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ninch-announce: Update on House, NEA and NEH

ninch-announce: Update on House, NEA & NEH

Update on House, NEA & NEH

David Green (david@cni.org)
Thu, 10 Jul 1997 13:54:23 -0400 

Message-Id: <v02130512afead1ef5300@[192.100.21.23]>
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997 13:54:23 -0400
To: ninch-announce@cni.org
From: david@cni.org (David Green)
Subject: Update on House, NEA & NEH

NINCH ANNOUNCEMENT
July 10, 1997

UPDATE ON NEA-NEH

                                                10 July 1997

>MEMORANDUM
>
>TO:      NHA Members and Friends
>
>FR:      John Hammer
>
>RE:      Update on the House: NEA & NEH
>
>Late last night, the Rules Committee decided on a rule for House
>consideration of the Interior Appropriations bill that a) protects all
>unauthorized programs (including NEH) from expulsion from the bill except
>the arts endowment and one Forest Service program; b) allows a vote on the
>Vern Ehlers (R-MI) amendment (now co-sponsored by Duncan Hunter (R-CA))
>that would terminate NEA but sent $80 million to local and state
>governments; and c) Did not send forward Ralph Regula's proposal to merge
>NEA and NEH.  Although the Rules Committee action is supposed to prevent
>votes on restoring funds to the NEA, Sidney Yates (D-IL) has an amendment
>to offer that would restore NEA to $99.5.
>
>Since the GOP leadership decided to leave NEA vulnerable to expulsion from
>the bill because it is unauthorized, Rick Lazio (R-NY) and his moderate
>allies are moving to defeat the rule.  The leadership pulled the bill that
>was scheduled begin at 10:30 this morning to try to bring the GOP troops
>into line.  Clearly, the GOP vote counters (whips) were predicting defeat.
>At this point, the Cloakrooms report that the bill may go to the floor at
>3:00.
>
>FOR THOSE ABLE TO ACT IMMEDIATELY - Calls from constituents urging a vote
>against the rule on the interior bill would be very helpful.  All House of
>Representatives offices can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard
>202/224-3121.
>
>ON THE MERGER QUESTION:  Although Mr. Regula's amendment was not accepted
>by the Rules Committee, it could easily resurface in the present
>atmosphere.  This morning NHA faxed letters to key GOP moderates and
>select Democrats making the points from yesterday's alert as to why the
>proposed merger would be damaging for the NEH as background in the event
>that the amendment reappears.
>
>Thanks to those who contacted Congressional offices on the merger problem.
>Continuing to mention that merger would be bad for both endowments may be
>helpful.
>
>For your information, the American Arts Alliance (more or less the
>counterpart to NHA) came out strongly against the Regula merger proposal.
>

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