Finally, Some Good News
Date: Thu, 1 Aug 1996 16:50:21 -0400
From: "Mark D. Moss / Sing Out!"
Subject: American Folklife Center
To: Multiple recipients of list FOLKTALK
Good News!
I just got off the phone with Joe Hickerson, who informed me that, this
afternoon, Congress has reauthorized the AFC for the next two years as well as
allocating funding at the current level (plus inflation!). This means that the
AFC will be able to continue its autonomous (from the Library of Congress)
operation with all the current staff remaining in place. While the suggested
permanent authorization was "compromised" down to two years, this is great news
and a major victory for folk music and folklife.
Mark D. Moss
Sing Out! Magazine
American Folklife Center is once again under attack
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 1996
TO: Folk Arts Advocates
FROM: Jane Beck, President American Folklore Society
Judith McCulloh, Chair, American Folklife Center Board of Trustees
Joe Wilson, Director, National Council for the Traditional Arts
RE: American Folklife Center
The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress is once
again under attack. The House Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
Appropriations, at the suggestion of the Librarian of Congress, James
Billington, cut funding for the Center by 20 percent in the mark-up held
on Tuesday, June 18th. Additionally, the Subcommittee inserted language in
the legislation cutting staff for the Center and directing the Librarian to
convert the Center to a division within the library. The attached memo
explains the reasons for the Billington's actions and our rationale to
object.
Two significant events will take place next week in Congress
regarding the American Folklife Center that require our immediate response.
On Monday, July 8th, the Senate Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
Appropriations will hold a hearing on the Library of Congress and the sole
witness will be James Billington. It is critical that Senators on that
Subcommittee know of our concerns and raise appropriate questions regarding
the future of the Center at that hearing. Letters should be faxed
immediately to the five Senators (attachment), outlining our concerns and
asking that these issues be raised directly with the Librarian at the
hearing.
The second event will be the mark-up on Wednesday, June 26th, by
the Full Committee on Appropriations in the House, chaired by Congressman
Robert Livingston (R-LA) and Ranking Member David Obey (D-WI). At this
time, Congressman Obey intends to raise the issue of full funding
(restoring the 20 percent cut) and reauthorization of the American Folklife
Center at that hearing. It is imperative that Members of the Committee,
and particularly the Chairman, hear from folklife advocates across the
country regarding our support for the Center and our opposition to the
Librarian's plan for its dismantling.
If you are represented in the Congress by a Member of the
Appropriations Committee, contact them by phone or fax a letter requesting
their assistance. Make sure copies of all correspondence or separate
letters are also faxed to Congressmen Livingston and Obey. Attached are
the names, the generic address for all Members of the House, phone and fax
numbers.
Please act immediately and forward this information to other
individuals who support the American Folklife Center and would be willing
to join us in this preservation effort.
Statement Opposing The Repeal of the American Folklife Preservation Act
June 20, 1996
A bill that would repeal the American Folklife Preservation Act has been
introduced in the Congress. The commissioners appointed to the Center's
Board of Trustees and folklorists and preservationists around the country
object to this legislation and urge the Congress to instead reauthorize PL
94-201.
The American Folklife Preservation Act was created through bipartisan
efforts in both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, after
seven years of grassroots advocacy. This Act established the American
Folklife Center at the Library of Congress as an independent organization
reporting to a Board of Trustees. Four trustees are appointed by the
President; four by the President pro tempore of the Senate; and four by the
Speaker of the House. Four others serve by virtue of their positions: the
Librarian of congress, the Secretary of the Smithsonian and the Chairs of
the NEA and the NEH.
This legislation says, in essence, that the community and family-based
values of the American people and their arts and skills are a national
resource. It notes that while the preservation of these resources will
always be primarily a local initiative, such matters are also a concern of
the nation. This very unusual Act is entirely positive and has been
beneficial to several agencies of government. The National Park Service,
Forest Service, and Smithsonian Institution have quoted portions of this
Act in support of their work with local communities and Indian tribes.
