--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 11:13:29 -0400
From: "David A. Cobb" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Fwd: PUBLIC PRINTER'S LETTER RE: GPO FUNDING FOR FY 2001,
IMPACT OF PROPOSED CUTS
Sender: "David A. Cobb" <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject: PUBLIC PRINTER'S LETTER RE: GPO FUNDING FOR FY 2001, IMPACT OF PR
>> OPOSED CUTS
>>Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 07:58:46 -0400
>>Status:
>>
>>Following is a letter from Michael F. DiMario, Public Printer, to Rep.
>>Charles W. Taylor, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Legislative Branch
>>Appropriations, House Appropriations Committee, concerning the impact of the
>>proposed funding cuts on GPO and the Federal Depository Library Program. I
>>am also posting this to GOVDOC-L, but I'd appreciate it if those of you who
>>use other relevant lists would repost it to those lists.
>>
>>Gil Baldwin
>>Director
>>Library Programs Service
>>Mail Stop SL
>>U.S. Government Printing Office
>>Washington, DC 20401
>>
>>202.512.1002 / fax 202.512.1432
>>email <[log in to unmask]>
>>
>>****************************************************************************
>>
>>May 11, 2000
>>
>>
>>The Honorable Charles W. Taylor
>>Chairman
>>Subcommittee on Legislative Appropriations
>>Committee on Appropriations
>>House of Representatives
>>Room H-147, The Capitol
>>Washington, DC 20515
>>
>>Dear Mr. Chairman:
>>
>>I am writing to express my profound concern and dismay with the
>>appropriations cuts recommended by the Subcommittee on Legislative
>>Appropriations last week and agreed to by the House Appropriations Committee
>>on Tuesday, May 9. The cuts will mean the reduction of 435 skilled GPO
>>personnel and the elimination of public access to a significant body of
>>Government information, and could jeopardize GPO's ability to support
>>Congress' printing and information product needs.
>>
>>Salaries and Expenses of the Superintendent of Documents. If enacted, the
>>cut in this appropriation will have a disastrous impact on public access to
>>Federal Government information by literally dismantling the Federal
>>Depository Library Program (FDLP), the Government's primary and
>>longest-serving information dissemination activity. Every one of the 1,337
>>depository libraries nationwide will feel the following impacts, as will the
>>estimated
>>9.5 million people who use these libraries every year:
>>
>>* The 60 percent reduction in this appropriation will force our library
>>program staff to be cut by nearly two-thirds, affecting 85 skilled
>>information and library specialists and distribution personnel. Many of
>>these employees are recognized throughout the library and information
>>community nationwide for their expertise in the Government information
>>field. The loss of their skills and capabilities from the public access
>>arena will be incalculable.
>>
>>* Altogether, public access to nearly 40,000 titles, or the majority of all
>>titles made available through the program, will be affected. Approximately
>>25,000 of these titles are available in tangible format only, as determined
>>by their issuing agencies, not the GPO. By requiring
>>
>>The Honorable Charles W. Taylor - Page 2
>>
>>
>>all information dissemination to be in online format only, the funding cut
>>will terminate public access to these titles, abruptly ending public access
>>to numerous critically important Government information products, including
>>most congressional hearings. Public access via depository libraries to
>>Census 2000 data that will be released in the near future on CD-ROM will
>>also be eliminated.
>>
>>* Another 15,000 titles are available in both online and tangible formats,
>>such as the U.S. Code and Supreme Court reports. While electronic access to
>>these titles may continue, the public will not be able to use the printed
>>products, which in many cases are the official, authentic versions of these
>>documents. In an age when public access to these electronic documents is
>>susceptible to a broad range of problems-from assurance of permanent
>>availability to vulnerability to computer viruses-continued access in
>>tangible formats remains absolutely essential. And it can be done for
>>relatively little cost: the FDLP prints, catalogs, ships, and provides
>>support services for all tangible formats for about $1.57 per copy, an
>>incredibly efficient performance.
