The White House budget proposal for FY2020 has, for a third time, proposed elimination of federal funding for libraries. This year’s “Dear Appropriator” letters have started to circulate in the House, asking Representatives to preserve more than $210 million in federal library funding.
One letter asks members of the House Appropriations Committee to fully fund the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the other asks the Committee to fully fund the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program. The more signatures we have, the better the chance that the appropriators will protect funding for LSTA and IAL programs. This is particularly important as the battle for domestic spending becomes more competitive. Members of Congress look for programs to cut.
The LSTA letter is being jointly led by Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Don Young (R-AK). The IAL letter is being led by Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Don Young (R-AK) and Jim McGovern (D-MA). Please email your representative and ask them to sign on to both letters.