The Center has done much good work in the 20 years since the passage of
this Act. Among the many good examples is the Federal Cylinder Project, a
wide-ranging effort to restore to American Indian people aural recordings
made of their people decades ago. The careful copying of these old
cylinder recordings and their restoration to tribes has assisted native
people in the keeping of language and provided a rich resource of
histories, stories and music.
So why is this good legislation and the American Folklife Center in
trouble? In a letter that has been widely distributed, the Librarian
attributes it to a failure to achieve Congressional reauthorization for the
Center and his wish "...to align all aspects of the Library's collections
in a uniform manner." He promises to preserve folklife collections as a
division and to reduce the staff from 14 to 10 in the current year, but is
vague about long term plans and financial commitment absent the $1 million
annually appropriated to the Center by the Congress.
In fact, it is clear that the administration of the Library has intended to
eliminate the Center as an independent entity for at least two years.
While Library officials have told Congress and the press that this will
save "three or four jobs and $150,000 to $200,000," the intent is to
transfer these funds to other portions of the Library. One Library
document says "...savings from these positions will be used to fund higher
Library priorities such as arrearage reductions and collections security."
Furthermore, and as evidence of this intent, in October, 1995, the Library
removed $200,000 from the Center's budget and used it to support the
National Digital Library. This occurred even though Congress directed the
Library to leave the Folklife Center's budget intact.
Public Law 94-201 states, "The center shall be under the direction of a
Board of Trustees...," but the Library has effectively prevented this
function of the Board. The most egregious recent example concerns planning
for the future of the Center. The Library kept its decision to ask the
House Oversight Committee to initiate a repeal of the American Folklife
Preservation Act secret from the Board of Trustees for seven months --
until the action of the Committee was reported in Congressional Quarterly.
Obtaining reauthorization for the American Folklife Center should not be a
difficult task. The center enjoys strong support among legislators and the
public. The repeal of the American Folklife Preservation Act, H.R. 3491,
was introduced and passed by the House Oversight Committee quickly, quietly
and without allowing supporters of the Center or its Board time for comment
or debate.
This legislation is moving quickly through the House and a Senate hearing
is set for July 8. Persons who are friendly to the values embodied in the
American folklife Preservation Act have a relatively short time to make
their opinion known to those who represent them in the Congress.
The undersigned suggest that you request the following:
1. That H.R. 3491 be opposed.
2. That permanent reauthorization of the American Folklife Center be
supported.
3. That the administrative authority of the Center's Board be
strengthened during reauthorization.
4. That an independent group of well qualified persons be established
to analyze this situation and advise the Congress regarding the placement,
administration and appropriate role for the American Folklife Center.
Persons and organizations that would like to add their names to those
signing this document can do so by email (Oldtime1@AOL.com) or by writing
