FYI… Funding for IMLS has passed another hurdle in the House.
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Randy Riley
State Librarian
Library of Michigan
702 West Kalamazoo Street
P.O. Box 30007
Lansing, MI 4909-7507
(517) 373-5860
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Good morning. I’m pleased to confirm that, after a marathon “markup” session lasting well into yesterday evening, the House Appropriations Committee has approved direct library funding language
in the Labor-HHS spending bill identical to that included in last week’s Subcommittee
bill which makes
no cuts in IMLS, LSTA or IAL funding relative to last year’s levels. While errors in the details of the official Committee Report will need to be corrected (see excerpt in Word doc attached), we have been assured that the Subcommittee and Committee both
voted to provide IMLS with $231 million, LSTA with $183.6 million and IAL with $27 million in FY 2018. That’s reflected shown in our own Excel tracking chart, also attached.
As discussed in the
blog just posted to District Dispatch, the House now appears unlikely to act on this funding bill (and all but a few others related to security/defense) before beginning its month-long August recess. The Senate, which will defer its recess by two
weeks, could begin work on a Labor-HHS bill (that’s unclear) but is virtually certain
not to vote on it at any level until the fall. Once the bill adopted last night reaches the House floor this fall, amendments to the bill related to library funding are extremely unlikely. We will push hard in the Senate, however, for the full $186.6
million requested for LSTA in this year’s House and Senate Dear Appropriator letters. We also will work closely in coalition with the many groups attempting to restore cuts made in programs in which libraries are among many other eligible recipients, such
as the Department of Education’s
Striving Readers to assist children from birth through Grade 12.
Given the procedural status and timing described above, the blog also underscores the importance of ongoing library funding advocacy over the summer while members of Congress are back in their
home states and Districts.
Kevin
Kevin L. Maher
Deputy Director, Office of Government Relations
American Library Association
Washington Office
(202) 403-8236
