ALAWON v4n01 (January 6, 1995)
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n01

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                                                             ISSN 1069-7799
                                  ALAWON
                      ALA Washington Office Newsline
                     An electronic publication of the
              American Library Association Washington Office

                            Volume 4, Number 1
                             January 6, 1995

   In this issue:  (183 lines)
     104TH CONGRESS BRINGS SEA CHANGE TO WASHINGTON
     SPEAKER GINGRICH ANNOUNCES _THOMAS_ AT LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

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              104TH CONGRESS BRINGS SEA CHANGE TO WASHINGTON

BIDDING WAR ON CUTS EMERGING
The new Republican majority in Congress, the congressional Democratic
leadership, and the Clinton Administration are all putting forth proposals
involving middle class tax cuts, with substantial cuts in federal programs
as a way to pay for the tax cut and downsize government.  Details are not
fully spelled out yet in some of these proposals.  However, what seems to
be emerging is a bidding war on which proposals can cut or eliminate the
most programs, or who will get credit for the results.

WHERE ARE THE PROPOSALS COMING FROM?
CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS:  While many members of the 104th Congress may
need a map to find their way around Capitol Hill, there will be no need for
a legislative road map.  New Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich (R-GA),
has supplied directions with a modified version of the pre-election
"Contract with America."  Legislation to implement the Contract has been
prepared and will be introduced in the first few days of the new year.
Many procedural steps set the tone on the first day the representatives
were sworn in.  To pay for a balanced budget, tax cuts, and increased
defense spending, many programs would be cut.  Entire cabinet agencies,
including the Department of Education, could be eliminated.

Speaker Gingrich has spoken favorably of libraries and recently applauded
the Library of Congress and stated his support for increasing the Library
of Congress budget.  His interest in and commitment to using new
technologies may also be supportive of some library efforts but the overall
environment is one of _devolution_ or downsizing rather maintain or
expanding federal programs.

SENATE REPUBLICANS:  On the Senate side, Republicans, led by Senator Bob
Dole (R-KS), are also expected to cut and consolidate programs.  An early
rescission (cutting FY95 funds already appropriated if funds are not yet
spent) and budget reconciliation package (identifying cuts to make in FY96)
are expected in the first few weeks of 1995.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS:  New House minority leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO) has
also proposed a middle class tax cut, paid for with unspecified cuts and
savings.

CLINTON ADMINISTRATION:  President Clinton has revived his own middle-class
tax cut proposal, to be paid for with major agency cuts, continued budget
caps on discretionary spending, consolidations, and privatization.
Although the Department of Education is not a major target, a significant
portion of "other" cuts will be proposed.  Some of these cuts are yet to be
determined, but will show up in the Administration's FY96 budget request in
January.

While Democratic proposals are not likely to receive a detailed review in a
Republican Congress, they indicate that an intention to reduce the number
and size of federal programs is coming from many points on the political
spectrum.

WHAT'S IN DANGER?
All library programs and many related programs from which libraries benefit
are known to be on the cut lists from which these proposals draw.  The
following programs are at risk because they are listed on background
documents to the House Republican Contract with America, or because they
are on the cut list developed earlier in 1994 by a Balanced Budget Task
Force chaired by Rep. Gerald Solomon (R-NY).  The Solomon list is
considered to be one of the sources for a Republican budget rescission and
reconciliation package.

  o  Library Services and Construction Act, and
  o  Higher Education Act title II library programs
     (FY 96 funding in danger; FY 95 rescissions could be proposed for LSCA
     VI and HEA II-B programs)
  o  School Library Media Resources program, ESEA III, part F
     (in danger because the overall agenda will make funding new programs
     very difficult)
  o  Arts and Humanities Endowments
     (must be reauthorized, either separately or as part of appropriations
     process, in order to be funded; thus NEA and NEH will be early targets
     for budget cutting and for those politicians who are opposed to any
     government role in support of the arts and humanities)
  o  High Performance Computing and Communications initiative
     (identified with Clinton/Gore Administration, and considered to be
     industrial policy)
  o  Improving America's Schools Act, ESEA reauthorization
     (Title III ed tech programs, school block grant, aid to disadvantaged
     schoolchildren, many other new and renewed programs are at risk)
  o  National libraries and related programs
     (Budget cuts are likely to affect Library of Congress, National
     Agricultural Library, National Library of Medicine, National Archives,
     Depository Library Program and GPO Access Act, National Commission on
     Libraries and Information Science)

In short, the entire federal role in support of libraries and information
services could be severely damaged or wiped out in a rush to cut and
eliminate government programs and services to downsize government.  In a
new "devolution" movement, some federal roles could be shifted to the
states.  However, governors have already expressed concern that they do not
have the resources, nor are they likely to receive the resources from the
federal level, to take on all these roles.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
New and returning members need to be educated about the value of federal
investment in library programs.  Library programs are certainly at the top
of the list when it comes to reaching the largest population for the least
expenditure of federal dollars.  Library Service and Construction Act
(LSCA) programs have tremendous potential to leverage funds.  Giving some
local examples of innovative programs funded by LSCA or HEA dollars will
make your case specific.  Invitations extended to your Representatives and
Senators to visit your library will also help in the education process.

Now is the time to speak, write and communicate the library success story
to those who have the power to continue or eliminate library programs.
Please continue to share information received from your congressional
contacts with the ALA Washington Office.

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        SPEAKER GINGRICH ANNOUNCES _THOMAS_ AT LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

A new online public access system of House of Representatives information,
THOMAS, was launched by the Library of Congress on January 5.  During only
his second day as Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich introduced _THOMAS_
and spoke about the possibilities for building a national dialogue in the
electronic age by providing _full and un-biased information about the
legislative process_ to all the nation.  Gingrich sees such a service from
L.C. as an opportunity for "intellectual populism" to develop.

THOMAS, which is named to honor Thomas Jefferson, received strong House
support from Gingrich and others who spoke at the event.  Gingrich stated
his support for libraries in general, and the Library of Congress in
particular, when he spoke about how such a service will be accessible
across the nation to elementary school students and advanced scholars
alike.

THOMAS is to provide access to the full text of bills from the 104th
Congress by the end of January.  It already provides access to documents
from the 103rd Congress as well as provides a link to the directory,
calendar, and floor schedules of the House.  Ultimately, the full text of
the Congressional Record will be available in addition to the L.C.
Congressional Research Service's Bill Digest, which summarizes and tracks
bills for the Congress.  All of these resources are to make the full text
of bills available to the American public to search more easily for
legislation and to understand more fully the law-making process.

THOMAS electronic address is:  http://thomas.loc.gov.  The Mail Gateway at
the Library of Congress to comment on the project is thomas@loc.gov.

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