Message to the Congress Reporting Budget Deferrals

To the Congress of the United States:

In accordance with the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, I herewith report 59 deferrals of fiscal year 1982 funds totaling $147.0 million.

Fifty-six of the deferrals, totaling $95.1 million, constitute the first group of deferrals of fiscal year 1982 funds made available for the period through November 20, 1981, by the Continuing Resolution, P.L. 97-51. These deferrals are intended to preserve Congressional options to act favorably on the proposals for reductions in FY 1982 budget authority that I announced on September 24, 1981, and subsequently transmitted to the Congress. These .deferrals recognize the intent of Congress, reaffirmed during House and Senate action on the Continuing Resolution, that amounts provided in Continuing Resolutions are ceilings, not mandatory spending levels.

Accordingly, where the Continuing Resolution provides amounts in excess of my requests for the period of the resolution, deferrals are being proposed to restrain spending to levels in my requests until action on regular appropriations is complete. However, exceptions have been made in this general policy to avoid major administrative or personnel problems or to avoid serious disruption of an agency's missions.

Deferrals under the Continuing Resolution are included in this special message for the Executive Office of the President and twenty-two departments and agencies. Additional deferrals under the Continuing Resolution will be transmitted during the next week.

Three other deferrals, totaling $51.9 million, included in this special message report on amounts routinely carried forward from fiscal year 1981 in the Department of Health and Human Services that cannot be used immediately or are withheld pending completion of a review.

The details of each deferral are contained in the attached reports.

RONALD REAGAN

The White House,

October 20, 1981.