Forwarded message:
>From ac0011@epfl2.epflbalto.org Fri Jul 12 13:49:37 1996
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 16:45:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: ANTHONY COBB <ac0011@epfl2.epflbalto.org>
To: jglst <102731.1741@compuserve.com>, 2101136@mcimail.com,
72157.3547@compuserve.com, 73442.2170@compuserve.com,
73750.1736@compuserve.com, 74323.135@compuserve.com,
aw0096@epfl2.epflbalto.org, bpierce@netcom.com,
buhrow@lothlorien.nfbcal.org, chong99@cris.com, csdanie@vm.sc.edu,
dandrews@ssb.state.mn.us, ddavis@ssb.state.mn.us,
e0foul01@homer.louisville.edu, fairall@netcom.com,
gil.vickery@gsel.org, hcwundg@muccmail.missouri.edu,
jgashel@blazie.com, jsofka@texas.net, kelly@ripco.com,
ldmattioli@aol.com, marks@selway.umt.edu, mikef@pacifier.com,
mrichert@igc.apc.org, n2slf@aol.com, normac@hal-pc.org,
paul.harcz@gsel.org, pgormley@nova.umuc.edu, philoliver@delphi.com,
rikjames@dns.mcn.net, robertj@tekgen.bv.tek.com, rthomp3076@aol.com,
susanb26a@aol.com, t33054@vm.sc.edu, tecraig@bga.com,
tom.scanlan@state.mn.us, tvc@iglou.com, web173@charweb.org
Subject: NLS funding alert (fwd)
Message-Id: <Pine.SV4.3.91.960712164347.26223A-100000@epfl2>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 12 Jul 96 16:04:48 EDT
From: Anthony Cobb <73531.1123@CompuServe.COM>
To: ac0011@epfl2.epflbalto.org
Subject: NLS funding alert
LEGISLATIVE ALERT
FROM: James Gashel
SUBJECT: FUNDS FOR BOOKS FOR THE BLIND FROM THE LIBRARY OF
CONGRESS COULD BE CUT
Congress is considering the bill which makes appropriations
for the Library of Congress. The bill is H. R. 3754. It was
passed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday, July 10.
Under that bill the amount appropriated for the National Library
Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) program in
the Library of Congress is $44,964,000. This is only a $13,000
increase above the fiscal year 1996 amount, but at least it is
not a cut.
This is the good news, but there is a big storm cloud on the
horizon. A provision contained in section 208 of the bill would
make future cuts possible if the Librarian of Congress decides
that other programs within the Library are more important than
Books for the Blind. Section 208 of the House-passed bill would
allow the transfer of funds from one line item in the Library of
Congress to another. Although the Librarian could only make
transfers under this section with the approval of the House and
Senate appropriations committees, the notion of altering the line
items at all, outside of the normal appropriations process, is a
significant policy change. Moreover, this change is not likely
to work to the advantage of the NLS program. For that reason, we
are asking the appropriations committee in the Senate to remove
the reference to the Books for the Blind program from section
208. The letters which follow present more detail. All of you
who care about receiving adequate library services should contact
Senators on the Appropriations Committee. They will be taking
action on this bill as early as Wednesday and Thursday of next
week. A list of the Senate Appropriations Committee members with
phone numbers, fax numbers, and staff contacts included follows
the letters.
The Senators who are most critical are: Mark Hatfield,
Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee; Connie Mack,
Chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the Senate
Appropriations Committee; and Patty Murray, ranking minority
member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee. If we make our
voices heard with these Senators and the others on the committee
we can protect the amount specified by Congress for the NLS
appropriation.
July 12, 1996
The Honorable Mark Hatfield, Chairman
Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate
Washington, D. C. 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
I am writing to request your assistance with an amendment to
the Legislative Branch appropriations bill. Section 208 of that
bill as passed by the House would place the line item
appropriations amount for the Books for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped program of the Library of Congress in jeopardy. This
section is a policy change and would give the Librarian of
Congress the authority to transfer funds which Congress has
already specified for particular activities.
A letter which I have written today (copy attached) to
Senator Mack, Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Legislative
Branch, spells out our reasons for requesting a restriction on
the transfer authority as it would affect the Books for the Blind
and Physically Handicapped program. At this point, I do not know
what Senator Mack's intentions might be concerning the proposal
we have made. Therefore, I am writing to ask you to support or,
if necessary, sponsor an amendment to protect the Books for the
Blind appropriation.
