ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 12, Number 91
October 3, 2003

In This Issue: APPROPRIATIONS CONFERENCE UPDATE

In previous ALAWON's during September, we have asked you to contact your Representatives and Senators about increased funding for library programs (See sample letter with talking points at http://www.ala.org/ogr/ and click on hot topics.)  Now conferees have been appointed for the FY2004 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bills.  It is expected that these conferees will meet in the next few weeks to determine the final numbers for programs in the bill.  The Senate is on recess from October 6 through the Columbus Day holiday, while the House will be absent for a few days as well. The main Capitol Switchboard number is: 202-224-3121. Or you may look up your Senator/Representative's FAX number at http://www.house.gov or http://www.senate.gov. 

Please contact either the local office or the Washington D.C. office with the following message:

* Ask conferees to fund library programs (LSTA) in the Museum and Library Services Act at the newly authorized level of $232 million.  (Note: The President signed the legislation on September 25, it is Public Law 108-81.) 
*  Please fund the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program at the House level of $27.5 million.

Conferees on the FY2004, Labor HHS Education Appropriations bills are:
Senate:
Arlen Specter (R-PA); Thad Cochran (R-MS); Jud Gregg (R-NH); Larry Craig (R-ID); Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX); Ted Stevens (R-AK); Mike DeWine (R-OH); Richard Shelby (R-AL); Pete Domenici (R-NM); Tom Harkin (D-IA); Ernest Hollings (D-SC); Daniel Inouye (D-HI); Harry Reid (D-NV); Herb Kohl (D-WI); Patty Murray (D-WA); Mary Landrieu (D-LA); and Robert Byrd (D-WV).

House:
Ralph Regula (R-OH); Ernest Istook (R-OK); Roger Wicker (R-MS); Anne Northup (R-KY); Randy Cunningham (R-CA); Kay Granger (R-TX); John Peterson (R-PA); Don Sherwood (R-PA); Dave Weldon (R-FL); Mike Simpson (R-ID); C.W. Bill Young (R-FLA); David Obey (D-WI); Steny Hoyer (D-MD); Nita Lowey (D-NY); Rosa DeLauro (D-CT); Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL); Patrick Kennedy (D-RI); Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA).



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ALA Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 403, Washington, D.C. 20004-1701; phone: 202.628.8410 or 800.941.8478 toll-free; fax: 202.628.8419; e-mail: alawash@alawash.org; Web site: http://www.ala.org/washoff.  Executive Director: Emily Sheketoff. Office of Government Relations: Lynne Bradley, Director; Camille Bowman, Mary Costabile, Don Essex, Patrice McDermott and Miriam Nisbet. Office for Information Technology Policy: Rick Weingarten, Director; Kathy Mitchell, Carrie Russell. ALAWON Editor: Bernadette Murphy.