Volume 13, Number 6
Oct 1989

House Action Needed on Permanent Paper Measure

Now that the Pell Resolution has passed the Senate, the next step is to help its companion bill (House Joint Resolution 226, introduced by Pat Williams) through the House, where it has been referred to two subcommittees. The Washington Office of the American Library Association mailed out a special bulletin on this in September, which said:

The most important step permanent paper advocates can take to promote House action is to urge their Representatives on these committees to become cosponsors of H.J. Res. 226 and to press for quick action. The House resolution does not face active opposition, but simply lacks a high priority. Constituent interest can turn this around.

Members of the two House committees and the appropriate subcommittees are listed below. Especially important are the Chairmen and ranking minority members of both committees, and the subcommittee members. Their last names are underlined. Those who are already signed on to H.J. Res. 226 are marked with an asterisk. If your Representative has not yet signed on, urge him or her to do so. (If you are not sure whether you live in a certain Representative s district, that is, whether they are your Representative or not, call the public library and ask what district you are in and who represents you. The Representatives may pay attention even if you are not in their district, but they pay more attention if you are.) It is not necessary to be elegant, but if you can give reasons and arguments, it will help educate those Representatives who are new to the problem. For inspiration see back issues of the Abbey Newsletter.

If your Representative is a committee member already signed on, write a letter of thanks with a request for quick action in this session of Congress.

The mailing address for all Representatives is the sane: U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. The address block usually starts out "The Honorable ... and the salutation is "Dear Mr./Ms. .. ." or "Dear Representative

The Washington Office goes on to say:

This is library community legislation supported by the major library associations and several scholarly and publishing organizations. Your efforts were significant in achieving Senate passage, and are needed again in the House effort.

Blind copies of your letters are helpful to the ALA Washington Office. This information assists us in our follow-up work with congressional offices, and enables us to make use of your examples of why the legislation is needed.

Their address is: Washington Office, American Library Association, 110 Maryland Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20002.

Government Operations Committee

Ben Erdreich, AL
Jon L. Kyl, AZ
Alfred A. McCandless, CA
Henry A. Waxman, CA
Tom Lantos, CA
Barbara Boxer, CA
C. Christopher Cox, CA
Matthew G. Martinez, CA
Nancy Pelosi, CA
Jim Bates, CA
* Christopher Shays, CT
Doug Barbard, Jr., GA
* Cardiss Collins, IL
J. Dennis Hastert, IL
Barney Frank, MA
John Conyers, Jr. MI
Stephen L. Neal, NC
Chuck Douglas, NH
Donald M. Payne, NJ
Steven Schiff, NM
Frank Horton, NY
* Ted Weiss, NY
* Major R. Owens, NY
Edolphus Towns, NY
Donald E. "Buz" Lukens, OH
Glenn English, OK
Mike Synar, OK
William F. Clinger, Jr., PA
* Joe Kolter, PA
*John M. Spratt, Jr., SC
Albert C. Bustamante, TX
* Howard C. Nielson, UT
Peter Smith, VT
Gerald D. Kleczka, WI
* Robert E. Wise, Jr., WV
Craig Thomas, WY

Subcommittee on Government Information, Justice, and Agriculture

Alfred A. (Al) McCandless, CA, ranking minority member
Steven Schiff, NM
Edolphus Towns, NY
Glenn English, OK
*John M. Spratt, Jr., SC
* Robert E. Wise, Jr., WV, Chair

House Administration Committee

William L. Dickinson, AL
Ronnie G. Flippo, AL
William M. Thomas, CA
Leon E. Panetta, CA
Jim Bates, CA
Sam Gejdenson, CT
Newt Gingrich, GA
* Frank Annunzio, IL, Chairman
John Hiler, IN
Pat Roberts, KS
William (Bill) Clay, MO
Charles Rose, NC
Barbara F. Vicanovich, NV
James T. Walsh, NY
Mary Rose Oakar, OH
Paul E. Gillmor, OH
Joseph N. Gaydos, PA
* Joe Kolter, PA
Martin Frost, TX
Al Swift, WA

Subcommittee on Libraries and Memorials

Ronnia G. Flippo, AL
William (Bill) Clay, MO,
James T. Walsh, NY
Paul E. Gillmor, OH
Martin Frost, TX
* Cosponsors of H.J.Res. 226