Ask Your Member of Congress to Help Save Baltic Language Radio Broadcasts July 8, 2003 Washington, DC (JBANC) --- The House subcommittee that deals with funding for Baltic language radio services is scheduled to begin deliberation of the State Department Appropriations bill on Wednesday, June 9. Floor votes on both appropriations and authorization bills are also possible in the coming days. Please contact your Members of Congress to ask them to support the restoration of funding to the Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Baltic language services. For the Appropriations bill, it is especially important to contact Chairman Bill Young (R-FL) of the House Appropriations committee and Chairman Frank Wolf (R-VA) of the Commerce, Justice, State (CJS) subcommittee. Other important members to contact are Appropriations Committee Ranking Member David Obey (D-WI) and CJS Ranking Member Jose Serrano (D-NY). Other CJS subcommittee members are: Harold Rogers (R-KY), Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), Charles Taylor (R-NC), Ralph Regula (R-OH), Vice Chair David Vitter (R-LA), John Sweeney (R-NY), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Alan Mollohan (D-WV), Bud Cramer (D-AL), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Martin Olav Sabo (D-MN) A complete list of Appropriations committee members and contact information can be obtained by visiting http://congress.org (U.S. Congress/House Appropriations in the drop down menu). Talking Points --- Language in both Senate and House versions of the State Department Authorization bill supports saving the services. The Senate bill (S.925) asks for restoration of $8.9 million. The House bill (H.R. 1950) supports a two-year buffer before any of the 14 language services, including Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian, can be eliminated. 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 bill favors the restoration of the language services. Please remind your Members of Congress that by losing broadcasts to the Central and East European region and the Baltic countries, the United States is risking losing leverage for its public image there. American public diplomacy has been on the defensive and it is too early to let go of its presence in the region. It is vital that America’s voice be heard. Baltic language broadcasting offers objective news and analysis about America and the world. |
Octobr 17, 2008 - President Bush Discusses the Visa Waiver Program Office of the Press Secretary/ White House News  THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.) Please be seated, thank you. Welcome to the White House. I'm pleased to stand with the representatives of seven countries -- the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and South Korea -- that have met the requirements to be admitted to the United States Visa Waiver Program. Soon the citizens of these nations will be able to travel to the United States for business or tourism without a visa. I congratulate these close friends and allies on this achievement, and I thank you for joining us here.I also thank Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of the Homeland -- Department of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff for working hard to make sure this day has finally arrived. Appreciate other members of the administration here and members of the Diplomatic Corps. More... 400 Hurley Avenue Rockville, MD 20850-3121 tel. 301-340-1954 fax: 301-309-1406 e-mail:jbanc@jbanc.org |