Reading is Fundamental (RIF) has been a favorite charity of ACCA for many years at the Annual Conference and Indoor Air Expo, where ACCA members have donated books and money to an area school for their reading programs.

This year ACCA members pitched in to help Turman Elementary of Harrison School District Two in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

At the donation ceremony during the Town Hall meeting, we learned from the local teachers that the Fiscal Year 2009 Federal Budget proposes to cut $26 million from the Inexpensive Book Distribution Program. This funding helps RIF distribute 16 million books to at risk kids across the US. 

I've had a number of inquiries about the status of these cuts so I thought I'd give an update.

For the first time in history, the White House federal budget zeroed out, or cut the funding for the Inexpensive Book Distribution Program. But that doesn't mean the program is dead. Congress can restore the $26 million cut when it considers the appropriations bill that funds the Department of Education.

The annual budget and appropriations process starts with the release of the federal budget in early February. This document represents the recommendation of the White House and sets the spending parameters for the federal government based on expected revenues but it is not a binding document. Congress typically sets the bugdet aside and develops its own budget and spending bills. Eventually the Congress and the White House come together in the Fall to set the final spending limits before the fiscal new year begins on October 1.

Advocates for RIF in Congress are working to get the funding levels back up, but in this time of declining revenues, this will not be an easy task.

If you want to see the funding for RIF restored, you need to let your Representative and Senators in Washington know now, as they are just starting the budget process. A strong voice in support of RIF will help support the campaign to fully fund the Inexpensive Book Distribution Program. You can go to RIF's webpage at www.rif.org to find out how you can send a message to your lawmakers in support of RIF.