ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 9, Number 48
May 24, 2000

In this issue:
HOUSE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS - VOTE LIKELY BY THURSDAY

IMMEDIATE ACTION ALERT: House and Senate Vote on GPO Funding 
Imminent: Contact all Congressional Offices Immediately 

MESSAGE:  Ask for restoration of the Federal Depository Library 
Program Funds at GPO.  The Senate and House of Representatives are 
expected to vote in the next 24 hours on legislative branch 
appropriations.  Supporters of the Federal Depository Library 
Program (FDLP) and the other critical functions of the Government 
Printing Office (GPO) must keep heavy grassroots pressure on all 
House members to restore cuts and funding to the GPO budget for 
FDLP, and to increase the GPO Senate numbers. 

The House and Senate bills and related reports have now been filed 
and are available on GPO Access:
	House bill:  H.R. 4516, H. Rept. 106-635
	Senate bill:  S. 2063, S. Rept. 106-304

The House bill contains amounts reported by the House 
Appropriations Committee on May 9 which would be effectively a 62% 
cut to the printing services for the FDLP.  The Senate bill 
contains an amount reported on May 18 which is essentially a 
freeze at last year's level for GPO. Senate floor action is 
scheduled to move forward today. House floor action is expected 
possibly later today or tomorrow morning.

Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) introduced an amendment to the House bill that 
would restore some funding for other legislative branch agencies 
such as the Capital Hill police.  However, his amendment DOES NOT 
address the problems with the GPO funding.  Ohio library 
supporters should ask him to include GPO funding in his amendment.

The Congressional switchboard number is:    202-224-3121

Check the ALA Web pages at: http://www.ala.org/washoff  for sample 
letters, messages and previous background information from ALAWON 
reports and for links to the Government Documents Roundtable 
(GODORT.)


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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 
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