ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 736 / C&RL News ■ November 2002 Washington Hotline Lynne E. Bradley End game strategy As th e H o u s e a n d S enate p ro c e e d to w a rd th e e n d o f t h e 1 0 7 th C o n g re s s , th e r e a re k e y li­ brary-related bills a n d p ro p o sa ls left up-in-the- air. At th is w ritin g , n o fin al a c tio n h a s b e e n c o m p le te d in th e H o u s e o n th e M u s e u m a n d L ib ra ry S e rv ic e s A ct, H.R. 3784, w h ic h in ­ c lu d e s th e re a u th o riz a tio n o f th e Library Ser­ vices a n d T e c h n o lo g y Act (LSTA). LSTA serves all ty p e s o f libraries, in c lu d in g a c a d e m ic a n d s c h o o l libraries, th a t receiv e m o n e y a n d b e n ­ e fit fro m le a d e r s h i p a n d s ta te - b a s e d d ire c t grants a n d netw orks. It is n o w ru m o re d th at k e y H o u s e m ajority le a d e r s w ill n o t b rin g th e b ill to a flo o r v o te u n less fu n d in g -lev el la n g u a g e is w e a k e n e d to “su c h su m s as m a y be. . . This is disturbing, in d eed , since th ere w e re u n a n im o u s bipartisan v o te s in b o th th e p e rtin e n t H o u s e su b c o m m it­ te e a n d full c o m m itte e w ith la n g u a g e a u th o ­ rizing u p to $300 m illion, a b o u t a n 80 p e rc e n t in c re a se o v e r th e n e x t five y ears from c u rre n t fu n d in g levels. M e an w h ile th e Senate, re c o g ­ n iz in g th e n e e d fo r im p ro v e d fu n d in g lev els for library p rogram s, is sta n d in g fast for a u th o ­ riz in g LSTA u p to $350 m illio n in its b ill, S. 2611. F o r a n u p d a t e o n th e s ta tu s o f H.R. 3784, c h e c k o u r W eb site at: h ttp ://w w w .a la . o rg /w a s h o ff/fu n d in g /h tm l. It is also u n c le a r w h e th e r th e re w ill b e th e tim e a n d th e w ill fo r th e H o u s e a n d S enate to c o m p le te all o f th e ir w o rk o n e - g o v e rn m e n t le g is la tio n . T h e S e n a te h a s S. 803, w h ic h is very sim ilar to th e H o u se bill, H.R. 2458, w h ich h a s n o w p a s s e d c o m m ittee. W atch ALAWON fo r a r e p o rt o r c h e c k o u r W eb site at: h t t p : / / W W W . a la /o r g /w a s h o ff/g o v e rn m e n tin fo .h tm l. B ut g o o d n e w s prevails w ith passag e o f the T E A C H A c t, w h i c h is w a i t i n g f o r t h e P re s id e n t’s sig n a tu re . O n c e it is sig n e d , ALA will b e c o n d u c tin g a m ajo r o u tre a c h initiative to inform th e acad e m ic library com m u n ity an d o th e rs a b o u t th e TEACH Act, w h ic h u p d a te s c o p y rig h t p ro v is io n s to p ro v id e fo r d ista n c e learn in g . Again, all ty p e s o f libraries will b e n - Lynne E. Bradley is Office o f Government Relations director o f ALA'S W ashington Office; e-mail: leb@alawash.org efit fro m this leg islatio n . See o u r W eb site at; h t t p : / / W W W . a la . o rg /w a s h o f f/d is t e d . h tm l. A s ta n d o f f c o n tin u e s o n FY 2003 a p p r o ­ p ria tio n s . C o n tin u in g r e s o lu tio n s (C R s) a re b e in g p a s s e d to fu n d th e fe d e ra l g o v e rn m e n t th ro u g h early N ovem ber. B ut it is re p o rte d that little a ctu al n e g o tia tin g o n FY2003 a p p ro p ria ­ tio n s h a s o c c u rre d , a n d w e c a n e x p e c t th e s e CRs to b e re n e w e d . T h e re will b e a lam e d u c k se ssio n after th e N o v em b er elections, w h ic h is p e rh a p s w h y ap p ro p ria tio n s disc u ssio n s h av e stalled. W ith c lo s e b a ttle s fo r c o n tro l o f b o th th e H o u s e a n d th e Senate, m a n y are w aiting to see w h a t th e n e w C o n g r e s s w ill lo o k lik e . T h e N ov em b er 5 e lection c o u ld im m ediately d eter­ m in e , at least te m p o rarily , th e m a k e u p o f th e Senate, B e c a u se it is a sp e c ia l e le c tio n for th e S e n a te s lo t p r e s e n tly h e ld b y S e n a to r J e a n C a rn ah an (D-M issouri), if sh e is n o t reelected , th e S enate will re tu rn im m ediately b a c k to Re­ p u b lic a n c o n tro l. If o v e ra ll R e p u b lic a n s p r e ­ vail, th e n th e S e n a te w o u ld sta y R e p u b lic a n . If th e D e m o c ra ts w in m o re S en ate seats, th e n th e S e n a te w o u ld re tu rn to D e m o c ra t c o n tro l in Ja n u ary , e v e n if C a rn a h a n loses. As th e “e n d g a m e ” strategy co n tin u es o n all sides, watch for “Christmas tree” bills, where som e bills are a d d e d o n to o th er com pletely unrelated legislation in order to get passed. (Rather like add­ ing cars to a m oving train.) W hile w e h av e p re ­ vailed in fighting p assage o f database legislation (see http://w w w .ala.org/w ashoff/database.htm l) thus far, this is a critical tim e for th e library com ­ m unity to b e cautious a n d scrutinize all kinds of legislation. This is also being d o n e o n th e h o m e ­ land security proposals. Even as W ashington is agonizingly moving to­ w a rd th e e n d o f th e 107th Congress, p e o p le are already anticipating issues for the 108th. Key higher education groups have begun to m eet because of th e n e e d to reauthorize the Higher Education Act (HEA) in th e co m in g year. ALA will b e partici­ pating in so m e o f th o se k ey discussions a n d re­ porting b ack to ACRL a n d others. Watch for m ore information as w e prepare for the next Congress. Grassroots efforts from the academic library com ­ m unity will b e n e e d e d during the 108th o n HEA a n d o ther issues. ■ http://www.ala mailto:leb@alawash.org http://www.ala.org/washoff/database.html