Although the Commission of Fine Arts did not approve the FBI building's final design until November 1967, the first contract for land clearance and excavation was awarded in March 1965. GSA also moved ahead with funding requests for construction in 1965. But securing that funding proved elusive. A Johnson administration request for $45.8 million in initial funding was denied by the House Appropriations Committee in May. Although both administration and FBI officials expressed confidence that the money would be restored, a House–Senate budget conference committee in August declined to include the funds in the fiscal 1966 budget.