ALAWON v4n72 (July 29, 1995)
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n72

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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 72
                                 July 29, 1995

   In this issue: (159 lines)
     HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE ACTS ON LIBRARY FUNDING -
          ACTION NEEDED
     REP. NEY SIGNS ON AS COSPONSOR OF LIBRARY AMENDMENT -
          HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE SCHEDULED TO ACT ON H.R.1555
          AT 5PM ON MONDAY, JULY 31
     ACTION NEEDED:  CONTINUE PRESSING RULES COMMITTEE
          TO SUPPORT "MORELLA-ORTON-NEY"

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            HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE ACTS ON LIBRARY FUNDING -
                                 ACTION NEEDED

On July 23 after several days of markup sessions, the House Appropriations
Committee approved the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
Appropriations Bill for FY96 (H.R. 2127, H. Rept. 104-209).  At this writing,
the text of the bill and report are not yet available, but the Committee made
no changes from the levels recommended by the L-HHS-ED Appropriations
Subcommittee for library and education programs or for the National
Commission on Libraries and Information Science.

This leaves library programs with a potential 30 percent cut compared with
FY95, and NCLIS with $450,000 compared with the current $901,000.  LSCA I
would be level funded at $83.2 million; LSCA III would receive $18 million
compared with the current $23.7 million.  All other currently funded LSCA and
HEA library programs would be at zero.  Cuts would be made in education
programs such as title I aid for disadvantaged students, education
technology, and many others.  Education cuts total $4 billion, and many
education organizations are urging defeat of the bill.  President Clinton has
already indicated he intends to veto any bill with large cuts in education
programs.  The House bill would eliminate Goals 2000 school reform efforts
and the Community Service initiative--both Administration priorities.

The House committee also approved an amendment offered by Rep. Ernest Jim
Istook (R-OK) to prohibit the use of federal funds for political advocacy.
In general, the use of federal funds for lobbying is already prohibited.
Further, nonprofits are already prohibited from engaging in partisan
politics, and the amount of money nonprofits can use for lobbying is already
restricted.

The Istook amendment, despite a clause that says it does not abridge First
Amendment rights, would expand the scope of prohibited activity beyond
lobbying to "political advocacy," and add additional conditions and
requirements.  It would have a chilling impact on the democratic process as
well as the rights of individuals and organizations to participate in public
policy debates.

ALA has signed a position statement on advocacy by nonprofit organizations
developed by Independent Sector, a coalition of nonprofits to which ALA
belongs.  The statement has been widely distributed on Capitol Hill.

H.R. 2127 is scheduled for House floor action on August 2.  No amendments
known at this writing would attempt to improve funding levels for library or
education programs.  Any such amendment would have to be paid for by cutting
some other program in the bill.  The best hope for improvement is in the
Senate Appropriations Committee, which will take up the bill after Labor Day.

ACTION NEEDED:  Any attempts to improve the position of library and education
programs in H.R. 2127 should be supported, as long as they do not come at the
expense of other programs affecting libraries or educational institutions.

The Istook amendment relating to political advocacy goes much too far and
should be opposed.

Regarding funding levels, the most productive action at this stage would be
to contact Senators, especially members of the Senate Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, to urge funding for
library programs at least at the current levels.

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             REP. NEY SIGNS ON AS COSPONSOR OF LIBRARY AMENDMENT -
               HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE SCHEDULED TO ACT ON H.R.1555
                           AT 5PM ON MONDAY, JULY 31

               ACTION NEEDED:  CONTINUE PRESSING RULES COMMITTEE
                         TO SUPPORT "MORELLA-ORTON-NEY"

Rep. Bill Ney (R-OH) has signed on as a cosponsor of the "Morella-Orton-Ney"
amendment proposed for H.R. 1555, the Communications Act of 1995.  This is at
the same time that the House Rules Committee keeps changing its schedule for
working on procedures for floor debate on the bill.

Library and education advocates are pressing the House Rules Committee to
allow procedures for floor debate so that this amendment can be introduced.
The new language would add in "affordability" and "users of public libraries"
to Section 246 dealing with universal service.  Supporters are anxious for
this to be included so that we will be in a stronger situation when the House
meets with the Senate conferees to reconcile H.R. 1555 with S. 652.  (See
previous ALAWONs Vol. 4, Nos. 70 and 71 for text of amendment and other
information.)

The House Rules Committee is now scheduled to address rules for floor debate
on H.R. 1555, the Communications Act of 1995, at 5 pm on Monday, July 31.
This date and time has changed at least once a day this week.  In order for
this legislation to be acted upon before Congress recesses in the next week
or so, Rules Committee must set the procedures.

On one hand some Congressional staffers insist that library and education
advocates have no chance to get such a library/education amendment
introduced.  Yet, we have seen sponsorship and support growing.  It is a
small issue for many addressing the "bigger" problems in H.R. 1555 presented
by the warring factions within the telecommunications industries.  Our K-12
education allies continue to work on this as part of a large coalition which
came together initially to work on the Snowe-Rockefeller-Kerrey-Exon
amendment in S. 652.

It is more than unfortunate that the issue of equity of access to information
and education are considered a "minor" issue to be dealt with - or not dealt
with, in this legislation.  How the public interest is fairly addressed in
the many issues presented in H.R. 1555 is a complex debate.  In addition to
education and library access are issues regarding concentration of ownership,
rate deregulations, entry into competitive markets and more.

ACTION NEEDED:  The House Rules Committee is now scheduled to address H.R.
1555 at 5pm on Monday, July 31.  Library and education advocates are
encouraged to continue to lobby the Rules Committee heavily until their vote
takes place.  Contact your own congressional representatives and ask them not
only to support the Morella-Orton-Ney amendment, if and when it comes to the
floor, but also to contact the Rules Committee directly to seek favorable
rules.

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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:  Carol C. Henderson;  Editor:
Lynne E. Bradley (leb@alawash.org).

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