Following is an "Action Alert" AAM recently sent to its Museum Advocacy Team
regarding the funding situation for the federal cultural agencies.
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To: MUSEUM ADVOCACY TEAM (Targeted List) Page 1 of 1
From: AAM Government Affairs
Date: June 25, 1999
Re: Contacts Needed for House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee
UPDATE: The full Senate Appropriations Committee met yesterday on the
Interior Appropriations bill, which includes funding for the federal
cultural agencies. The good news is that the full committee approved the
modest increases recommended by the subcommittee 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. Thus, under the full committee'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 bad news is that the full committee made no additional increases to the
cultural agencies, as we had hoped. Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) did offer
an amendment to provide an additional $10 million for the NEH. Due to
budget rules, Cochran had to "offset" this proposed increase by taking it
from another account in the bill. The source of the offset -- certain
administrative funds from the Bureau of Indian Affairs -- proved to be
controversial and Cochran withdrew his amendment, as it became clear it did
not have enough support to pass.
It's noteworthy that the Senators on the committee didn't have a problem
with increasing the NEH, they just didn't like the offset. In fact, most of
the Senators who objected to the amendment agreed with Cochran's aim of
increasing funding for the NEH and said they would be supportive with a
different offset when the bill goes to the Senate floor later this summer.
Senator Slade Gorton (R-WA), chairman of the subcommittee, stated that both
the NEH and NEA had greatly improved, were past the period of great crisis,
and both should be increased in equal measure. While no mention was made of
increasing the OMS, we know that Senate staff were impressed with the
response we got from a targeted MAT alert. Such a response has put us in a
better position to try to increase funding for all three agencies on the
Senate floor or later in the appropriations process.
HOUSE ACTION: The House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee just scheduled
a meeting to recommend its funding levels for the cultural agencies early
Tuesday, June 29. We do not expect a comparable amendment to be offered.
Nevertheless, if you have not communicated support for the cultural agencies
within the last month or so, we encourage you to call your representative
listed below and urge him to support funding for the OMS. NEH, and NEA in
the Interior Appropriations bill. Please contact your congressman via the
U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Thank you for responding on
such short notice.
House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee (by state): Robert E. (Bud)
Cramer, Jr., Alabama-5th district; Jim Kolbe, Arizona-5th; Jack Kingston,
Georgia-1st; Joe Skeen, New Mexico-2nd; Maurice D. Hinchey, New York-26th;
Charles H. Taylor, North Carolina-11th; Ralph Regula (Chairman), Ohio-16th;
John P. Murtha, Penn-12th; John E. Peterson, Penn-5th; Zach Wamp, Tenn-3rd;
James P. Moran, Virginia-8th; Norman Dicks, Wash-6th; George R. Nethercutt,
Jr., Wash-5th.
If you have any questions, please contact us 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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