>>
>>* The funding cut will undermine public access to electronic Government
>>information products. It will terminate virtually all depository library
>>support services, including program administration, designations, product
>>acquisition, classification, inspections, training, and consultative
>>services. One of these services involves providing necessary locator
>>services to online Government information products. Another involves
>>working with agencies to ensure that new information products are usable by
>>the public. Yet another involves establishing public/private partnerships
>>to ensure the permanent availability of online Government information
>>products. The loss of these services will be devastating to electronic
>>public access both today and for the future.
>>
>>The cut to the Salaries and Expenses Appropriation will have other impacts
>>as well:
>>
>>* It will eliminate GPO's By-Law Distribution Program, under which certain
>>publications specified by public law are distributed at the request of
>>Members of Congress and Federal agencies. Agencies that receive statutory
>>copies of publications under this program include the Library of Congress
>>and the National Archives.
>>
>>* It will virtually eliminate the International Exchange Program. Under
>>international treaty, this program pays for the distribution of U.S.
>>Government publications to 71 foreign governments that agree, as indicated
>>by the Library of Congress, to send to the Library similar publications of
>>their governments. Without providing copies of publications for
>>international exchange, the Library is not likely to receive copies of
>>publications from foreign governments.
>>
>>Mr. Chairman, at a cost of approximately $30 million annually-about 1
>>percent of the legislative branch budget, which is itself only a small
>>fraction of the overall U.S. budget-the
>>
>>The Honorable Charles W. Taylor - Page 3
>>
>>
>>FDLP and associated programs provide the Nation's citizens with access to
>>the most comprehensive range of Government information available, all under
>>the direct control of the public's elected representatives in Congress. It
>>is a well-managed program: only two years ago, the program was characterized
>>as "a valuable public service" in the congressionally-directed management
>>audit of GPO conducted by Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc. Most importantly, the
>>FDLP is recognized both nationally and internationally as a model of how
>>best to keep the public informed.
>>
>>The funding reduction approved by the House Appropriations Committee,
>>however, will destroy this program and along with it the Government's
>>longstanding partnership with the American library community to provide the
>>public with library-based access to Government information. I implore you
>>to reconsider this decision and to restore our requested funding for this
>>essential program and its associated functions.
>>
>>Transfer of Superintendent of Documents Operations. The Committee has
>>directed a study of the transfer of Superintendent of Documents operations
>>to the Library of Congress. Part of this requirement is to transfer an
>>electronic FDLP to the Library of Congress. However, we already transfer
>>databases to the Library for use on Library systems, such as Thomas, so the
>>need for the physical reorganization of these functions is not clear.
>>Moreover, GPO Access is not created by the FDLP. The congressional and
>>agency databases created for GPO Access-as well as transfer to Thomas-are
>>the by-product of GPO's electronic printing systems. These are integral
>>processes that cannot be transferred without transferring associated
>>printing functions.
>>
>>Other Superintendent of Documents programs that would be transferred would
>>be the sales and agency distribution programs, under which GPO distributes
>>publications, on a reimbursable basis, to recipients designated by Federal
>>agencies. It is true that such a transfer was passed by the House in 1993,
>>but only after it had been amended to transfer the right to bargain for
>>wages along with the Superintendent of Documents' employees. However, when
>>such a transfer was studied by the Library in 1994 and again in 1995, the
>>Library expressed reservations due to its lack of experience in operating
>>large-scale publications distribution programs. Also, the Library had
>>reservations about separating the publications distribution function from
>>GPO's production/procurement function, under which publications are obtained
>>for sales and other distribution programs on a cost-effective basis with
>>minimal administrative burden and cost. The removal of the distribution
>>function from GPO could significantly increase the cost of making Government
>>publications available to the public.
