ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline Volume 11, Number 78 September 25, 2002 In This Issue: FOURTH URGENT ACTION ALERT: PUT LSTA UP FOR A VOTE IN THE HOUSE! CALL REPRESENTATIVES NOW TO SIGN ON TO A LETTER TO THE LEADERSHIP TO SCHEDULE VOTE ON H.R. 3784 Please review the list of Representatives below that have signed on to the Dear Leadership letter calling for a vote on H.R. 3784. If your Representative is not on the list, please call TODAY and ask him or her to sign on to the Letter to the Leadership (below). Call the Capitol Switchboard at 800-648-3516, 877-762-8762, or 877-778-9001 and ask for your Representative's office. To sign on to the letter, your Representative's staff person should call Rebecca Hunt in Rep. Hoekstra's office right away at 202-225-4401. Please do not call Rebecca yourself, either your Representative or his or her staff person must call. It is especially important to contact Republican Representatives to ask them to sign on to the letter. Please follow-up with a call to the Representative's local district campaign office asking them to demonstrate support for libraries by having your Representative sign on to the letter. The following members have agreed to sign the letter, even though some are not sponsors of the bill. Please thank them for answering your request: Amory Houghton (R-NY); John Dingell (D-MI); Jim Moran (D-VA); Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX); Lynne Rivers (D-MI); Jerry Nadler (D-NY); Randy (Duke) Cunningham (R-CA); Joe Wilson,(R-SC); Edolphus Towns(D-NY); John M. Spratt Jr. (D-SC); Major R. Owens (D-NY); Rush D. Holt (D-NJ); Lindsey O. Graham (R-SC); Bob Filner (D-CA), Dale Kildee (D-MI); Vern J. Ehlers (R-MI); James R. Langevin (D-RI); Tim Roemer (D-IN); Jerry Moran (R-KS); John McHugh (R-NY); Bill Pascrell (D-NJ); Carolyn Maloney (D-NY); Martin Frost (D-TX); Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY); Elliott Engel (D-NY); Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI); Ken Bentsen (D-TX); Felix Grucci (R-NY); Mike McNulty (D-NY); David Bonier (D-MI); James Walsh (R-NY); Jim Matheson (D-UT); Mark Green (R-WI); Nita Lowey (D-NY); Dave Camp (R-MI); Gene Taylor(D-MS); Marge Roukema (R-NJ); Connie Morella (R-MD); Michael Castle (R-DE); Richard Neal (D-MA); George Miller (D-CA); Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick (D-MI); John Boehner (R-OH); John Sweeney (R-NY); Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY); Susan Davis (D-CA); Jim Ramstad (R-MN); Maurice Hinchey (D-NY); Jack Quinn (R-NY). The following is a copy of the letter asking house leadership to schedule a vote on H.R. 3784: The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert The Honorable Richard K. Armey Speaker of the House Majority Leader H-232 Capitol H-327A Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Tom DeLay The Honorable J.C. Watts, Jr. Majority Whip Republican Conference Chair H-107 Capitol 1010 Longworth Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Speaker Hastert, Leader Armey, Whip DeLay, and Chairman Watts: We are writing to encourage you to schedule a vote on H.R. 3784, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2002, before the end of the 107th Congress. H.R. 3784 has 94 bipartisan co-sponsors and passed favorably from the Education and the Workforce Committee in April. Given the time that has passed, and the dwindling number of days left on the congressional schedule, we believe it essential that the Museum and Library Services Act of 2002 be brought to the House floor as soon as possible to enable the reforms in this reauthorization to take effect before the 107th Congress adjourns. All Americans benefit from the small, but mighty, federal role of this legislation, which assists libraries and museums in fostering an informed citizenry. The Library and Museum Services Act is very flexible, and built around the idea of local control. The federal role has traditionally focused on areas that require incentive funding for activities that libraries and museums have difficulty initiating independently, which involve coordinated interstate efforts, and which benefit from a national policy initiative. Federal funding for libraries and museums provides services to those who require extra effort or special materials, including individuals with disabilities. These additional funds are crucial to America's efforts to identify, preserve and share information resources across institutional and governmental boundaries. Libraries and museums are capable of astonishing creativity and aid communities in revitalizing the economy, helping children begin school ready to learn, and developing literate, informed adults. One of the few sources of funding for innovation available to libraries is federal funding, and local libraries and museums are often able to significantly leverage the funds they receive. In fact, it is estimated that library programs stimulate $3 to $4 for every federal dollar received. More often than not, these dollars are invested in the surrounding communities in which libraries are located, providing additional jobs and stimulating local economies. Thank you for consideration of our request to schedule H.R. 3784 in the coming weeks. Sincerely, Pete Hoekstra ****** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. 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