ALAWON v4n78 (August 15, 1995)
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n78

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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 78
                              August 15, 1995

   In this issue: (178 lines)
     HOUSE PASSES FUNDING BILL:  ACTION NEEDED
     ELECTRONIC FREEDOM OF INFORMATION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1995, S. 1090
          INTRODUCED BY SENATORS LEAHY, BROWN AND KERRY

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                 HOUSE PASSES FUNDING BILL:  ACTION NEEDED

LIBRARY PROGRAM APPROPRIATIONS:
After lengthy debate on several contentious issues, the House passed H.R.
2127 on August 3 by a vote of 219-208.  This measure, the FY96 Labor,
Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill, funds
library, education, and other social programs for the fiscal year beginning
October 1.  The Senate L-HHS-ED Appropriations Subcommittee will take up
the bill after Labor Day.

The House result for Department of Education library programs is a 29.8
percent cut from FY95 funding, as reported in the July newsletter.  No
changes were made by the full House Appropriations Committee or during
floor consideration to library programs.  Only LSCA I and III were
recommended for funding--LSCA I at the current level and LSCA III with a 23
percent cut.  During floor debate, L-HHS-ED Appropriations Subcommittee
Chairman John Porter (R-IL) said:  "Library service grants and interlibrary
cooperation programs are supported at approximately last year's level while
funds are terminated for smaller, categorical library programs."

The amount for the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science
remains at $450,000, compared with the current $901,000.  The squeeze on
good programs was amply illustrated by an amendment offered by Rep. William
Goodling (R-PA) and agreed to by voice vote on the House floor.  The
purpose was to provide $5 million to continue funding of the National
Institute for Literacy.  However, under budget caps, any amendment to
increase a program must be offset by a cut somewhere else.  In this case,
the $5 million came out of the educational research account.  A colloquy
between Rep. Goodling and Rep. Tom Sawyer (D-OH) established that the
research cut was not to affect labs, centers, or clearinghouses supported
by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement.  The result, as
noted by Rep. Major Owens (D-NY), was that the cut "places a greater burden
on what is left in OERI, including the funding of five institutes that have
to be started up."  One of these is the National Institute on Postsecondary
Education, Libraries, and Lifelong Learning.

Another amendment accepted by voice vote was sponsored by Rep. Sam Johnson
(R-TX) to restore $100 million for vocational education basic grants and
$50 million for school improvement programs (Eisenhower professional
development/Chapter 2) offset by taking funds from the Agency for Health
Care Policy and Research.

Many education groups recommended defeat of the bill because of the overall
impact of cuts to major education programs.  In addition, President Clinton
indicated his intention to veto the bill if presented to him in its current
form.

Of the Republicans, 213 voted yes on final passage; 18 voted no.  Of the
Democrats, 189 voted no; 6 voted yes.  One independent voted yes; 7
Democrats and 1 Republican did not vote.

PUBLIC BROADCASTING:
The House defeated by 136-286 an amendment to H.R. 2127 offered by Rep.
Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting.  CPB would receive, if authorized, $240 million in advance
funding for FY 1998.

Subcommittee Chairman John Porter (R-IL), in opposing the amendment, noted
that CPB had already been cut by about $100 million through rescissions of
funding previously approved for fiscal years 1996 and 1997, and the $240
million in the bill would be a further cut.

RESTRICTIONS ON POLITICAL ADVOCACY:
Rep. David Obey (D-WI) offered an amendment striking 17 restrictions on
uses of funds in H.R. 2127, including the Istook amendment restricting
political advocacy activities of recipients of federal grants.  The
amendment failed by a vote of 155-270 on August 2.  Reps. Obey, David
Skaggs (D-CO), and Steny Hoyer (D-MD) were particularly vocal in their
opposition to the Istook provision.

Subcommittee Chairman John Porter (R-IL) indicated that he had opposed
inclusion of the political advocacy provision in the bill.  However, he
proposed an amendment, adopted by voice vote on August 2, to correct
certain errors in the provision and clarify that "individual persons"
receiving federal grants were exempted from the restrictions.

Except for this change, the amendment offered by Rep. Ernest Jim Istook
(R-OK) and approved by the Appropriations Committee during its markup on
July 23 remains intact.  The most critical of several problems with this
provision is that it is probably unconstitutional for Congress to seek to
limit a grantee's right to lobby using private funds.  Using federal funds
to lobby is already prohibited; nonprofits are prohibited from engaging in
partisan politics; and the amount of money nonprofits can use for lobbying
is already restricted.  However, the Istook amendment bars an organization
from receiving federal grants if its advocacy activities exceed new limits
(as determined by a formula).  New reporting requirements would be added,
and lobbying would be expansively redefined to include political advocacy.

ACTION NEEDED ON PROGRAM CUTS:
With Congress on recess until after Labor Day, this is a good opportunity
to contact Senators at home concerning programs cut by the House.  The
first Senate action in September will be taken by the Senate Labor, Health
and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee.  Grassroots
contacts now are important, since Senate appropriators will be hard pressed
to find dollars to restore cuts, considering extremely tight allocations
and competing programs.

ACTION NEEDED ON POLITICAL ADVOCACY RESTRICTIONS:
ALA has joined its nonprofit coalition, Independent Sector, in opposing the
Istook amendment.  The effect of this provision, if enacted, would be to
stifle the advocacy voice of nonprofit organizations that receive any kind
of federal grants (although it would not affect recipients of federal
contracts, for instance).  Over the August recess, contact Senators to urge
rejection of this provision, and urge Representatives to delete the
provision in later House-Senate conference on H.R. 2127.

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    ELECTRONIC FREEDOM OF INFORMATION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1995, S. 1090
               INTRODUCED BY SENATORS LEAHY, BROWN AND KERRY

On July 28, Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Hank Brown (R-CO), and John
Kerry (D-MA) introduced S. 1090, the Electronic Freedom of Information
Improvement Act of 1995 (see July 28 Congressional Record, pp. S10888-91).
The bill would increase public access to the electronic records of federal
agencies, and take steps to alleviate delays in processing requests for
government records.  S. 1090 would require all federal agencies to make
records that are the subject of multiple FOIA requests available
electronically.  ALA joined 22 other organizations signing a letter
supporting passage of the bill.

In his introductory statement, Senator Leahy referred to several library-
related government online services:

     We have recognized that Government must take advantage of the
     benefits of new technologies to provide easier and broader
     dissemination of information.  In 1993, we passed a law requiring
     that people have online access to important Government
     publications, such as the Federal Register, the Congressional
     Record and other documents put out by the Government Printing
     Office.  Earlier this year, House Speaker Newt Gingrich unveiled
     "Thomas," an electronic archive available on the Internet that
     contains bills and congressional speeches.


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