NCC Washington Update, Vol. 1, #51, September 25, 1995
by Page Putnam Miller, Director of the National Coordinating
Committee for the Promotion of History <pagem@CapAccess.org>
1. Conference Decides on Details for NEH FY'96 Budget
2. Lobbying Curb for Nonprofits Stalls Treasury Appropriations
3. Senate Vote Expected Sept 29 on Telecommunication Grants
4. President May Veto Interior Appropriations Bill
1. Conference Committee Decides on Details for NEH FY'96 Budget --
The House/Senate Conference Committee on the Interior Appropriations
Bill was able unexpectedly to complete their work on September 22.
The published report of their deliberations has just been released.
The House of Representatives, Report 104-259, the Conference Report to
accompany H.R. 1977, states: "The managers on the part of the House
continue to support a phase out of NEH within three years, and do not
support funding beyond FY 1998. The managers on the part of the
Senate take strong exception to the House position and support
continued funding for NEH. The managers expect this issue to be
resolved by the legislative committees in the House and Senate."
The breakdown of the $110 million budget for NEH adopted by the
Conference Committee is not in the Conference Report. However, the
numbers agreed to by the conferees are: $28 million for the state
programs, $17.04 million for the preservation program, $36 million for
all other programs, $15.45 million for administration, and $16 million
for combined Treasury and Challenge grants. The difficulty with these
agreed upon numbers is that they add up to $112.5 million instead of
the $110 million the Conference Committee appropriated. The agreement
states that the Chairman of NEH will decide how the $2.5 million
reduction will be achieved. The Chairman is expected to decide soon on
the difficult decision of how to trim $2.5 million from the above
allocations.
The only program not cut from this years level by the above
allocations is the state program which has had strong support in the
Congress. The NEH state program has been 20% of the NEH budget for
some time, while the state arts program has been 35% of the NEA
budget. Many had anticipated that the state programs for NEH would
received 30% this year as the political shift toward grants to states
is sweeping the Congress. The Senate reauthorization bill for NEH
developed by Senators Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS ) and James Jeffords (R-
VT) -- which has received the support of NEH as well as many in the
humanities community -- sets the percentage for state programs at 30%.
However, the $28 million earmarked for the states from a total budget
of $110 million puts them at 25%.
2. Lobbying Curb for Nonprofits Stalls Treasury Appropriations Bill --
The Treasury Appropriations Bill which includes funding for the
National Archives and the grants program of the National Historical
Publications and Records Commission has reached an impasse over what
is known as the Istook amendment. All contested portions of the bill
have been resolved except for this amendment restricting advocacy by
nonprofit organizations. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-GA) has
instructed the House conferees to work with Senate on reaching a
compromise provision on nonprofit lobbying. Senator Alan Simpson (R-
WY) has put forth for consideration a proposal that would apply only
to those nonprofits with budgets of $10 million or more. If the
Simpson provision is adopted, most scholarly organizations would be
exempt from the new restrictions.
No date has been set for the Conference Committee on the Treasury bill
to continue their deliberations on the curb on nonprofit lobbying.
The Congressional committee staffers working on the Treasury bill seem
to be spending their time now on possible language for a continuing
resolution. Tentative language for this stop gap measure seems to
point toward continued funding at FY'95 levels until November 13 if
necessary.
3. Senate Vote Expected on September 29 on Telecommunication Grants -
The Senate anticipates taking up the Commerce, Justice, State, and
Judiciary Appropriations Bill on Friday, September 29. This bill
includes funding for the Commerce Department's Telecommunications and
Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP). The Senate
Appropriations Committee has recommended zero funding for this bill.
Senator Bob Kerrey (D-NE) is expected to introduce an amendment to
fund TIIAP at $18.9 million in FY'96. This is still less than the
House figure of $40 million for FY'96.
4. President May Veto Interior Appropriation Bill --
There is considerable speculation about the possibility of a
Presidential veto of the Interior Appropriations Bill, which includes
funding for the National Park Service, the Smithsonian, the endowments
and many other cultural programs. The veto threats have evolved from
concessions in the bill to mining, grazing, and timber interests. At
a news conference on September 22 Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt
criticized these provisions as well as cuts in funding for the Bureau
of Indian Affairs.
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