignment and closure (BRAC)costs.
The President forwarded his FY2005 budget request of $9.6 billion to the Congress onFebruary 2, 2004.
Military construction subcommittees held hearings between February 25 and June 22, 2004. The House Appropriations Committee its bill ( H.R. 4837 ) on July 15, 2004. The SenateAppropriations Committee reported its bill ( S. 2674 ) on the same day. Both billsrecommended $10.0 billion in new budget authority.
Floor action on H.R. 4837 began on July 21. A procedural dispute regardingSection 129 of the bill (adjusting the cap on new budget authority available for the military housingprivatization program) precipitated the drafting of a separate bill ( H.R. 4879 )incorporating a portion of the section, which was struck on a point of order. The House passed anamended H.R. 4837 on July 22, which was received in the Senate on September 7. OnSeptember 15, the Senate incorporated the text of S. 2674 into H.R. 4837,passing the amended bill on September 20 and appointing its conferees. The House appointedconferees on October 8.
On October 5, the President submitted a hurricane disaster assistance emergencysupplemental appropriation bill ( H.R. 5212 ) that included $148.9 million in DODconstruction and repair appropriations. The bill's language was incorporated into Division B of H.R. 4837 , whose short title was changed to the Military Construction Appropriationsand Emergency Hurricane Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2005 .
Division C of H.R. 4837 , titled the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act ,incorporates some portions of H.R. 6 ., the Energy Policy Act of 2003 . The Housepassed H.R. 4837 on October 9, as did the Senate on October 11. The President signedthe bill into law on October 13, 2004 ( P.L. 108-324 ).
Authorization of military construction is included within the defense authorization bill. TheHouse passed its version of the bill ( H.R. 4200 ) on May 19. The Senate substituted thetext of S. 2400 , passing the amended bill on June 24. The conference began onSeptember 29, 2004, and ended on October 8. The House and the Senate passed the bill on October9. The President signed the bill into law on October 18, 2004 ( P.L. 108-375 ). For a comprehensivereport on defense authorization legislation, see CRS Report RL32305 , Authorization andAppropriations for FY2005: Defense , by [author name scrubbed] and [author name scrubbed].
Key Policy Staff
* FDT = Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division; RSI = Resources, Science, and IndustryDivision; ALD = American Law Division; G&F = Government and Finance Division; INF =Information Research Division.