----Original Message Follows---- From: Maarja Krusten <[email protected]> Reply-To: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: [ARCHIVES] NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE (Vol. 10, #30; 16 July 2004) Date: Fri, 16 Jul 2004 12:44:23 -0400 NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE (Vol. 10, #30; 16 July 2004) by Bruce Craig (editor) [email protected] and Brian Heyward (contributor) NATIONAL COALITION FOR HISTORY (NCH) Website http//www2.h-net.msu.edu/~nch ***************** 1. ACTION IN THE HOUSE -- NOT A GOOD WEEK FOR HISTORY FUNDING: MASSIVE CUT FOR THE NHPRC AND ZERO MONEY FOR "TEACHING AMERICAN HISTORY" PROGRAM; NIXON LIBRARY GETS EARMARK 2. REPORT: STATE DEPARTMENT HISTORY ADVISORY BOARD MEETING 3. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: National Great Blacks Museum; Heritage Area Legislation; Cultural Conservation of Afghanistan Heritage: Patriot Act 4. BITS AND BYTES: Clinton Library to Open Records Early; Report on Reading In America; NARA Access Regulations 5. ARTICLES OF INTEREST: "Rise Like Lions: The Role of Artists in a Time of War" and "Stories Hollywood Never Tells" in The Sun (July 2004) ******************************** NEWS FLASH! The Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs has announced that the nomination hearing for Allen Weinstein to be Archivist of the United States will take place on 22 July at 3:30 pm in room 342 at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington D.C. The NCH will be there to cover and report on the event in this publication. ********************* 1. ACTION IN THE HOUSE -- NOT A GOOD WEEK FOR HISTORY FUNDING: MASSIVE CUT FOR THE NHPRC AND ZERO MONEY FOR "TEACHING AMERICAN HISTORY" PROGRAM; NIXON LIBRARY GETS EARMARK Over the last week or so, House appropriation recommendations were announced for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), including the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), and the Department of Education, including the "Teaching American History" grant program. With a recommended 70% cut to the NHPRC and zero funds for the "Teaching American History" initiative, this year the House appears little disposed to support programs that advance history and archives. On 15 July 2004, the House Appropriations subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies advanced to the full Appropriations Committee its recommendations for NARA. Though exact numbers are embargoed until the full committee meets next Thursday, Hill insiders report that overall funding for NARA is not bad except for the NHPRC. Reportedly, the subcommittee has endorsed the Bush administration's recommendation of only $3 million for the NHPRC. This represents a 70% cut over last fiscal years allocation, which for the first time reached its fully authorized limit of $10 million. While the subcommittee could not find the funds to enable the NHPRC to operate even at minimum levels, the NCH has learned that House appropriators are prepared to respond favorably to a request for $750,000 by lobbyists representing the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Birthplace to provide governmental funding for planning and design of a new 25,000 square foot archive facility to house the Nixon papers in Yorba Linda, California. Such an earmark for a presidential library is without precedent. It violates the spirit if not the letter of the law that requires presidential libraries to be entirely planned and constructed with private funds prior to being donated to NARA. History and archive advocates vowed to defeat the earmark and work for higher numbers for the NHPRC. And there's no good news for the "Teaching American History" (TAH) grant initiative either. On 14 July 2004 the House full Appropriations Committee passed its version of the FY 2005 funding bill for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education departments. On 8 July the House appropriations subcommittee of jurisdiction recommended a $2 billion (2 percent) increase for the Department of Education for a total recommended budget of $142.526 billion. The subcommittee's mark included funding of $261.743 for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) (an increase of nearly $33 million over last year). Some 24 programs, however, were zeroed out completely, including the popular TAH initiative. On 14 July the full House Appropriations Committee endorsed the subcommittee's funding levels and passed the measure by voice vote. In this year of fiscal hardship, the House's strategy on the education bill is being viewed by Hill insiders as a pragmatic move that serves to free up nearly $120 million for other popular programs. The House leadership appears cognizant that in the Senate the TAH program is strongly championed by Senator Robert C. Byrd, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, who undoubtedly will see to it that one of his favorite programs is funded. The vote to kill the program, however, reportedly caused some embarrassment for former history teacher and current Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL). On July 12 Hastert appeared in his home district to symbolically present a federal "Teaching American History" grant check of $722,943 to representatives of a local school district that won a grant this year. When questioned about the future of the program by reporters, Hastert apparently was unaware that the program had been zeroed out by the committee. While a press spokesperson for Hastert told the NCH that the Congressman would not inject his will on the subcommittee, he has let Congressman Ralph Regula (R-OH), the education subcommittee chair, know that he is supportive of continued funding for the program. The full House Committee on Appropriations will mark up the Treasury Transportation bill next Thursday. The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and related Agencies bill is expected to reach the House floor next week; the Senate has yet to consider either bills. 