ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 186/C&RL News Washington Hotline Lynne E. Bradley The first 100 days: Day 30 and counting . . . The first 100 days o f the 104th Congress demonstrate the absolute necessity for etern a l v ig ila n c e . W h ile some initiatives have been expected as part o f the “Con­ tract with America,” other legislative efforts appear to be attempts to move issues through on a fast track in the wake o f the Republican take­ over o f Congress. FY96 Clinton budget fo r libraries announced HEA library programs all zeroes. All Higher Education Act library programs ($11,416,000) would be eliminated in the administration’s pro­ posed FY1996 budget. The rationale in Depart­ ment o f Education budget documents is that other sources o f funding could support these activities. Nor does the budget contain funding for the new ESEA III-F School Library Resources Program enacted last October. However, ESEA III educational technology programs w ould be increased from the current $40 million to $83 million. Multitype library networking and resource sharing are threatened in the proposed zeroing out o f Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA), title III. The LSCA programs currently funded under title III— interlibrary cooperation and resource sharing (under which much In­ ternet connectivity, training, and technical sup­ port has been funded)— would be zeroed out, along with title VI library literacy projects. The administration’s rationale given for proposing elimination o f LSCA III is that title I funds could be used for networking and resource sharing activities that im prove services provided by public libraries. However, current law does not allow LSCA I funds to be used for any projects that involve more than public libraries, thus making multitype library networking and re­ source sharing illegal under title I. LSCA I and I I only programs included. The Clinton administration’s FY96 budget sent to Congress on February 6 requests funding for Lynne E. Bradley is deputy executive director o f ALA 's Washington Office; e-mail: leb@alawash.org only titles I and II o f LSCA. LSCA I (public library ser­ vices) is recommended for a $6 million increase; LSCA II (public library construc­ tion and te c h n o lo g y e n ­ hancement) w ould be level funded. Outlook in Congress? The details o f the Clinton budget are not likely to have much impact in the Repub­ lican-controlled Congress. H ow ever, the fact that the total for Department o f Edu­ cation library programs would be cut from the current $144 million to $106 million (o r by 26 percent) will make it that much more difficult to restore the difference or add to it. Rescissions requested f o r HEA LI-B and LSCA VI. The administration’s budget includes a request that Congress rescind (that is, defund) monies already appropriated for the Higher Education Act (H EA) title II-B library education and training program, and for the LSCA VI li­ brary literacy projects. HEA library fellowships and institutes (HEA II-B) and library literacy (LSCA IV) were vulnerable because they were not included in the president’s budget last year, have been targeted by the “Reinventing G ov­ ernment” reports and by many Congressional cut lists before, and do not spend out grant dollars until later in the year. Action alert: Appropriations committees should be contacted All library programs, whether or not included in the president’s bud­ get, are at risk o f zero funding in fiscal year 1996. It is imperative that library supporters contact the various Congressional committees. D on’t underestimate the pow er o f constituent messages to Congress supporting federal library programs. Library supporters should contact their representatives and senators to urge fund­ ing o f the Department o f Education’s HEA, LSCA, and ESEA library programs at a level o f $1 per person in the United States. T o meet this goal, Congress should appropriate an ad­ ditional 43 cents per person to help libraries ramp up, reach out, and retrain for the 21st century— not cut back on their investment in library services! Contact members o f the U.S. House o f Rep­ resentatives Appropriations Subcommittee on mailto:leb@alawash.org March 1995/187 Clinton adm inistration FY96 p rop o sed b u d get T able o f selected lib rary program s Labor-HHS-Education. Although the initial em ­ phasis should be on contacting the House side, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee should also be contacted as soon as possible. The phone number at the U.S. Capital is (202) 224- 3121. Other critical legislation Several important issues are m oving rapidly through Congress. O ne bill on a fast track is the Paperwork Reduction Act o f 1995 which was introduced on February 6 as H.R. 830. One provision dropped in the bill markup w ould have seriously threatened the public’s ow ner­ ship o f government information. The so-called “West Provision” [sec. 3518(f)] w ould have dras­ tically reduced the public’s rights under the copyright law and the Freedom o f Information Act, w hile increasing the profits o f private sec­ tor vendors because it w ou ld have given them ownership o f public data. Another provision [sec. 3506(d)(4)(D )] w ou ld have given the O f­ fice o f Management and Budget the authority to grant waivers to agencies to increase user fees above the cost o f dissemination. Neither of these provisions are in the “Contract with America,” and many believe this was a last- minute, below-the-table attempt to sneak in language to benefit special interests. Members of the House Committee on Government Re­ form and Oversight w ill n o w address these tw o provisions separately as they proceed on H.R. 830. A similar bill, S. 244, w as o r ­ dered reported by the Senate G o v ­ ernmental Affairs C o m m itte e on February 1. On February 1 Senator Exon (D- N eb.) introduced S. 314, the Com­ munications D e ­ cency Act o f 1995, which holds vari­ ous telecommuni­ c a tio n s p r o v id ­ ers— from cable operators to tele­ com m u nications n etw orkers— re­ sponsible for “ob ­ s c e n e ” m ateria l on their networks. This raises some grave first amendment ques­ tions. Watch the ALAWONewsline, an electronic publication o f the ALA Washington Office, for additional updates about this bill as w ell as other legislative proposals to rewrite the Communi­ cations Act o f 1934. ACRL leg isla tive n etw ork : Supporting academ ic libraries As a n ew staff m ember in the ALA Washington Office, I enjoyed meeting with members o f the ACRL Government Relations Committee at ALA Midwinter about expanding the legislative net­ w ork begun by this committee. The committee w ill also develop advocacy training customized to academic and college librarians and their supporters. Indeed, eternal vigilance is required and necessary, but it is also rewarding. I ’m glad to be w orking with academic libraries again and to w ork with your legislative network in our mutual goal o f supporting all libraries. Library legislation d a y rescheduled to M a y 9 This year the date for Library Legislation Day was rescheduled from April 11 to May 9 be­ cause Congress w ill not be in session at that time in April. For additional information about Library Legislation Day in Washington, D.C., watch ALAWONewsline or contact your state library association for information about state- related activities.