>>
>>Congressional Printing and Binding Appropriation. This appropriation will
>>be reduced by $7.8 million, or 11 percent, from the current year level as
>>the result of a directive not to print any products not associated with the
>>direct legislative business of Congress. The Committee has specifically
>>recommended the elimination of the Congressional Record Index (which will
>>result in the abolishment of the Congressional Record Index office, whose
>>personnel are appointed by the Joint Committee on Printing). Also
>>eliminated will be the 2000 edition of the U.S. Code and other miscellaneous
>>congressional publications such as the Congressional Directory, the
>>congressional Serial Sets, memorial addresses, and nominations, as well as
>>Our Flag and
>>
>>The Honorable Charles W. Taylor - Page 4
>>
>>
>>engineering and agricultural reports submitted by Federal agencies to
>>Congress, which are printed as numbered documents. In addition, funding is
>>cut for Senate distribution of copies of
>>the Congressional Record to public agencies and institutions, blank paper
>>for the Senate, and GPO details to Congress.
>>
>>The elimination of funding for these and other publications "not absolutely
>>essential to the day-to-day operations and legislative activities of the
>>House and Senate" calls into question the availability of this appropriation
>>for related products, such as printing for the January 2001 inauguration of
>>the President; printing for other miscellaneous publications, including the
>>Pictorial Guide, Economic Indicators, House and Senate telephone
>>directories, and treaties; and printing for other numbered documents such as
>>The Capitol Magazine, the quarterly Statements of Disbursements of the House
>>and the semiannual Report of the Secretary of the Senate, as well as
>>printing performed under resolutions (including the pocket Constitution, How
>>Our Laws Are Made, and Our American Government).
>>
>>When combined with the elimination of printing for depository libraries and
>>the absence of funding to pay the 2001 COLA for GPO's crafts employees, as
>>provided in wage contracts approved by the Joint Committee on Printing,
>>these workload reductions will force the reduction of 350 production
>>personnel, more than a quarter of our production staff, whose value to
>>Congress-in providing essential congressional printing services and making
>>electronic information available via GPO Access-has been praised time and
>>again by the Members and leadership of both the House and the Senate. Not
>>only are their printing crafts services essential to Congress, but these
>>same personnel make Government information products available online via GPO
>>Access, which is made available for the use of other online services, such
>>as the Library of Congress' Thomas. The staffing cut that this
>>appropriation will require could very conceivably impact our electronic
>>information services, especially if a RIF-which is enormously disruptive to
>>the workforce-is required to meet workforce reduction goals. Accordingly, I
>>urge you to reconsider this funding cut and restore this appropriation to
>>our requested levels.
>>
>>Transfer of Congressional Printing Funding to House and Senate. The
>>Committee recommends a study of the transfer of the Congressional Printing
>>and Binding Appropriation to the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the
>>Senate in 2003. However, it is not clear how such a transfer would be
>>effected. For the past three years, the amount of this appropriation used
>>by the House has averaged 38 percent. The amount used by the Senate has
>>averaged 26 percent, while joint and other items, such as joint committees,
>>the Congressional Record index, GPO's Congressional Printing Management
>>Division, numbered documents authorized by both chambers (Our Flag, the
>>pocket Constitution, etc.) have averaged 36 percent. It is not clear how
>>these items would be divided between the two Houses. Similarly, it is not
>>clear whether GPO would remain the Congress' source of printing and
>>electronic information product services under this proposal, or to what
>>degree Congress itself will experience increased costs and administrative
>>burdens from the assumption of these new funds. Years ago, Congress created
>>
>>The Honorable Charles W. Taylor - Page 5
>>
>>
>>GPO's Congressional Printing and Binding Appropriation to address all of
>>these issues, and I strongly recommend that you reconsider this potentially
>>unwieldy and costly transfer proposal.
>>
>>GPO Revolving Fund. The Committee has not fulfilled GPO's request for $6
>>million for air conditioning improvements. Without an appropriation for
>>this expensive project, the revolving fund will have to be used. As a
>>result, the costs of the project will have to be recovered through printing
>>rates charged to GPO's customers, including Congress. With less revenue
>>coming in as a result of the appropriations reductions, the impact of this
>>project on remaining revenues will be more significant.
