Louise Slaughter: “Mr. Speaker, perhaps more than any other institution, museums consistently give the American people a real glimpse into…”

“Mr. Speaker, perhaps more than any other institution, museums consistently give the American people a real glimpse into our past. Walk a few feet outside the door of the Capitol and you see hundreds of people from all over the country and the world touring through the many museums here in Washington. These visits give both adults and children a sense of our own history and culture as well as those of other nations. That is why I believe it makes good sense to provide the Institute for Museum and Library Services with the funding increase suggested by this motion. In 1995, the budget for the Institution of Museum and Library Services was cut by more than 25 percent. Since then, the IMLS has seen only extremely modest increases in their funding levels. This motion to instruct provides much needed and very affordable relief by directing the conferees to accept a $600,000 increase for this agency, an amount that was responsibly added to this bill by the other body. This Institute of Museum and Library Services oversees America's 8,000 museums, connects schools, libraries and other institutions with many wonderful resources within their walls. With additional funding, IMLS can continue to administer the wonderful programs that connect our youth with history and expose all of us to worlds we have yet to know.”