Date: Wed, 01 Jun 1994 11:00:20 -0800 From: AIMEE <APISCITELLI@EWU.EDU> Subject: Congression Alert - your support needed X-To: maps-l@uga.cc.uga.edu, libref-l <libref-l@kentvm.bitnet>, serialst <serialst@uvmvm.bitnet> To: Govdoc-llers and Other Concerned Listservers From: Ridley Kessler, GODORT Legislation Committee Subject: Legislative Action Alert for H. R. 4454 On Thursday, May 26, 1994, (Black Thursday) the United States House of Representatives performed major surgery on that portion of the Legislative Appropriations Bill for 1995 (H.R. 4454) concerned with the Government Printing Office's Salaries and Expenses Budget. An amendment introduced by Congressmen James A. Barcia (D-MI-5), Gerald D. Kleczka (D-WI-4), and Bill Thomas (R-CA-21) cut 1.5 million dollars from the Superintendent of Documents Salaries and Expenses budget which was intended to be used for the development of electronic information distribution services to Depository Libraries. These distribution services are a vital part of P.L. 103-40, The Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993, which called for the GPO to establish a directory of electronic Federal information, to make the "Congressional Record" and the "Federal Register" available online, to establish an electronic storage facility for government information, and to provide electronic dissemination for information from other Federal agencies. P.L. 103-40 required the GPO to have the system of access, the directory, and the storage facility operational 12 months from its passage which would have been June, 1994. The GPO has been working steadily on these projects and is ready to begin operation this June. The loss of this money will, if not delay, at least hamper the full delivery of electronic access through the GPO. Earlier this month the House Appropriations Committee had already cut 1.1 million dollars from the GPO budget for the printing of depository paper copies of the 1995 U.S. Code saying that Depositories should receive it only in CD-ROM format. The Salaries and Expenses budget (that portion of the budget used for the Depository Library Program) original request for FY 1995 was for 33.9 million dollars. The cut from yesterday combined with the Committee cut now brings that amount to 30.6 million dollars. While this budget still represents a $1,512,000 increase over last years budget it is still less than hoped for and will slow considerably the entry of the GPO into the Internet. It is very important that everyone contact their Senators and ask that, at least, the $1.5 million dollars cut by the House of Representatives be restored to the GPO Salaries and Expenses Budget for Fiscal Year 1995. This would increase that budget to $32,100,000 which is the original amount approved by the House Appropriations Committee. This restored 1.5 million dollars would enable the GPO to fully deliver the electronic information to Depository Libraries called for in P. L. 103-40. The money would enable the Superintendent of Documents to cover operating costs for electronic access, load appropriate software that will be needed to carry out the program, improve computer hardware to handle all of the programs, provide adequate customer service and support which would include instructions, guides, and training sessions for Depository Librarians as well as other users. Please explain to your Senators that the Depository Library Program will be an important part of the coming National Information Infrastructure and the Government Printing Office must be in a position to participate. The 1.5 million dollars will help them prepare for the technological challanges that electronic distribution will bring. Remind them that all of the Depository Libraries in their state and the public they serve will benefit from this money. You may wish to remind Senators that the $32.1 million above already incorporates a $1.8 million cut from the budget the Public Printer requested, and that full funding of the Public Printer's request would be optimal. The bottom line, however, is that funding for the delivery of GPO Access programs to Depository Libraries is essential to the future viability of the DLP and something for which we must press. It is especially important that Senators on the Senate Appropriations Committee be contacted. The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch is composed of Chairman Harry M. Reid (D-NV), Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md), Patty Murray (D-Wa), Connie Mack (R-Fl), Conrad Burns (R-Mt). The full Senate Appropriations Committee roster is as follows: Democrats Republicans Robert C. Byrd, West Virginia, Chair Mark O. Hatfield, Oregon Daniel K. Inouye, Hawaii Ted Stevens, Alaska Ernest F. Hollings, South Carolina Thad Cochran, Mississippi J. Bennet Johnston, Louisiana Alfonse M. DAmato, New York Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Jim Sasser, Tennessee Pete V. Domenici, New Mexico Dennis DeConcini, Arizona Don Nicles, Oklahoma Dale Bumpers, Arkansas Phil Gramm, Texas Frank R. Lautenberg, New Jersey Christopher S. Bond, Missouri Tom Harkin, Iowa Slade Gorton, Washington Barbara A. Mikulski, Maryland Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Harry Reid, Nevada Connie Mack, Florida J. Robert Kerrey, Nebraska Conrad Burns, Montana Herb Kohl, Wisconsin Patty Murray, Washington Dianne Feinstein, California