>>
>>Mr. Chairman, if these funding recommendations are enacted, they will
>>significantly impair our ability to carry out our statutory mission, and
>>they will profoundly impact the public's access to Government information.
>>I urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to reconsider them.
>>
>>Sincerely,
>>
>>
>>MICHAEL F. DiMARIO
>>Public Printer
>>
>>
>>cc: The Honorable Ed Pastor
>> Ranking Member
>> House Subcommittee on Legislative Appropriations
>>
>> The Honorable Zach Wamp
>> Member
>> House Subcommittee on Legislative Appropriations
>>
>> The Honorable Jerry Lewis
>> Member
>> House Subcommittee on Legislative Appropriations
>>
>> The Honorable Kay Granger
>> Member
>> House Subcommittee on Legislative Appropriations
>>
>> The Honorable John E. Peterson
>> Member
>> House Subcommittee on Legislative Appropriations
>>
>> The Honorable John P. Murtha
>> Member
>> House Subcommittee on Legislative Appropriations
>>
>> The Honorable Steny H. Hoyer
>> Member
>> House Subcommittee on Legislative Appropriations
>>
>> The Honorable C.W. Bill Young
>> Chairman
>> House Appropriations Committee
>>
>> The Honorable David Obey
>> Ranking Member
>> House Appropriations Committee
>>
>> The Honorable Robert F. Bennett
>> Chairman
>> Senate Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations
>>
>> The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
>> Ranking Member
>> Senate Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations
>>
>> The Honorable Ted Stevens
>> Chairman
>> Senate Appropriations Committee
>>
>> The Honorable Robert C. Byrd
>> Ranking Member
>> Senate Appropriations Committee
>>
>>The Honorable Ed Pastor
>>House of Representatives
>>Room 2465, Rayburn Office Building
>>Washington, DC 20515
>>
>>The Honorable Zach Wamp
>>House of Representatives
>>Room 423, Cannon Office Building
>>Washington, DC 20515
>>
>>
>>The Honorable Jerry Lewis
>>House of Representatives
>>Room 2112, Rayburn Office Building
>>Washington, DC 20515
>>
>>The Honorable Kay Granger
>>House of Representatives
>>Room 435, Cannon Office Building
>>Washington, DC 20515
>>
>>
>>The Honorable John E. Peterson
>>House of Representatives
>>Room 307, Cannon Office Building
>>Washington, DC 20515
>>
>>
>>The Honorable John P. Murtha
>>House of Representatives
>>Room 2423, Rayburn Office Building
>>Washington, DC 20515
>>
>>The Honorable Steny H. Hoyer
>>House of Representatives
>>Room 1216, Longworth Office Building
>>Washington, DC 20515
>>
>>The Honorable C.W. Bill Young
>>Chairman
>>House Appropriations Committee
>>Room H-218, The Capitol
>>Washington, DC 20515
>>
>>
>>The Honorable David Obey
>>Ranking Member
>>House Appropriations Committee
>>Room 1016, Longworth Office Building
>>Washington, DC 20515
>>
>>
>>The Honorable Robert F. Bennett
>>Chairman
>>Senate Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations
>>Room S-125, The Capitol
>>Washington, DC 20510
>>
>>The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
>>Ranking Member
>>Senate Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations
>>Room S-206, The Capitol
>>Washington, DC 20510
>>
>>
>>The Honorable Ted Stevens
>>Chairman
>>Senate Appropriations Committee
>>Room S-128, The Capitol
>>Washington, DC 20510
>>
>>
>>The Honorable Robert C. Byrd
>>Ranking Member
>>Senate Appropriations Committee
>>Room S-206, The Capitol
>>Washington, DC 20510
>
--- End Forwarded Message ---
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