NCC Washington Update March 15, 1995, Vol. 1, #14
Washington Update by Page Putnam Miller, Director of
the National Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of History
[H-Net subscribers are invited to redistribute this report.]
1. Update on NEH
2. History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine
May Be Disbanded
1. Update on NEH - On March 14 during "Advocacy Day Activities,"
sponsored by a coalition of 50 organizations, several members of
Congress and legislative aides gave briefings. Some of the highlights
were:
* Senator James Jeffords (R-VT), chair of the subcommittee in the
Senate with responsibility for reauthorizing NEH, said he was
confident that the Senate will pass reauthorization legislation for
NEH. Jeffords said that he had identified eight other Republicans who
will work with him to support NEH. It may be April, however, before a
reauthorization bill is introduced in the Senate.
* On March 16 the House is expected to vote on the FY'95 rescissions.
The Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, chaired by Rep. Ralph
Regula (R-OH) has recommended $5 million to be cut from unobligated
funds in this year's budget for NEH and $5 million from the NEA FY'95
budget. During debate on the rescission legislation, Philip Crane (R-
IL) is expected to introduce an amendment calling for zero funding for
NEA, with no mention of NEH.
* During the week of March 20, the House rescissions bill will be
forwarded to the Senate; however, there is some speculation that the
Senate may not pass it.
* During the week of May 15 the House Appropriations Subcommittee on
Interior will decide on the FY'96 budget for NEH. It is most unlikely
that an authorization bill will be passed by then, but Rep. Sidney
Yates (D-IL) is urging that the subcommittee include money for the
endowments anyway. If money is not set aside for the endowments at
that point, all subcommittee funds could be allocated to other
programs, thereby eliminating the possibility of funding even if the
agencies are reauthorized later in the year.
* The week of May 22 the full House Appropriations Committee will
consider the Interior Appropriations bill for FY'96 which should
include the endowments if Yates has been successful at the
subcommittee level.
* The week of May 29 the Interior Appropriations bill will go to the
floor of the House for consideration. It is expected at that time
that a point of order noting that NEH is not reauthorized will be used
to eliminate funding. But the hope is that the money will not be
reallocated to another federal program and that it will be possible to
restore NEH funding later.
* During June and July the Senate will act on FY'96 appropriations
bills.
* In September a Conference Committee will work out differences
between House and Senate versions of FY'96 appropriations bills. By
this point it is hoped that the Senate will have passed a
reauthorization bill and will have NEH funding in the Senate FY'96
appropriations bill. Thus, even if the House does not include NEH in
their budget, the Senate conferees may be able to press for NEH in the
conference bill. If Senate conferees succeed in including NEH
funding, the compromise bill would still have to go back to the House
for approval.
2. History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine
Threatened by Reorganization
The History of Medicine Division (HMD) is the professional and
administrative unit of the National Library of Medicine (NLM)
responsible for one of the best collections of historical medical
materials in the United States. The continued usefulness of this
collection is being threatened by plans to disband HMD and disperse
its staff. Under the streamlining initiative a HMD reading facility
would be maintained, but it would no longer be staffed by special
collections personnel who possess an irreplaceable expertise in the
field. Reference, cataloging, preservation, acquisitions, and
security would be handled by understaffed divisions of the NLM already
staggering under the responsibility of handling a deluge of modern
medical literature. It would be helpful if scholars who have had
first hand experience with this collection would write about the
research value of this collection to: Dr. Donald A. Lindberg,
Director, National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda,
MD 20894. Email: lindberg@nlm.nih.gov
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