================================================================= ALAWON Volume 5, Number 42 ISSN 1069-7799 July 15,1996 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: APPROPRIATIONS BILLS IN MOTION--ACTION NEEDED LABOR, HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION--H.R. 3755 LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS--H.R. 3754 INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS ACTION IN SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE-- H.R. 3662 _____________________________________________________ APPROPRIATIONS BILLS IN MOTION -- ACTION NEEDED LABOR, HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION--H.R. 3755 After two days of debate and a number of amendments, H.R. 3755, the FY97 Labor, Health, Human Services, Education Appropriations bill passed the House on July 12, 1996. Although an attempt was made to add $250 million to Goals 2000 funding, the amendment did not pass. The bill includes $65.7 billion in discretionary spending, $7.8 billion under the President's request. There were no changes in library program funding levels in the bill. Action now moves to the Senate, where Secretary of Education Richard Riley will testify before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education on July 16. The subcommittee is tentatively scheduled to markup the legislation on July 23, with full committee to follow on July 25. ACTION NEEDED: Library supporters are urged to contact Senate Appropriations Subcommittee members to request that they maintain at least FY96 funding for all library programs. Remind Senators that LSCA III is crucial to linking libraries electronically to the information superhighway, and urge that the deep cut in LSCA III interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing be restored. School librarians using or hoping to use ESEA VI (Chapter 2) funds for school library resources should contact Senators about the usefulness of this program and the need for substantial funding. Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee: (Members listed in state order; Senate central switchboard is 202-224-3121.) AR D Dale L. Bumpers FL R Connie Mack HI D Daniel K. Inouye IA D Tom Harkin (ranking minority) MO R Christopher S. Bond MS R Thad Cochran NH R Judd Gregg NV D Harry M. Reid OR R Mark O. Hatfield (chair full com.) PA R Arlen Specter, (chair subc.) SC D Ernest F. Hollings VT R James M. Jeffords WA R Slade Gorton WI D Herb Kohl WV D Robert C. Byrd _________________________________________________________________ LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS--H.R. 3754 H.R. 3754, the FY97 appropriations bill for the Legislative Branch passed the House on July 10. Rep. Jennifer Dunn (R-WA) sponsored a successful amendment to cut the Government Printing Office staff by 100 to approximately 3,600 employees. Opponents of the amendment cited previous staff cuts of 1,000 since 1993, but the amendment passed by voice vote. Senate subcommittee action on the bill is expected this week. ACTION NEEDED: This proposed cut in personnel could impact the Government Printing Office's ability to provide government information services. Library supporters are urged to contact Senate Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee Members to ask them to reject the Dunn language. Senate Switchboard is: (202)234-3121. Senate members of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Legislative Branch: (Members listed in state order; Senate central switchboard is 202-224-3121.) CO R Ben Nighthorse Campbell FL R Connie Mack (chair of subcom.) MD D Barbara Mikulski UT R Robert Bennett WA D Patty Murray _________________________________________________________________ INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS ACTION IN SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE--H.R. 3662 On July 12, the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee approved H.R. 3662, the FY97 Interior Appropriations bill. Overall funding for the bill was set at $12.7 billion, $372 million more than the House level and $114 million more than FY96, but $270 million less than the President's request. Contrary to the House language which acknowledges Congress' intent to eliminate the Endowments, the Senate subcommittee did not include any such language. However, the National Endowment for the Humanities was cut to $100 million down $10 million below FY96 levels. Like so many appropriations bills this year, the Interior Appropriations bill is so tight that moving any funds from other accounts could bring those accounts below FY96 levels. The full Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to markup the bill on Tuesday, July 16. ACTION NEEDED: Supporters of the National Endowment for the Humanities are urged to contact the Senate Appropriations Committee to ask them to resist the Subcommittee's cut. (Again, as above, the Senate switchboard: 202 224-3121.) The Senate Appropriations Committee members are: AK R Ted Stevens AL R Richard Shelby AR D Dale Bumpers CO R Ben Nighthorse Campbell FL R Connie Mack HI D Daniel Inouye IA D Tom Harkin KY R Mitch McConnell LA D J. Bennett Johnston MD D Barbara Mikulski MO R Christopher Bond MS R Thad Cochran MT R Conrad Burns NE D J. Robert Kerrey NH R Judd Gregg NJ D Frank Lautenberg NM R Pete Domenici NV D Harry Reid OR R Mark Hatfield (committee chair) PA R Arlen Specter SC D Ernest Hollings UT R Robert Bennett VT R Jim Jeffords VT D Patrick Leahy WA R Slade Gorton WA D Patty Murray WI D Herbert Kohl WV D Robert Byrd _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message "subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname]" to . ALAWON archives gopher.ala.org; select Washington Office Newsline. Web page HTTP://www.ala.org/alawashington.html. ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 Lynne E. Bradley, Editor Contributors: Mary Rae Costabile All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================