ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline Volume 8, Number 95 September 24, 1999 In this issue: Action Needed: FY2000 Library Programs ACTION NEEDED: Library supporters should contact Representatives and stress the need for increased investment in library and other education programs. As we enter FY2000, Congressional commitment to progress should be demonstrated not just with words, but with funding commitments to these important programs. The U.S. Capitol Switchboard phone number is 202-224-3121; members of the House Appropriations Committee are listed below. On September 23, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor- HHS-Education approved the FY2000 Appropriations bill with education cuts of $206 million below current levels and $1.4 billion below the President's budget request for FY2000. A filtering amendment offered by Rep. Ernest Istook (R-OK) was also added to the proposed legislation by voice vote (see the next September 24 ALAWON, v8, n96). Library programs were funded at $149 million, $5 million below the President's request of $154.5 million and a significant drop from the $166 million level of FY99. The Subcommittee funded the Title VI-Innovative Education Program Strategies block grant at $385 million, but advanced appropriations of $288 million until FY2001. Zeroed out were teacher training in technology, technology leadership activities and several other technology programs. The exception was community based technology centers which were funded at $10 million, a $50 million drop from the President's request. The Subcommittee cut the Reading Excellence Act program to $200 million, down $60 million from FY99. Following proposals currently in process with the Elementary Secondary Education Act reauthorization (The Teacher Empowerment Act), the Subcommittee merged Goals 2000, Eisenhower Professional Development and Class Size Reduction into a block grant and cut funding $200 million, or 10 percent. College work-study was funded at $880 million, $54 million below the President's budget request. Adult Education and Literacy programs were cut to $378 million -- $7 million below the President's request -- with adult education state grants forward funded by $273 million to FY2001. In a statement issued September 23, President Clinton said the House Subcommittee's bill was "unacceptable," adding, "Our nation's children deserve much better." The President urged the House not to pass the Subcommittee's bill and to work with the Administration to find acceptable legislation. Using a large variety of accounting procedures -- such as funding into FY2001, reclaiming $3 billion in unspent welfare money already held by the states, and calling some funding for programs like low income heating assistance "emergency" funds -- the House Subcommittee reported out the FY2000 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill. There is no indication when the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee will meet to mark up their version of the bill, but the October 1 deadline is fast approaching. HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE ST-DST PTY REPRESENTATIVE PHONE FAX (use 202 area code) AL-1 R Sonny Callahan 225-4931 225-0562 AL-4 R Robert B. Aderholt 225-4876 225-5587 AL-5 D Bud Cramer 225-4801 225-4392 AZ-2 D Ed Pastor 225-4065 225-1655 AZ-5 R Jim Kolbe 225-2542 225-0378 AR-4 R Jay Dickey 225-3772 225-1314 CA-8 D Nancy Pelosi 225-4965 225-8259 CA-17 D Sam Farr 225-2861 225-6791 CA-32 D Julian C. Dixon 225-7084 225-4091 CA-33 D Lucille Roybal-Allard 225-1766 226-0350 CA-40 R Jerry Lewis 225-5861 225-6498 CA-48 R Ron Packard 225-3906 225-0134 CA-51 R Randy Cunningham 225-5452 225-2558 CT-3 D Rosa L. DeLauro 225-3661 225-4890 FL-2 D Allen Boyd 225-5235 225-5615 FL-10 R C. W. Young 225-5961 225-9764 FL-13 R Dan Miller 225-5015 226-0828 FL-17 D Carrie P. Meek 225-4506 226-0777 GA-1 R Jack Kingston 225-5831 226-2269 IL-2 D Jesse L. Jackson 225-0773 225-0899 IL-10 R John Edward Porter 225-4835 225-0837 IN-1 D Peter J. Visclosky 225-2461 225-2493 IA-5 R Tom Latham 225-5476 225-3301 KS-4 R Todd Tiahrt 225-6216 225-3489 KY-3 R Anne Meagher Northup 225-5401 225-5776 KY-5 R Harold Rogers 225-4601 225-0940 MD-5 D Steny H. Hoyer 225-4131 225-4300 MA-1 D John W. Olver 225-5335 226-1224 MI-11 R Joe Knollenberg 225-5802 226-2356 MI-15 D Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick 225-2261 225-5730 MN-5 D Martin Olav Sabo 225-4755 225-4886 MS-1 R Roger F. Wicker 225-4306 225-3549 MO-7 R Roy Blunt 225-6536 225-5604 MO-8 R Jo Ann Emerson 225-4404 NH-1 R John E. Sununu 225-5456 225-5822 NJ-11 R Rodney P. Frelinghuysen 225-5034 225-3186 NM-2 R Joe Skeen 225-2365 225-9599 NY-1 R Michael P. Forbes 225-3826 225-3143 NY-16 D Jose E. Serrano 225-4361 225-6001 NY-18 D Nita M. Lowey 225-6506 225-0546 NY-25 R James T. Walsh 225-3701 225-4042 NY-26 D Maurice D. Hinchey 225-6335 226-0774 NC-4 D David E. Price 225-1784 225-2014 NC-11 R Charles H. Taylor 225-6401 226-6405 OH-7 R David L. Hobson 225-4324 225-1984 OH-9 D Marcy Kaptur 225-4146 225-7711 OH-16 R Ralph Regula 225-3876 225-3059 OK-5 R Ernest J. Istook 225-2132 226-1463 PA-5 R John E. Peterson 225-5121 225-5796 PA-12 D John P. Murtha 225-2065 225-5709 TN-3 R Zach Wamp 225-3271 225-3494 TX-11 D Chet Edwards 225-6105 225-0350 TX-12 R Kay Granger 225-5071 225-5683 TX-22 R Tom DeLay 225-5951 225-5241 TX-23 R Henry Bonilla 225-4511 225-2237 VA-8 D James P. Moran 225-4376 225-0017 VA-10 R Frank R. Wolf 225-5136 225-0437 WA-5 R George R. Nethercutt 225-2006 225-3392 WA-6 D Norman D. Dicks 225-5916 226-1176 WI-7 D David R. Obey 225-3365 WV-1 D Alan B. Mollohan 225-4172 225-7564 ****** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. 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