ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 11, Number 16
March 6, 2002





In This Issue:  MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES ACT REPORTED OUT OF SELECT EDUCATION SUBCOMMITTEE - Your Action Needed! 

On Wednesday, March 6, H.R. 3784, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2002 was reported favorably from the House Select Education Subcommittee.  The bill will be taken up by the House Education and the Workforce Committee within a few weeks.

In introductory remarks, Chairman Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) remarked on the importance of museums and libraries to communities and cited the 865 million visits people made to museums and the services to communities provided by 21st century libraries.  He said there was "total support for H.R. 3784."  He thanked the ranking member, Rep. Tim Roemer (D-IN) for his work in support of the bill. 

Rep. Roemer said he was happy and pleased to be present at the markup and cited the bi-partisan support for H.R. 3784.  There are now over fifty co-sponsors.  He said "the fact that the bill is not controversial does not mean that it is not important.  He referenced a quote from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Bruce Cole from the March 6, Washington Post, C1, " Our democracy will be as good as our citizens.  Our citizens will engage best when they know who we are, where they come from, what our institutions and freedoms are.  That is the bottom line."  Roemer said libraries and museums are about culture and art and passing those on to our children.  Roemer also cited the problems in states caused by drops in revenues, which are causing some museums to close and libraries to curtail hours and drop services.

Representatives Owens (D-NY), Greenwood (R-PA), Tiberi (R-OH), Hold (D-NJ) and Davis (D-CA) joined in reporting the bill favorably to the full committee.  There were no amendments added.

ACTION NEEDED: If your Representative is not on the sponsor list, please ask him or her to co-sponsor the bill.  This is a bill with wide bi-partisan support, but more sponsors are needed before the bill reaches the House floor.  Many thanks to library supporters who have called and requested sponsorship.

As of March 6, the following members are sponsors of H.R. 3784:
Representative Pete Hoekstra, (R-MI), Chairman of the House Select Education Subcommittee and Representative Tim Roemer, (D-IN), Ranking Minority Member of the Subcommittee are listed as the main sponsors, and are joined by the following list of House members:  Reps. John Boehner (R-OH); Tom Petri(R-WI); Marge Roukema (R-NJ); Jim Greenwood (R-PA); Lindsey Graham (R-SC);Dale Kildee (D-MI); Major Owens (D-NY); Robert Andrews (D-NJ); Dennis Kucinich(D-OH); Rush Holt (D-NJ); Duke Cunningham (R-CA); Anna Eshoo (D-CA); Louise Slaughter (D-NY); Edolphus Towns (D-NY); William Jenkins(R-TN); Tony Hall(D-OH); Mike Doyle (D-PA); Barney Frank (D-MA); Ike Skelton (D-MO); Richard Neal (D-MA); Mark Green (R-WI); James McGovern (D-MA); Nick Rahall (D-WV); John Sununu (R-NH); Thomas Allen (D-ME); Charles Bass (R-NH); Ken Calvert (R-CA); Michael Castle (R-DE); Jim DeMint (R-SC); Jane Harman (D-CA); Johnny Isakson (R-GA); Tom Lantos (D-CA); George Miller (D-CA); Charlie Norwood (R-GA); Loretta Sanchez (D-CA); John Spratt, Jr. (D-SC); W.J. Billy Tauzin (R-LA); Lee Terry (R-NE); John Tierney (D-MA); David Wu (D-OR); Michael Capuano (D-MA); James Clyburn (D-SC); Rosa DeLauro (D-CT); Ernest Fletcher (R-KY); Martin Frost (D-TX); Rick Larsen (D-CT); Martin Meehan (D-MA); Hilda Solis (D-CA); Charles H. Taylor (R-NC); Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS).





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