to the NCTA at Suite 200, 1320 Fenwick Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
Jane Beck, President, American Folklore Society
Judith McCulloh, Chair, American Folklife Center Board of Trustees
Joe Wilson, Director, National Council for the Traditional Arts
Senate Appropriations Committee
Member Phone (202) Fax (202) Room
Robert F. Bennett (R-UT) 224-5444 224-6716 SD-431
senator@bennett.senate.gov
Christopher S. Bond (R-MO) 224-5721 224-8149 SR-293
kit_bond@bond.senate.gov
Dale Bumpers (D-AR) 224-4843 224-6435 SD-229
senator@bumpers.senate.gov
Conrad Burns (R-MT) 224-2644 224-8594 SD-187
conrad_burns@burns.senate.gov
Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) 224-3954 228-0002 SH-311
[no email address]
Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) 224-5852 224-1933 SR-380
[no email address]
Thad Cochran (R-MS) 224-5054 224-9450 SR-326
senator@cochran.senate.gov
Pete Domenici (R-NM) 224-6621 224-7371 SH-328
senator_domenici@domenici.senate.gov
Slade Gorton (R-WA) 224-3441 224-9393 SH-730
senator_gorton@gorton.senate.gov
Judd Gregg (R-NH) 224-3324 224-4952 SR-393
mailbox@gregg.senate.gov
Tom Harkin (D-IA) 224-3254 224-9369 SH-531
tom_harkin@harkin.senate.gov
Mark Hatfield (R-OR) 224-3753 224-0276 SH-711
[no email address]
Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC) 224-6121 224-4293 SR-125
senator@hollings.senate.gov
Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) 224-3934 224-6747 SH-722
senator@inouye.senate.gov
James M. Jeffords (R-VT) 224-5141 SH-513
vermont@jeffords.senate.gov
J. Bennett Johnston (D-LA) 224-5824 224-2952 SH-136
senator@johnston.senate.gov
Robert J. Kerrey (D-NE) 224-6551 224-7645 SH-303
bob@kerrey.senate.gov
Herbert H. Kohl (D-WI) 224-5653 SH-330
senator_kohl@kohl.senate.gov
Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) 224-4744 224-9707 SH-506
frank_lautenberg@lautenberg.senate.gov
Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT) 224-4242 224-3595 SR-433
senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
Connie Mack (R-FL) 224-5274 224-8022 SH-517
[no email address]
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) 224-2541 224-2499 SR-361A
senator@mcconnell.senate.gov
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) 224-4654 224-8858 SH-709
senator@mikulski.senate.gov
Patty Murray (D-WA) 224-2621 224-0238 SR-111
senator_murray@murray.senate.gov
Harry Reid (D-NV) 224-3542 224-7327 SH-324
senator_reid@reid.senate.gov
Richard C. Shelby (R-AL) 224-5744 224-3416 SH-110
senator@shelby.senate.gov
Arlen Specter (R-PA) 224-4254 228-1229 SH-530
senator_specter@specter.senate.gov
Ted Stevens (R-AK) 224-3004 224-2354 SH-522
senator_stevens@stevens.senate.gov
House Appropriations Committee
Member Phone (202) Fax (202) Room
Bob Livingston (R-LA) 225-3015 225-0739 2406 RHOB
Joseph McDade (R-PA) 225-3731 225-9594 2107 RHOB
John Myers (R-IN) 225-5805 225-1649 2372 RHOB
Bill Young (R-FL) 225-5961 225-9764 2407 RHOB
Ralph Regula (R-OH) 225-3876 225-3059 2309 RHOB
Jerry Lewis (R-CA) 225-5861 225-6498 2112 RHOB
John Edward Porter (R-IL) 225-4835 225-0157 2373 RHOB
Harold Rogers (R-KY) 225-4601 225-0940 2468 RHOB
Joe Skeen (R-NM) 225-2365 225-9599 2367 RHOB
Frank Wolf (R-VA) 225-5136 225-0437 241CHOB
Tom DeLay (R-TX) 225-5951 225-5241 203 CHOB
Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) 225-2542 225-0378 205 CHOB
Email: JIMKOLBE@HR.HOUSE.GOV
Barbara Vucanovich (R-NV) 225-6155 225-2319 2202 RHOB
Jim Lightfoot (R-IA) 225-3806 225-6973 2161 RHOB
Ron Packard (R-CA) 225-3906 225-0134 2162 RHOB
Email: RPACKARD@HR.HOUSE.GOV
