roundtable: Downsizing of Public Information Systems Voted by US House

roundtable: Downsizing of Public Information Systems Voted by US House

Downsizing of Public Information Systems Voted by US House

Vigdor Schreibman - FINS (fins@access.digex.net)
Thu, 22 Jun 1995 15:09:02 -0400 (EDT) 

Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 15:09:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: Vigdor Schreibman - FINS <fins@access.digex.net>
To: Vigdor Schreibman - FINS <fins@access.digex.net>
Subject: Downsizing of Public Information Systems Voted by US House
Message-Id: <Pine.SUN.3.91.950622150543.15271D-100000@access2.digex.net>


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FINS SPECIAL REPORT                                       June 22, 1995
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DOWNSIZING OF PUBLIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS VOTED BY US HOUSE
Cutback in Depository Library Program and Government Printing Office 

Washington, DC--The US House of Representatives declined to accept an
amendment to the FY 1996 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act [H.R. 
1854], offered by Rep. Bill Orton (D-UT)--by a vote of 104 yeas to 321
nays--that would have transferred $7 million appropriated for the Botanical
Gardens Conservatory Renovation program to the Office of the
Superintendent of Documents "salaries and expenses" account.  The
amendment was strongly opposed by Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA) as a wasteful
adherence to outdated printed publications formats at a time when
electronic publishing is available to reduce costs and the speed of
disseminating public information.  Supporters of the amendment, including 
Reps. Major R. Owens (D-NY), and Steny Hoyer (D-MD), strongly supported 
the amendment as a necessary measure to maintain a vital program during the 
transition period to electronic information systems, which they claim many 
libraries are not presently prepared to fully utilize.

  The House also approved by a vote of 293 to 129, an amendment to the
Appropriations Act offered by Reps. Scott Klug (R-WI), and Pat Roberts
(R-KS), which would lower the cap included in the bill on full-time
equivalent employees (FTEs) at the Government Printing Office by 350 (from
3,900 to 3,550). 

  The vote in the House will accelerate attempts by Speaker Newt Gingrich
and his cohorts to downsize public information systems and radically
transform existing systems to electronic technologies, without regard for
the well documented lack of capacity of the depository library system and
private citizens to obtain affordable access to such technologies which
are used primarily by those with greater wealth than most Americans
possess.  The action taken by the House today will weaken the GPO and DLP,
and open the gates for enlarged privatization of information owned by the
people, of great benefit to the political cronies of the Speaker.

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