Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005

H.R. 1268, which became law in May 2005, provided $82 billion in emergency supplemental funding primarily to support ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and to provide humanitarian aid for the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami victims. For military families, the law significantly increased the "death gratuity" payment from $12,000 to $100,000 and raised the maximum life insurance coverage for service members to $400,000.

The bill also included the "REAL ID Act," which established the first federal standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards, requiring specific security features and proof of legal residency for federal acceptance at places like airport security. Additionally, the law expanded the government's authority to waive environmental and land-use laws to construct border barriers and tightened the eligibility requirements and judicial review process for those seeking asylum in the United States.