2. REPORT: STATE DEPARTMENT HISTORY ADVISORY BOARD On July 12, during its scheduled two-day meeting, the State Department's Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation met in open session for two hours. Chairman Roger Louis opened the meeting by stressing that this was an open meeting and that he welcomed relevant questions from anyone, committee members, and observers alike. After approval of the minutes of the March 2004 meeting (soon to be posted at: <http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/adcom/mtgnts/>), David Nash of the Legal Advisors Office discussed the status of the Law Digest, which focuses on international law and diplomacy. The 2003 version of the digest is ready for the printers and excerpts and citations will be made available via the Internet. Nash reported that work will soon begin on the Jimmy Carter papers. As always, materials that are considered classified by their respective agencies or that would have the potential to violate attorney/client privilege will not be made available to the public. State Department Chief Historian and Executive Secretary of the committee reported that the Foreign Relations of the U.S. (FRUS) series will soon publish its 31st volume that will address the Johnson Administration's relationship with Mexico, Central, and South America. The 33rd volume will be a departure from the traditional FRUS format. Relying on exhaustive research and extensive use of tapes that illustrate the difference between the legal technicalities of foreign policy and its actual practical application, the volume will give individuals a fuller understanding of foreign policy. Eventually it is the hope of the committee to have access guides, bibliographies, excerpts, and volumes available in electronic format. It was reported that the Office of the Historian has reached an unofficial understanding about what the National Security Council (NSC) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) would consider classified, and as such, the work on Nixon and subsequent administrations will be easier. The History Office soon will have a keyword searchable Internet site for all of Henry Kissinger's conversations between 1965 and 1974. Finally, the State Department recently handed over 1.5 million documents, from the years 1973-74, over to the National Archives and Record Administration. At the official ceremony commemorating the exchange, Secretary of State, Colin Powell and outgoing Archivist of the United States John Carlin signed a Memorandum of Understanding, the purpose of which was to increase the interagency cooperation between these two organizations. After screening a brief video of the exchange the open meeting recessed for a break before the private meeting began. 3. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE -- BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW; BILLS INTRODUCED; BILLS DEFEATED National Great Blacks Museum: On 22 June 2004 the president signed into law, "A Bill to Authorize Assistance for the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum and Justice Learning Center" (PL 108-238). Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) introduced this legislation, in both the Senate and the House in June 2003. The new law authorizes funding to this museum so that it may carry out programs relating to civil rights and juvenile justice up until fiscal year 2009. Heritage Area Legislation: On 17 June 2004, Senator Craig Thomas, Chair of the Senate Parks Subcommittee, introduced legislation the "National Heritage Partnership Act" (S 2543). Similar legislation was introduced (H.R. 1427) on 25 March 2003 by Representative Joel Hefley (R-CO). Both bills seek to define what criteria may be used by National Heritage Areas to classify certain places as historically and culturally significant. Heritage areas are designated by Congress to facilitate a partnership with the National Park Service "to encourage relationships that help conserve the [land's] distinctive qualities and foster local stewardship of the resources that have shaped our national identity." Places are selected on the basis of their historical, cultural, and natural characteristics and amenities. These areas are designated by the federal government and then receive funding that benefit "citizens, Federal, state, and local governments" and non-profit interests. Cultural Conservation of Afghanistan Heritage: On 22 June 2004 Representative Philip English (R-PA) with eight co-sponsors introduced the "Cultural Conservation of the Crossroads of Civilization Act" (HR 4641). The measure empowers the President of the United States to "take certain actions to protect archaeological or ethnological materials of Afghanistan." The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means