Sonny Callahan (R-AL) 225-4931 225-0562 2418 RHOB
James Walsh (R-NY) 225-3701 225-4042 1330 LHOB
Charles Taylor (R-NC) 225-6401 225-0519 231 CHOB
David Hobson (R-OH) 225-4324 225-1984 1514 LHOB
Ernest Istook, Jr. (R-OK) 225-2132 226-1463 119 CHOB
Email: ISTOOK@HR.HOUSE.GOV
Henry Bonilla (R-TX) 225-4511 225-2237 1427 LHOB
Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) 225-5802 226-2356 1221 LHOB
Dan Miller (R-FL) 225-5015 226-0828 117 CHOB
Jay Dickey (R-AR) 225-3772 225-1314 230 CHOB
Email: JDICKEY@HR.HOUSE.GOV
Jack Kingston (R-GA) 225-5831 226-2269 1507 LHOB
Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) 225-5034 225-3187 514 CHOB
Roger Wicker (R-MS) 225-4306 225-3549 206 CHOB
Michael Forbes (R-NY) 225-3826 225-3143 502 CHOB
George Nethercutt (R-WA) 225-2006 225-3392 1527 LHOB
Jim Bunn (R-OR) 225-5711 225-2994 1517 LHOB
Email: ASKBUNN@HR.HOUSE.GOV
Mark W. Neumann (R-WI) 225-3031 225-3393 1725 LHOB
David Obey (D-WI) 225-3365 225-3240 2462 RHOB
Sidney Yates (D-IL) 225-2111 225-3493 2109 RHOB
Louis Stokes (D-OH) 225-7032 225-1339 2365 RHOB
Tom Bevill (D-AL) 225-4876 225-1604 2302 RHOB
John Murtha (D-PA) 225-2065 225-5709 2423 RHOB
Charles Wilson (D-TX) 225-2401 225-1764 2256 RHOB
Norman Dicks (D-WA) 225-5916 226-1176 2467 RHOB
Martin Olav Sabo (D-MN) 225-4755 225-4886 2336 RHOB
Julian Dixon (D-CA) 225-7084 225-4091 2252 RHOB
Vic Fazio (D-CA) 225-5716 2113 RHOB
W.G. Hefner (D-NC) 225-3715 225-4036 2470 RHOB
Steny Hoyer (D-MD) 225-4131 225-4300 1705 LHOB
Richard Durbin (D-IL) 225-5271 225-0170 2463 RHOB
Ronald Coleman (D-TX) 225-4831 225-4825 2312 RHOB
Alan Mollohan (D-WV) 225-4172 225-7564 2427 RHOB
Jim Chapman (D-TX) 225-3035 225-7265 2417 RHOB
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) 225-4146 225-7711 2104 RHOB
David Skaggs (D-CO) 225-2161 226-3806 1124 LHOB
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) 225-4965 225-8259 2457 RHOB
Peter Visclosky (D-IN) 225-2461 225-2493 2464 RHOB
Thomas Foglietta (D-PA) 225-4731 225-0088 341 CHOB
Esteban Torres (D-CA) 225-5256 225-9711 2368 RHOB
Nita Lowey (D-NY) 225-6506 225-0546 2421 RHOB
Ray Thornton (D-AR) 225-2506 225-9273 1214 LHOB
Mike Parker (R-MS) 225-5865 225-5886 2445 RHOB
Jose Serrano (D-NY) 225-4361 225-6001 2342 RHOB
Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch
Robert Bennett (R-UT)
United States Senator
427 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5444
Fax: (202) 224-4908
contact: Corine Larson
Ben Nighthorse Campbell (D-CO)
United States Senator
506 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone (202) 224-5852
Fax: (202) 224-1933
contact: Gary Bohnee
Connie Mack (R-FL)
United States Senator
517 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5274
Fax: (202) 224-8022
contact: Larry Harris
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
United States Senator
709 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4654
Fax: (202) 224-8858
contact: Paul Carliner
Patty Murray (D-WA)
United States Senator
111 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 226-2621
Fax: (202) 224-0238
contact: Rick Ingenfritz
Sample address for the House:
The Honorable Tom Bevill
U.S. House of Representatives
2302 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
CHOB=Cannon House Office Building
LHOB=Longworth House Office Building
RHOB=Rayburn House Office Building
Sample House for the Senate
The Honorable Robert Bennett
United States Senate
431 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
SD=Dirksen Senate Office Building
SH=Hart Senate Office Building
SR=Russell Senate Office Building