Reading matter is something which sighted people tend to
take for granted because it is so available to them, and
libraries are only one of many sources. For blind people,
however, libraries are virtually the only source. Few
individuals can afford to purchase a book in Braille, let alone
have the space required to store a personal collection. For
these reasons, a library which can serve the entire nation offers
the most cost-effective means for providing access to books and
magazines for the blind. The Library of Congress has fulfilled
this role for us with a high degree of success for sixty-five
years.
This is why we place great urgency on safeguarding the
amount which the Congress determines to appropriate for the Books
for the Blind service. Please contact me to further this
objective. I understand that the markup of the appropriations
bill for the Legislative Branch is scheduled for July 16, with
action by the full committee to follow soon thereafter. I hope
it will be possible to include an amended version of section 208
in the bill at the time it is reported out by the Subcommittee.
Thank you for your consideration and assistance in regard to
this issue.
Very truly yours,
James Gashel
Director of Governmental Affairs
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
JG/mrb
attachment
July 12, 1996
The Honorable Connie Mack, Chairman
Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch
Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate
Washington, D. C. 20510
Dear Senator Mack:
Thank you for taking a few minutes after the hearing on the
Library of Congress to listen to the concern I expressed on
behalf of the National Federation of the Blind. Section 208 of
the House-passed bill--the section which I gave to you--would
allow the Librarian of Congress to transfer funds from one
specified appropriations account to another subject to approval
by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. While the
approval proviso is comforting, we earnestly hope that you will
not authorize the Librarian to change the sums appropriated for
Books for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.
To secure this appropriation for the purposes specified, we
are requesting an amendment to strike the reference to the Books
for the Blind and Physically Handicapped program in section 208
(b). The present Librarian, Dr. Billington, has left no doubt
that service to the blind is not highly ranked as a priority in
the Library's total mission. You can confirm this by examining
the mission and strategic priorities statement of the Library
which Dr. Billington personally authored. The sole reference to
the Books for the Blind program is one clause in the lowest
priority specified.
I have listened carefully to Dr. Billington's testimony for
several years at appropriations time. While the prepared text
may always contain acknowledgement of the Books for the Blind
program, he almost never mentions it in his remarks. I am not
saying he has shown malice to our service, just a significant
degree of indifference toward it. This indifference, combined
with the discretionary power to transfer funds, will almost
certainly mean that activities of higher priority for Dr.
Billington are apt to be favored by him in transferring funds
within the overall budget of the Library.
Reading matter is something which sighted people tend to
take for granted because it is so available to them, and
libraries are only one of many sources. For blind people,
however, libraries are virtually the only source. Few
individuals can afford to purchase a book in Braille, let alone
have the space required to store a personal collection. For
these reasons a library which can serve the entire nation offers
the most cost-effective means for providing access to books and
magazines for the blind. The Library of Congress has fulfilled
this role for us with a high degree of success for sixty-five
years.
At a time when audit findings have called into question the
management of several programs which Dr. Billington lists as top
priorities, an audit of the National Library Service for the
Blind reports that its service delivery and production
responsibilities are effectively managed. It would be ironic
indeed if this effective record of performance were to be
rewarded by the transfer of resources to other programs that are
arguably less efficient than NLS. This could happen, however, if
the appropriations act allows the Librarian to reduce the sums
specified for Books for the Blind in favor of other programs to
which he has assigned a higher priority.
With all of this in mind, the National Federation of the
Blind believes that an amendment to section 208 (b) of the
Legislative Branch appropriations bill is essential. This
amendment would restrict the application of section 208 so that
the sums appropriated by Congress for Books for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped would be secured for the exclusive use of
that program.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns
regarding this request. I understand that the markup of the
appropriations bill for the Legislative Branch is scheduled for
July 16, with action by the full committee to follow soon
thereafter. I hope it will be possible to include an amended
version of section 208 in the bill at the time it is reported out
by the Subcommittee.
Thank you for your consideration and assistance in regard to
this issue.
Very truly yours,
James Gashel
Director of Governmental Affairs
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
JG/mrb
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
(NOTE: Members are listed in order of their committee ranking,
with the Republican Senators [the Majority] presented first,
followed by the Democrats. Senators who serve on the Legislative
Branch Subcommittee are responsible for the bill which
appropriates funds for the Library of Congress, but all members
of the committee must approve the bill which the Legislative
Branch Subcommittee reports. The Subcommittee members are marked
with an * - asterisk. If a triple asterisk *** appears, the fax
number was only given to the constituent.)
