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July 10, 2003
Washington, DC--- The House Commerce, Justice, State (CJS) subcommittee on July 9 chose not to include allocations in an Appropriations bill that would restore funding to the Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Baltic language services.
The CJS/State Department bill moves to the full Appropriations committee, with further action expected next week. The bill will then go before the full House, possibly the week of July 21. Your help is needed now to prevent closure of all U.S. funded and supported native language broadcasts to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Baltic language services of VOA and RFE/RL are in danger of being eliminated unless the U.S. Congress acts to restore funding to the broadcasts.
To help restore these funds, please contact your Members of Congress. Calls are especially needed in the next few days to Members of the House Appropriations Committee:
Republican Members:C.W. Bill Young (R-FL-10) 202-225-2771; 727- 893-3191
Ralph Regula (R-OH-16) 202-225-3876; 330-489-4414
Jerry Lewis (R-CA-41) 202-225-5861; 909-862-6030
Harold Rogers (R-KY-5) 202-225-4601; 606-432-4388
Frank Wolf (R-VA-10) 202-225-3351; 703-709-5800
Jim Kolbe (R-AZ-8) 202-225-2542; 520-881-3588
James Walsh (R-NY-25) 202-225-3701; 315-423-5657
Charles Taylor (R-NC-11) 202-225-6401; 828-251-1988
David Hobson (R-OH-7) 202-225-4342; 740-654-5149
Ernest Istook, Jr. (R-OK-5) 202-225-2132; 405-942-3636
Henry Bonilla (R-TX-23) 202-225-4511; 210-697-9055
Joe Knollenberg (R-MI-9) 202-225-5802; 248-851-1366
Jack Kingston (R-GA-1) 202-225-5831; 912-352-0101
Rodney Freylinghuysen (R-NJ-11) 202-225-5034 973-984-0711
Roger Wicker (R-MS-1) 202-225-4306; 662-844-5437
George Nethercutt (R-WA-5) 202-225-2006; 509-353-2374
Randy Cunningham (R-CA-50) 202-225-5432 760-737-8438
Todd Tiahrt (R-KS-4) 202-225-6216; 316-262-8992
Zach Wamp (R-TN-3) 202-225-3271; 423-756-2342
Tom Latham (R-IA-4) 202-225-5476; 515-232-2885
Anne Northrup (R-KY-3) 202-225-5401; 502-582-5129
Robert Aderholt (R-AL-4) 202-225-4876; 205-221-2310
Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO-8) 202-225-4404; 573-335-0101
Kay Granger (R-TX-12) 202-225-5071 817-338-0909
John Peterson (R-PA-5) 202-225-5121; 814-238-1776
Virgil H. Goode, Jr. (R-VA-5) 202-225-4711; 434-295-6372
John Dolittle (R-CA-4) 202-225-2511; 916-786-5560
Ray LaHood (R-IL-18) 202-225-6201; 217-793-0808
John Sweeney (R-NY-20) 202-225-5641; 518-587-9800
Marion Berry (D-AR-1) 202-225-4076 870-972-4600
David Vitter (R-LA-1) 202-225-3015; 504-589-2753
Don Sherwood (R-PA-10) 202-225-3731; 570-346-3834
Dave Weldon (R-FL-15) 202-225-3671; 321-632-1776
Mike Simpson (R-ID-2) 202-225-5531; 208-334-1953
Ander Crenshaw (R-FL-4) 202-225-2501; 904-598-0481
John Culberson (R-TX-7) 202-225-2571; 713-682-8828
Mark Steven Kirk (R-IL-10) 202-225-4835; 847-940-0202
Democratic Members: David Obey (D-WI-7) 202-225-3365; 715-842-5606
John Murtha (D-PA-12) 202-225-2065; 814-535-2642-842-5606
Norm Dicks (D-WA-6) 202-225-5916; 253-593-6536
Martin Sabo (D-MN-5) 202-225-4755; 612-664-8000
Steny Hoyer (D-MD-5) 202-225-4131; 301-474-0119
Alan Mollohan (D-WV-1) 202-225-4172; 304-232-5390
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-9) 202-225-4146; 419-259-7500
Peter Viscloskey (D-IN-1) 202-225-2461; 219-795-1844
Nita M. Lowey (D-NY-18) 202-225-6506; 914-428-1707
Jose Serrano (D-NY-16) 202-225-4361; 718-538-5400
Rosa De Lauro (D-CT-3) 202-225-3661; 203-562-3718
James Moran (D-VA-8) 202-225-4376; 703-971-4700
John Olver (D-MA-1) 202-225-5335; 413-442-0946
Ed Pastor (D-AZ-4) 202-225-4065; 602-256-0551
David Price (D-NC-4) 202-225-1748; 919-859-5999
Chet Edwards (D-TX-11) 202-225-6105; 254-752-9600
Robert (Bud) Cramer (D-AL-5) 202-225-4801; 256-551-0190
Patrick Kennedy (D-RI-1) 202-225-4911; 401-729-5600
James Clyburn (D-SC-6) 202-225-3315; 803-799-1100
Maurice Hinchey (D-NY-22) 202-225-6335; 845-331-4466
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA-34) 202-225-1766; 213-628-9230
Sam Farr (D-CA-17) 202-225-2861; 831-424-2229
Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL-2) 202-225-0773; 708-798-6000
Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI-13) 202-225-2261; 313-965-9004
F. Allen Boyd, Jr. (D-FL-2) 202-225-5235; 850-785-0812
Chaka Fattah (D-PA-2) 202-225-4001; 215-387-6404
Steven Rothman (D-NJ-9) 202-225-5061; 201-646-0808
Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D-GA-2) 202-225-3631; 229-439-8067
Marion Berry (D-AR-1) 202-225-4076 870-972-4600
Capitol Hill Operator: 202-224-3121
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 appropriations bill favors the restoration of the language services.
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.
While VOA and RFE/RL broadcasts are not as vital as they were during the Cold War, they still provide key news and commentary and have sizeable numbers of listeners in the Baltics. 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.
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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...
The Joint Baltic American National Committee, Inc.
400 Hurley Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850-3121
tel. 301-340-1954
fax: 301-309-1406
e-mail:jbanc@jbanc.org |
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