for consideration. Amendment to the Patriot Act Defeated: On 8 July 2004 House Republicans defeated an effort to amend the Patriot Act. An amendment, proposed by Representative Bernard Sanders (I-VT) entitled "The Freedom to Read Protection Act," sought to protect the library records of American citizens from government inspection. Among other organizations, the Sanders amendment was supported by the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association, and the PEN American Center. Originally, it appeared that the amendment was going to pass the House over the objections of the White House. However, the Majority Whip delayed the vote thus giving him time to persuade several Republicans not to stray from the party line -- the final vote was a 210-210 tie and consequently the amendment failed. When Republicans defeated the bill, cries of, "shame, shame, shame" rang out on the House Floor from Democrats. In spite of the Majority Whip's arm-twisting, some18 Republicans joined 191 Democrats (and one Independent) and voted for the amendment. The Patriot Act was passed just weeks after September 11, 2001. It gave the government new powers to conduct investigations and detain terrorist suspects. 4. BITS AND BYTES Item #1 -- Clinton Library to Open Records Early: On 18 November 2004, former President Bill Clinton plans to release thousands of records pertaining to domestic policy from his presidency. This release will be accomplished nearly a year sooner than the Presidential Records Act calls for and is designed to coincide with the opening of his presidential library. In total some100,000 documents will be made available to scholars. This is a small percentage of the nearly 630 tons of Clinton White House documents that will be moved from a warehouse west of downtown Little Rock to the $165 million Clinton Presidential Center. For more information tap into: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30119-2004Jul6.html . Item #2 -- Report on Reading In America: The reading of literature is on the decline states a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) survey entitled, "Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America." Although the book industry predicts record high sales for all types of books (projected sales may top $44 billion by 2008), only 46.7% of adults say they are reading literature. A study comparing 17,000 adults in 1982 to adults in 2002 illustrates that the number of adults who read novels, plays, and poetry has decreased by 10 percent. This decline in reading, the NEA says is a result of technology and changing cultural patterns. In 1990 people spent about 6% of their leisure time on audio, video, computers, and software; this has increased to about 24% today. The NEA declares that having fewer readers shrinks the pool of people who are activists in civic and cultural life. According to NEA Chair Dana Gioia, "to lose such intellectual capability and the many sorts of human continuity that it [reading literature] allows would constitute a vast cultural impoverishment." For more information tap into: http://chronicle.com/free/2004/07/2004070901n.htm Item #3 -- NARA Access Regulations: The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has updated its regulations on access to Federal records and donated historical materials containing restricted information. Public comments on the regulations are due 30 August 2004. The new regulations seek to bring the language on access restrictions into better conformance with the exemptions found in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). NARA also is modifying the regulations outlining controlled procedures for access to privacy-restricted information for purposes of biomedical research to allow access for social science research. For additional background and the proposed new rules, tap into: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/04-14754.htm . 5. ARTICLES OF INTEREST Two articles this week both from The Sun magazine (July 2004). In "Rise Like Lions: The Role of Artists in a Time of War" David Barsamian interviews historian Howard Zinn on the role that artists can play in advancing social change. In the same issue, Zinn writes in "Stories Hollywood Never Tells" about how motion picture producers shy away from controversial historical topics. To access The Sun -- a non-profit ad-free monthly magazine that publishes an eclectic mix of personal essays, fiction, interviews, and photographs -- tap into http://www.thesunmagazine.org/ . *********************************************************** The National Coalition for History invites you to subscribe to this FREE weekly newsletter! You are also encouraged to redistribute the NCH Washington Updates to colleagues, friends, teachers, students and others who are interested in history and archives issues. A complete backfile of these reports is maintained by H-Net on the NCH's recently updated web page at: http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~nch . To subscribe to the "NCH Washington Update," send an e-mail message to: [email protected] with the following text in the body of the message (and only this text) SUBSCRIBE H-NCH firstname lastname, institution. To unsubscribe, send an e-mail message to: [email protected] according to the following model: SIGNOFF H-NCH. 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