OR Mark O. Hatfield
202-224-3753 - WORK PHONE
202-224-0276 - FAX NO.
Mark Yerby - STAFF ASST.
AK Ted Stevens
202-224-3004 - WORK PHONE
202-224-2354 - FAX NO.
Elizabeth J. Connell - STAFF ASST.
MS Thad Cochran
202-224-5054 - WORK PHONE
202-224-9450 - FAX NO.
Greg McGinity - STAFF ASST.
PA Arlen Specter
202-224-4254 - WORK PHONE
202-228-1229 - FAX NO.
Melissa Southerland - STAFF ASST.
NM Pete V. Domenici
202-224-6621 - WORK PHONE
202-224-7371 - FAX NO.
Keith Nelson - STAFF ASST.
MO Christopher S. Bond
202-224-5721 - WORK PHONE
202-224-8149 - FAX NO.
Joe Pierle - STAFF ASST.
WA Slade Gorton
202-224-3441 - WORK PHONE
202-224-9393 - FAX NO.
Tami Brueske - STAFF ASST.
KY Mitch McConnell
202-224-2541 - WORK PHONE
202-224-2499 - FAX NO.
Robin Bowen or Willis Sautter - STAFF ASST.
FL Connie Mack *
202-224-5274 - WORK PHONE
202-224-8022 - FAX NO.
Larry Harris - STAFF ASST.
MT Conrad Burns
202-224-2644 - WORK PHONE
202-224-8594 - FAX NO.
Jim Brown - STAFF ASST.
AL Richard Shelby
202-224-5744 - WORK PHONE
202-224-3416 - FAX NO.
Paul Doerrer - STAFF ASST.
VT James M. Jeffords
202-224-5141 - WORK PHONE
202-228-1967 - FAX NO.
Sharon Wynn - STAFF ASST.
NH Judd Gregg
202-224-3324 - WORK PHONE
202-224-4952 - FAX NO.
Alyssa Shooshan - STAFF ASST.
UT Robert F. Bennett *
202-224-5444 - WORK PHONE
202-224-4908 - FAX NO.
Robert Cresanti - STAFF ASST.
CO Ben Nighthorse Campbell *
202-224-5852 - WORK PHONE
202-224-1933 - FAX NO.
Tammy Perrin - STAFF ASST.
WV Robert Byrd
202-224-3954 - WORK PHONE
202-228-0002 - FAX NO.
Kathy McNally - STAFF ASST.
HI Daniel Inouye
202-224-3934 - WORK PHONE
202-224-6747 - FAX NO.
Mavis Masaki - STAFF ASST.
SC Ernest Hollings
202-224-6121 - WORK PHONE
202-224-4293 - FAX NO.
Eddie Moore - STAFF ASST.
LA J. Bennett Johnston
202-224-5824 - WORK PHONE
202-224-2952 - FAX NO.
Dionne Thompson - STAFF ASST.
VT Patrick J. Leahy
202-224-4242 - WORK PHONE
202-224-3595 - FAX NO. ***
Amy Rainone - STAFF ASST.
AR Dale Bumpers
202-224-4843 - WORK PHONE
202-224-5619 - FAX NO.
Nancy Kelly - STAFF ASST.
NJ Frank R. Lautenberg
202-224-4744 - WORK PHONE
202-224-9707 - FAX NO.
Mitch Sklar - STAFF ASST.
IA Tom Harkin
202-224-3254 - WORK PHONE
202-224-9369 - FAX NO.
Marsha Simon - STAFF ASST.
MD Barbara Mikulski *
202-224-4654 - WORK PHONE
202-224-8858 - FAX NO.
Lisa Kinard - STAFF ASST.
NV Harry Reid
202-224-3542 - WORK PHONE
202-224-7327 - FAX NO.
Sue Mabry - STAFF ASST.
NE J. Robert Kerrey
202-224-6551 - WORK PHONE
202-224-7645 - FAX NO.
Marci McPherson - STAFF ASST.
WI Herbert Kohl
202-224-5653 - WORK PHONE
Steve Kimball - STAFF ASST.
WA Patty Murray *
202-224-2621 - WORK PHONE
202-224-0238 - FAX NO.
Greg Williamson - STAFF ASST.
-- Mike Freeman | Internet: mikef@pacifier.com Amateur radio: K7UIJ | GEnie: M.Freeman11 /* PGP2.6.2 PUBLIC KEY available via finger or PGP key server */ ... All your movements are controlled by physics.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sat Mar 02 2002 - 01:40:26 PST