ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 9, Number 88
October 31, 2000

In this issue:
	
President Vetoes Legislative Branch Appropriations, Tells Congress to Fund Education First


  On Tuesday, October 31, President Clinton vetoed HR 4516, the 
Legislative Branch Appropriations bill, and returned the bill to 
Congress. The President vowed that he will not sign the funding 
bill until Congress finishes its work on the Labor, Health & Human 
Services & Education bill and submits the bill for approval. In 
his statement to the House, Clinton chastised Congress for putting 
funding for White House and Congressional Operations before 
funding for education and urged Congress to "get its priorities in 
order." 

Following is President Clinton's Statement:

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
I am returning herewith without my approval, H.R. 4516, the 
Legislative Branch and the Treasury and General Government 
Appropriations Act, 2001. This bill provides funds for the 
legislative branch and the White House at a time when the business 
of the American people remains unfinished.

The Congress? continued refusal to focus on the priorities of the 
American people leaves me no alternative but to veto this bill.  I 
cannot in good conscience sign a bill that funds the operations of 
the Congress and the White House before funding our classrooms, 
fixing our schools, and protecting our workers.

With the largest student enrollment in history, we need a budget 
that will allow us to repair and modernize crumbling schools, 
reduce class size, hire more and better trained teachers, expand 
after-school programs, and strengthen accountability to turn 
around failing schools.

I would sign this legislation in the context of a budget that puts 
the interests of the American people before self interest or 
special interests. I urge the Congress to get its priorities in 
order and send me, without further delay, balanced legislation I 
can sign.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON
THE WHITE HOUSE,
October 30, 2000

  To date, negotiations continue on the Labor-HHS-Education 
funding bill with no end in sight. Although the Labor-HHS-Ed bill 
contains unprecedented high funding numbers for libraries, it also 
contains the problematic filtering rider. Forthcoming ALAWONs will 
keep library supporters up-to-date on all library-related spending 
bills.

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