ALAWON v4n41 (May 13, 1995)
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n41

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                                                                  ISSN 1069-7799
                                     ALAWON
                         ALA Washington Office Newsline
                        An electronic publication of the
                 American Library Association Washington Office
 
                              Volume 4, Number 41
                                  May 13, 1995
 
   In this issue: (107 lines)
     CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET RESOLUTIONS:
        *  HOUSE RESOLUTION CUTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS; DELETES LIBRARY
               PROGRAMS
        *  SENATE BUDGET RESOLUTION CUTS ARE LESS SEVERE
     ACTION ALERT
 
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                        CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET RESOLUTIONS
 
                HOUSE BUDGET RESOLUTION CUTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS;
                            DELETES LIBRARY PROGRAMS
 
The House Budget Resolution was approved on May 11 by the Budget Committee.
The resolution proposes cuts in discretionary spending of $6.9 billion in
FY96 or 16.4 percent.  It would eliminate the Department of Education as
well as several major education programs such as Goals 2000 and Title I
concentration grants.  It proposes elimination of Education Research and
all educational technology.  All library programs are proposed for
elimination.  The House Budget proposal also suggests elimination of the
National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the
Humanities, privatization of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and
elimination of Americorps.
 
It is expected that the House Budget Resolution will be voted on by the
full House early next week.
 
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                 SENATE BUDGET RESOLUTION CUTS ARE LESS SEVERE
 
The Senate Budget Resolution was also approved on May ll, and proposes
discretionary spending cuts of $5.2 billion in FY96 or 12.4 percent.
Chapter I, Special Education and Pell Grants are frozen at FY95 levels.
Thirty education programs are eliminated as recommended by the President.
For library programs that would be LSCA III, VI and all Higher Education
Act library programs, since those titles were zeroed out in the President's
budget.  The Senate Budget also eliminates Americorps and eliminates campus
aid and SSIG.  The Resolution cuts NEA/NEH by 50 percent.
 
The Senate Budget Resolution should reach the Senate floor on May 17.
 
Both Budget Resolutions are guidelines for spending from FY96 through
FY2002, and present a budget scenario which would enable a balanced budget
by 2002.  The House scenario also includes tax relief for middle income
families.  The Budget Resolution does not require signature by the
President and recommendations are not binding on appropriators, but the
level of spending on discretionary programs is set by the Budget
Resolution.
 
ACTION ALERT:
Library supporters should continue to stress to all representatives and
senators the importance of continuing a federal role for support of
libraries.  These budget resolutions exemplify the difficult political
situation that library and other education-related programs face.  These
budget cutting efforts in appropriations are the "flip side" of the
coin...to the issue of trying to pass a Library Services and Technology Act
or a targeted library block grant, as reported in the previous ALAWON, Vol.
4, No. 40, May 12.  Both require major grassroots advocacy from library
constituents.
 
There are examples of many good library programs in each state which
succeed in reaching children, the elderly, the disabled community, and the
business community that can and should be used with representatives and
senators.  Attendees at the National Library Legislative Day on May 9 left
examples of successful state library programs in congressional offices.  As
always, additional examples and maximum contact with congressional offices
is necessary to retain appropriations for any of these library programs and
to seek authorization through LSTA or a block grant.
 
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ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is an irregular publication of the American Library
Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC
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Fax: 202-547-7363.  Contributing to this issue:  Mary R. Costabile;
Editor: Lynne E. Bradley (leb@alawash.org).
 
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