To express the sense of the Senate regarding funding directives contained in H.R. 2744 or its accompanying report.

SA 1785. Mr. McCAIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 2744, making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes; as follows:

On page 173, after line 24, insert the following:

SEC. 7__. SENSE OF THE SENATE.

(a) Findings.--The Senate finds the following:

(1) In a time of national catastrophe, it is the responsibility of Congress and the Executive Branch to take quick and decisive action to help those in need.

(2) The size, scope, and complexity of Hurricane Katrina are unprecedented, and the emergency response and long-term recovery efforts will be extensive and require significant resources.

(3) It is the responsibility of Congress and the Executive Branch to ensure the financial stability of the nation by being good stewards of Americans' hard-earned tax dollars.

(b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that any funding directive contained in this Act, or its accompanying report, that is not specifically authorized in any Federal law as of the date of enactment of this section, or Act or resolution passed by the Senate during the 1st Session of the 109th Congress prior to such date, or proposed in pursuance to an estimate submitted in accordance with law, that is for the benefit of an identifiable program, project, activity, entity, or jurisdiction and is not directly related to the impact of Hurricane Katrina, may be redirected to recovery efforts if the appropriate head of an agency or department determines, after consultation with appropriate Congressional Committees, that the funding directive is not of national significance or is not in the public interest.