CCAF CONTINUES TO LOBBY CONGRESS FOR MORE ACE FUNDS

CCAF CONTINUES TO LOBBY CONGRESS FOR MORE ACE FUNDS    The Coalition for Customs Automation Funding will turn up its lobbying efforts this April to encourage Congress to pour additional funds into the development Customs’ Automated Commercial Environment.
   The Bush administration’s proposed fiscal 2002 budget includes $130 million for ACE development, duplicating what the agency received for the system in fiscal 2001.
   “If the administration's fiscal year 2002 number remains $130 million, we will need to get Congress to add at least another $178 million, not an easy task in spite of budget surpluses,” the coalition said. But “we have good allies.”
   To keep ACE within the four-year roll-out schedule, Customs would require $308 million in fiscal 2002; $333 million in fiscal 2003; and $320 million for fiscal 2004, for a total of $1.17 billion, the coalition said.
   The coalition has met with staff for the chairmen of the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees. The coalition also set meetings with Sean O’Keefe, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.