ALAWON v2n23 (May 28, 1993) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v2n23 ****Begin File******************Begin File*******************Begin File**** *************************************************************************** ALAWON ALA Washington Office Newsline An electronic publication of the American Library Association Washington Office Volume 2, Number 23 May 28, 1993 In this issue: (272 lines) FURTHER ACTION NEEDED ON LIBRARY PROGRAM ELIMINATIONS ACTION ALSO URGENTLY NEEDED ON FY94 FUNDING FOR LIBRARY PROGRAMS BACKGROUND ON SUPPLEMENTAL EXCERPTS FROM HOUSE DEBATE ON HR 2244 *************************************************************************** FURTHER ACTION NEEDED ON LIBRARY PROGRAM ELIMINATIONS Congress is now in recess until June 7. Contact legislators at home, collar them at local events, see them at local offices, or call Washington, DC staff you may have visited on Library Legislative Day in April. HOUSE: Continue to contact Representatives to object to the House-passed elimination of library literacy, college library technology, and library research and demonstration programs in HR 2244, the FY93 supplemental stimulus package approved on May 26. Many Members do not yet realize how the bill's provisions would be paid for. The outrage expressed by library constituents and others affected is beginning to be felt, but more contacts are needed to create a climate in which House members would agree if the Senate later this month made a change in how the supplemental is financed. SENATE: Alert all Senators to what the House has done, and urge them to reject the elimination in HR 2244 of funds already appropriated for library programs in the current fiscal year. Awards are about to be made in all three of these programs. Jobs are at stake, too. Of the 250 grants about to be awarded for LSCA VI library literacy projects, more than 90% would involve the hiring of a literacy project coordinator. Therefore, the House would eliminate jobs about to be filled in order to create possible future jobs. The Senate may take up HR 2244 as early as the week of June 7; decision makers are members of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee and the parent Appropriations Committee. The address for all Senators is: The Honorable (member's name) U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510 202-224-3121 (Senate Information) SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION Majority Minority Tom Harkin, IA (Chair) Arlen Specter, PA Robert Byrd, WV Mark O. Hatfield, OR Ernest F. Hollings, SC Ted Stevens, AK Daniel K. Inouye, HI Thad Cochran, MS Dale Bumpers, AR Slade Gorton, WA Harry Reid, NV Connie Mack, FL Herbert Kohl, WI Christopher S. Bond, MO Patty Murray, WA *************************************************************************** ACTION ALSO URGENTLY NEEDED ON FY94 FUNDING FOR LIBRARY PROGRAMS In making your contacts with House and Senate, put in a strong pitch for restoring funds in the next fiscal year (FY94 begins October 1) for library programs which the Clinton Administration has proposed to eliminate. The House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee will meet to make its recommendations on library, education, and other programs under its jurisdiction on Tuesday, June 8. There's not much time, and all programs proposed for zeroing out are at risk, especially those the House has already voted to eliminate in FY93. We are facing the most imminent threat to library programs that we have seen in the last few decades. The amount of money is comparatively small. Library programs can be saved with your help! The list below shows the Clinton budget for Department of Education library programs which are currently funded: PROGRAM FY 1993 FY 1994 ADMIN. FUNDING REQUEST Library Services and Construction Act $128,626,000 $114,700,000 I, public library services 83,227,000 95,000,000 II, public library construction 16,584,000 0 III, interlibrary cooperation 19,749,000 19,749,000 IV, Indian library services (2% of LSCA I, II, and III) V, foreign language materials 968,000 0 VI, library literacy programs 8,098,000 0 Higher Education Act $15,623,000 $0 II-A, college library tech. & coop. 3,873,000 0 II-B, library education 4,960,000 0 II-C, research library resources 5,808,000 0 VI, sec. 607, foreign research materials 982,000 0 The address for all Representatives is: The Honorable (member's name) U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 202-225-3121 (House Information) HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION Majority Minority William H. Natcher, KY (Chair) John Edward Porter, IL Neal Smith, IA C.W. Bill Young, FL David R. Obey, WI Helen Delich Bentley, MD Louis Stokes, OH Henry Bonilla, TX Steny H. Hoyer, MD Nancy Pelosi, CA Nita M. Lowey, NY Jose E. Serrano, NY Rosa L. DeLauro, CT *************************************************************************** BACKGROUND ON SUPPLEMENTAL On May 26, the House passed by a vote of 287-140 a supplemental appropriations bill which would rescind funds already appropriated in FY93 for three library programs. HR 2244, a scaled-down version of the Administration's stimulus package, eliminates all funds about to be awarded for the Higher Education Act title II-A college library technology and cooperation grants, the HEA II-B library research and demonstration program, and the Library Services and Construction Act title VI library literacy program: ELIMINATIONS INCLUDED IN HOUSE-PASSED HR 2244 HEA II-A college lib. tech. $ 3,873,000 HEA II-B research & demo. 2,749,000 LSCA VI library literacy 8,098,000 ---------- TOTAL 14,720,000 These programs are only weeks away from sending out awards. Applications have been developed and submitted, and peer review has been completed. LSCA VI creates jobs; more than 90% of the 250 awards about to be made involve the hiring of a literacy coordinator. As we stated before, it is simply outrageous to pay for summer jobs, tree planting, and public works projects by eliminating effective library, literacy, and education programs. The House report (H. Rept. 103-105) on HR 2244 indicates the 14 education programs rescinded