Ask Your Senator to Help Restore Funding for Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Baltic Broadcasts Senate Subcommittee Scheduled to Mark Up Appropriations Bill on September 4 September 2, 2003 Washington, DC (JBANC) The Senate subcommittee that deals with funding for International Broadcasting is scheduled to take up the State Department Appropriations bill on September 4. Funding for Baltic language services at Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is still marked for elimination by October. Your help is needed now more than ever to help restore funding for these services. There remains interest within Congress to have funding recovered. However, without constituent input at this critical time, the airwaves to the Baltics will soon become silent. Following the subcommittee markup, the Senate Appropriations committee will review the bill, which in turn will be followed by a vote by the full Senate. The last opportunity to save these broadcasts will be with the House and Senate conference committee, meeting later in the session. The next action may take place in quick succession, therefore it is imperative to contact members of the Appropriations committee as soon as possible. Talking Points --- + Language in both Senate and House versions of the State Department Authorization bill favors saving the services, asking for restoration of $8.9 million (S.925) and supporting a two-year moratorium before any of the Central and Eastern European language services, including Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian, can be eliminated (H.R. 1950). The House bill has been adopted. The authorization language should be supported. Please mention that the language promoted by Senators Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Joseph Biden (D-DE) in the Senate authorization bill and Congressmen Henry Hyde (R-IL) and Tom Lantos (D-CA) in the House appropriations bill favors the restoration of the language services. + To close these European services invites a loss of U.S. presence and prestige in the region. VOA and RFE/RL broadcasting offers objective news and analysis about America and the world at a low cost. + The broadcasts should remain until the Baltic countries are fully and formally members of NATO. + Certain U.S. government agencies acted prematurely in seeking to close all the Baltic broadcast services, not fully realizing the damage to U.S. prestige and public image in the Baltics that would result by the abrupt pull-out of the services. + It takes time for democracy and other concepts of freedom to flourish after decades of totalitarianism. These broadcasts remain the most effective and direct way of communicating about America to the people of Europe. A vote to restore funding in the Senate Appropriations committee would improve chances for having these funds in the final bill, which comes out of the conference committee. A complete list of Appropriations committee members and contact information can be obtained by visiting http://congress.org or by calling the Capitol Hill Operator at: 202-224-3121. * Senate Appropriations Commerce/Justice/State Subcommittee Members to Contact: Commerce, Justice, State Subcommittee Chairman Judd Gregg (R-NH), Ranking Member Ernest Hollings (D-SC). Chairman of the Appropriations Committee Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Ranking Member Robert Byrd (D-WV). Other members of the subcommittee: Pete Domenici (R-NM), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD, member of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Herb Kohl (D-WI), Patty Murray (D-WA). Other members of the Senate Appropriations Committee are: Thad Cochran (R-MS), Arlen Specter (R-PA), Christopher Bond (R-MO), Conrad Burns (R-MT), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Robert Bennett (R-UT), member of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus)), Larry Craig (R-ID), Mike DeWine (R-OH), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Harry Reid (D-NV), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Richard Durbin (D-IL, co-chairman and founder of the Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus), Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA). Thank you for your help in this important endeavor! |
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