Follwing is an Action Alert AAM Government and Public Affairs just sent to
its Museum Advocacy Team regarding this year's funding for the federal
cultural agencies.
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To: MUSEUM ADVOCACY TEAM (Targeted List)
From: AAM Government Affairs
Date: June 23, 1999
Re: Opportunity to Increase Funding for OMS, NEH, and NEA
CALLS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY!!
Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Interior Subcommittee, which funds a
host of Federal agencies and programs, including the federal cultural
agencies, recommended modest increases for the Office of Museum Services
(OMS) within the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National
Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the National Endowment for the Arts
(NEA) for FY 2000. Under the Subcommittee's recommendations the OMS would
receive a $500,000 increase over last year to $23.9 million and the
endowments each would receive $1 million more, bringing them to $111.7
million for the NEH and $99 million for the NEA.
The recommended increases are a very positive development considering the
tight budget constraints under which congressional appropriators are
currently working. In addition, there likely will be an opportunity to
further increase the recommended funding levels for these agencies when the
Full Senate Appropriations Committee meets tomorrow. There's a good
possibility that Sens. Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Robert Bennett (R-UT) will
offer an amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill during the committee
meeting at 2:00 P.M. tomorrow that would split an additional $10 million
between the NEH and NEA. We ask that you contact your senator, listed
below, to encourage such an amendment, with a provision that $1 million of
those funds go to the Office of Museum Services. You can contact your
senator by calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Thank
you for responding on such short notice.
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE (by state): Richard C. Shelby (Alabama); Ted
Stevens, Chairman (Alaska); Jon Kyl (Arizona); Dianne Feinstein
(California); Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Colorado); Daniel K. Inouye (Hawaii);
Larry Craig (Idaho) Richard Durbin (Illinois); Tom Harkin (Iowa); Mitch
McConnell (Kentucky); Barbara A. Mikulski (Maryland); Thad Cochran
(Mississippi); Christopher S. Bond (Missouri); Conrad Burns (Montana); Harry
Reid (Nevada); Judd Gregg (New Hampshire); Frank R. Lautenberg (New Jersey);
Pete V. Domenici (New Mexico); Byron Dorgan (North Dakota); Arlen Specter,
(Pennsylvania); Ernest F. Hollings (South Carolina); Kay Bailey Hutchison
(Texas); Robert Bennett (Utah); Patrick J. Leahy (Vermont); Robert Byrd
(West Virginia); Patty Murray (Washington); Slade Gorton (Washington); Herb
Kohl (Wisconsin).
Please contact us if you have any questions at (202) 289-9125.
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Barry G. Szczesny, Esq.
Government Affairs Counsel
Government and Public Affairs
American Association of Museums
1575 Eye Street, NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005
202/289-9125 Phone
202/289-6578 Fax
[log in to unmask] E-mail
http://www.aam-us.org Website
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