by the House (including the 3 library programs) are those the President proposed to eliminate in FY94, and for which FY93 funding had not yet been obligated. "The Committee would not under normal circumstances terminate programs on such short notice. In this case, however, the President's Supplemental request is needed on an emergency basis to fund additional summer jobs for disadvantaged youth. Immediate savings are required to fund this emergency requirement." *************************************************************************** EXCERPTS FROM HOUSE DEBATE ON HR 2244 _Congressional Record_, May 26, 1993 (No. 76, part II): Mr. Natcher (D-KY): As my colleagues know, in the Labor-Health and Human Services- Education Subcommittee section of the bill, we have rescissions for 14 education programs some of which we have carried in our bills down through the years. Each 1 of the 14 was funded in the 1993 bill. No part of the money for 1993 has been consumed up to this time. All 14 of these bills were left out of President Clinton's budget request for the fiscal 1994, but that does not mean necessarily, Mr. Chairman, that they will stay out of the 1994 appropriations act.... I believe the issue with the 14 education programs has been explained to the satisfaction of the members of this Committee with the colloquy between the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Ford] and myself. (p. H 2881) In the colloquy, Rep. Ford (D-MI) said: It is my understanding that the Committee on Appropriations, which you so ably chair, is not bound by the President's budget submission for fiscal 1994 and, at the appropriate time, you will judge each of these programs on its merits. I also seek your assurance that the rescissions in this bill do not in any way indicate how your committee will treat these programs in your fiscal 1994 bill. Rep. Natcher replied: ...the committee is not bound by the President's fiscal year 1994 budget proposal. The Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, which I chair, will not necessarily base our fiscal year 1994 funding recommendation on the recommendation in this supplemental appropriation bill. These were done to fund summer jobs. I assure the Members that we will give consideration to each individual program on its merits. Today's supplemental certainly does not preclude any program from being funded in fiscal year 1994. In addition, I want to assure Members that I remain open to any alternative reductions to fund this summer jobs bill if they can be found before this bill goes to conference. (p. H 2882) Only two Representatives specifically mentioned library programs. Rep. Mink (D-HI) said: ...While I believe this Nation desperately needs an economic stimulus package, I do not believe that it is wise policy to accomplish this task on the backs of our Nation's students. This bill will in one fell swoop eliminate 14 education programs --programs that students depend on to get funds to go to college, programs to train teachers, and improve writing skills, give students practical work experience while going to college, improve libraries, and provide bilingual vocational training. The programs that will be eliminated in this bill include:... Library Programs which provide adult literacy services at public libraries, improve technology for elementary and secondary schools, college and public libraries. Mr. Chairman, I am deeply distressed that we are being asked to cut education funds for the children of America, by eliminating programs which have proven records of success in improving educational and employment opportunities for the most needy in our Nation. While we can deem funds for the Department of Defense as emergency spending, we are forced to rob the coffers of our schools to pay for job programs and economic stimulus. The economic situation of our country is a true emergency and denying educational and employment opportunities will only serve to exacerbate our domestic problems which have crisis proportions. It is with great disappointment and reluctance that I raise these objections. I could not in good conscience allow this debate to go forward without pointing out the great impacts these rescissions will cause. I hope, as the chairman said, that these funds can be restored in conference. (p. H 2885) Rep. Collins (D-IL) [incorrectly referred to as Collins of Michigan in the Record) supported the bill, but with reservations: Regrettably, we have had to pay for the limited moneys for summer jobs and other good programs in this bill with rescissions in equally important programs, i.e., the $14.7 million cut in sorely needed library and literacy funding. This will result in the dramatic scaling back to funds for many public libraries in my district which have already sustained drastic budget cuts at the local level. In Chicago, many libraries have already not only had to shorten their hours, but have had to close their doors on certain days of the week. So, in addition to not having jobs, the kids in my district have limited access to library facilities. Now included in that $14.7 billion [should be $14.7 million] cut was $8 million for literacy programs which train librarians and volunteers to work with children and adults who are trying to learn to read. How anyone can be proud of this is beyond comprehension. (p. H 2888) *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** ALAWON is an irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20002-5675. Phone: 202-547-4440; Fax: 202-547-7363; Internet: alawash@alawash.org. Editor and List Owner: Fred King (fdk@alawash.org). All or part of ALAWON may be redistributed, with appropriate credits. ALAWON is available free of charge and is available only in electronic form. To subscribe, send the message "subscribe ala-wo [your name]" to listserv@uicvm (Bitnet) or listserv@uicvm.uic.edu (internet). Back issues of ALAWON are available from the list server. To find out what's available, send the message "send ala-wo filelist" to the listserv. The ALA-WO filelist contains the list of files with the exact filename and filetype. 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