ALAWON v4n18 (March 3, 1995)
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n18

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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 18
                               March 3, 1995
 
   In this issue: (119 lines)
     HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE APPROVES RESCISSION BILL -
           ACTION NEEDED
     REP. PELOSI ADVOCATES FOR LIBRARIES IN APPROPRIATIONS HEARINGS -
          ACTION NEEDED
     LIBRARIES ELIGIBLE FOR RURAL TECHNOLOGY GRANTS
 
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          HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE APPROVES RESCISSION BILL
 
On Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee approved the $17.3 billion
rescission bill, intended to pay for emergency supplemental appropriations
for the California flood victims and to provide for $12 billion in tax cuts
promised in the Contract with America.  The Committee met for the entire
afternoon and defeated several amendments proposed by Representatives David
Obey (D-WI) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) that sought to restore some rescinded
programs in education and services for the elderly.
 
Library programs cut in the committee action include LSCA II and VI and HEA
II-B as reported earlier.  Education programs cut include Chapter 1, Safe
and Drug Free Schools, education for the homeless, school to work, tech-
prep, Public Broadcasting, Summer Jobs and Goals 2000.  Amendments were
also offered by Rep. Louis Stokes (D-OH) to restore HUD cuts and Rep. John
Murtha (D-PA) to earmark $12 billion from the proposed tax cut money to be
applied to deficit reduction.  Those amendments were also defeated.
 
It is estimated that the full House will take up the rescission package on
March 15.  The bill number will be available as soon as the bill and the
committee report are printed.  A status report on these proposed library
rescissions was published in ALAWON, Vol. 4, No. 15, February 24, 1995.
 
ACTION NEEDED:  Library supporters are urged to contact all members of the
House of Representatives to urge them to make floor amendments to remove
the library programs from the rescission bill.  The Capitol switchboard
telephone number is 202-224-3121.
 
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      REP. PELOSI ADVOCATES FOR LIBRARIES IN APPROPRIATIONS HEARINGS
 
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) showed strong support for libraries in the House
Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education Appropriation hearing of March 3 on the
Clinton FY1996 budget request for educational research, statistics, and
library programs.  She used the public library that is being built in her
native San Francisco as an example of the projects helped by LSCA funds.
Even though the House Appropriations Committee has approved sending a
drastic rescission bill to the full House, Pelosi asked questions of Sharon
Robinson, Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement,
which allowed Robinson to make a case for how badly the rescissions will
affect public libraries in particular.
 
Chairman John Porter (R-IL) then pointed out the inconsistency in the
administration's past request to completely defund LSCA II in the 1995
budget as compared with this year's request for considerable funding.
Porter's suggestion was that San Francisco, as well as any other city in
need of a library, should raise funds at the local level.  Pelosi's
response was that in this age of expanding technology it is the federal
assistance that helps libraries to "cross the threshold" into the modern
technology.  As Pelosi was trying to point out, there is still a chance to
stop these rescissions on the floor of the House.
 
ACTION NEEDED:  ALAWON cannot repeat enough:  it is extremely important to
communicate your support for library programs to your congressional
representatives and to seek their support to keep library programs in the
FY1996 budget.
 
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              LIBRARIES ELIGIBLE FOR RURAL TECHNOLOGY GRANTS
 
The Rural Business and Cooperative Development Service is calling for
applications for grants to establish and/or operate centers for rural
technology.  Libraries are eligible to apply for these grants in
conjunction with other local nonprofit organizations.  One of the eligible
projects for these monies includes collection and dissemination of
information useful to rural industries, cooperatives, agribusiness, etc.
For more information contact Jennifer Barton, Loan Specialist, Community
Facilities Division, Rm 6304, South Agriculture Bldg. 14th and Independence
Ave SW, Washington, DC 20250-0700, phone: 202/720-1504.  The deadline for
preapplication is April 10, 1995.
 
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ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is an irregular publication of the American Library
Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC
20002-5675.  Internet: alawash@alawash.org; Phone: 202-547-4440;
Fax: 202-547-7363.  Contributing to this issue:  Mary R. Costabile and
Claudette W. Tennant; Editor: Lynne E. Bradley (leb@alawash.org).
 
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