Capitol Commentary

Bruce Craig, Director of the National Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of History

History and Archives Well Served in FY 2001 Appropriations Bills
In contrast to previous years, this year Congress opted not to make a mad dash to the appropriation finish line but instead to move at a relaxed, if more frustrating, pace. At first, it was believed that Congress would take the various appropriation bills, gather them together in a huge omnibus bill, and drop it on President Clinton' s desk in the closing days of the Congressional session. The Republican leadership then shifted away from that approach to a so-called "minibus strategy" in an attempt to pass a series of smaller packages of spending bills which would thus hopefully avoid a huge confrontation with the White House.

On 20 September, in their first attempt to employ the new strategy, Senate Republicans hoped to pass a $32.8 billion spending bill that linked funding for the Legislative Branch appropriations measure (including the Library of Congress), the Treasury Department (including the National Archives and Records Administration), and the U.S. Postal Service. To use the words of one Capitol Hill insider, the strategy "crashed and burned"--not so much because of disagreements with the White House, but rather, as a result of a failure to resolve contentious issues within the Republicans' own ranks. In an embarrassing 69-28 defeat for the Republican leadership, the Senate refused to move the minibus bill when many legislators turned squeamish about voting for the bill because of the inclusions of a controversial Congressional salary pay increase, a measure to provide a pay raise to the IRS, and another item that repealed the federal excise tax on telephones. In the end, 26 Republicans bolted and joined 43 Democrats who collectively voted down the measure. The Republican leadership blamed the Democrats for the defeat to which Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) responded, "poppycock ... the Republican appropriation strategy just blew up." As it turned out, Congress failed to reach agreement on the vast majority of bills by the scheduled 6 October adjournment, and consequently President Clinton signed a number of "continuing resolutions"--temporary stop-gap spending measures that enabled the government to operate beyond the end of the fiscal year (30 September)--thus giving lawmakers the time they needed to finish their legislative business.

Notwithstanding the procedural convolutions that Congress engaged in when passing legislation to meet the government's fiscal needs, in the end, the historical and archival community appear to have come out winners in the FY 2001 budget cycle.

Labor, Health and Human Services and Education
The Labor, Health and Human Services and Education bill (H.R. 4577 and S. 2553) included funding for education and library programs funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services as well as Senator Robert Byrd's (D-WV) earmark of $50 million for the Secretary of Education, "to award grants to develop, implement and strengthen programs to teach American history (not social studies) as a separate subject within school curricula." Thanks to the quick action by the American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, and the National Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of History, our community's support for the amendment was quickly communicated to lawmakers just hours before conferees were scheduled to meet. The conferees adopted the language but for weeks the conference report was victim to legislative maneuvering; the timing of its release was (according to one staffer), "a political decision." While at this writing Congress has not taken up the Labor, H&HS and Education bill, it appears nevertheless that the $50 million appropriation will be enacted and will be available to serve the needs of secondary and postsecondary teachers of history.

Interior Department and Related Agencies
The Interior Department and Related Agencies appropriations bill H.R. 4578 (H. Rept. 106-914), which included funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Park Service (NPS), and also the Historic Preservation Fund and Smithsonian Institution, moved slowly through the Congressional gristmill. Legislators finally worked out the differences between their respective bills after several days of conferencing in mid-September. Some of the differences between the House $14.6 billion bill and the Senate's cut of a $15.5 billion were difficult to resolve.

Controversy and disagreement between the conferees focused on the funding level for the NEA. Some House GOP leaders were adamant that the NEA should not receive the increase that was adopted in the Senate measure. On the other hand, some senators were equally determined that there ought to be an increase. Eventually, the dispute was settled on the first day the conferees met, when the House conferees agreed to the Senate increase of $7 million (bringing the NEA budget to $105 million) with the caveat that a separate account would be created for the new money and that funds would be used only for the agency's "Challenge America" initiative. This represents the first increase in the NEA budget since 1995.

After several more days in conference, House and Senate conferees agreed on 29 September to an $18.8 billion budget proposal. The House passed the measure on the same date by a vote of 348-69, and the Senate passed the measure on 5 October by a vote of 83-13. Senate action on the bill was delayed several days because of intense disagreement related to financing conservation/historic preservation programs. Ultimately, the Senate agreed with the House/Senate conferees' proposal to scrap CARA--the controversial Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 2000 (H.R. 701/S. 2567)--in favor of a compromise proposal, entitled the "Land Conservation, Preservation, and Infrastructure Improvement Act" (LCPIIA). This substitute for CARA, wrapped inside the Interior appropriation bill, creates a very complicated three-tier approach to appropriating funds for land conservation and historic preservation programs. It establishes a six-year spending program involving $1.6 billion this fiscal year with the amount growing by $200 million each year for the next five years; CARA would have delivered $3 billion a year for 15 years.

The Interior bill that was signed by President Clinton on 11 October (P.L.106-291) includes a 26 percent increase over FY 2000 levels. In addition to providing significant new funds for land conservation and historic preservation, the FY 2001 Interior appropriation allocates a total of $105 million to the National Endowment for the Arts (its first budget increase since the Republicans captured control of the House in 1995). The National Endowment for the Humanities will receive $120.260 million ($5 million more than FY 2000). The museum portion of the Institute of Museum and Library Services receives a total of $24.907 million (up $600,000 from FY 2000). The Smithsonian Institution is allocated $454 million ($16.7 million over FY 2000), and the National Park Service Operations account will receive a $1.4 billion earmark (some $25 million more than FY 2000). The Historic Preservation Fund is approved for $79.347 million, which includes funding at the Senate-bill-passed level ($12 million for the states, $3 million for the Tribal preservation programs, and $44.347 million for other HPF programs), plus conferees added an additional $35 million during the House/Senate conference to support the President's "Save America's Treasures" program.

Treasury Department and the National Archives
The real winner this year in the annual appropriation contest is the National Archives and Records Administration. The $30.3 billion combined Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government appropriation bill (H.R. 4871; S. 2900 which was wrapped into H.R. 4985; and H. Rept. 106-796), which provides funding for various agencies including the National Archives and Records Administration, passed the House of Representatives on 14 September by a vote of 212 to 219 and passed the Senate on 11 October by a vote of 58-37. At this writing the legislation is on the President's desk awaiting his signature. He has vowed not to veto the measure.

National Archives officials appear especially pleased with the legislation. It provides sufficient funding to cover all the National Archives fixed costs, funding to transfer President Clinton's papers to the Clinton Library in Little Rock, Arkansas, money to accelerate the processing of veterans records, and some start-up monies for the electronic records project. Most importantly, the measure includes the $88 million needed for the Archives I renovation which was a part of both the President's budget proposal and the Senate version of the bill. According to the conference report adopted by both Houses, there is full funding of the President's request of $209.392 million for National Archives "operations" and base level funding of $4.950 million for "repairs and restoration." The NHPRC is funded for the full amount of the President's request--$6 million.

In addition to the NARA funds provided in the Treasury Department appropriation, $6.6 million has been set aside in the Transportation appropriation act (no public law number at this writing) to fund emergency repairs and restoration at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston. The funds are needed to attend to a severe leak in the plaza that threatens the Library's storage area.

Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill, Library of Congress
The Legislative Branch appropriations bill (H.R. 4516 and S. 2603)--which provides funding for the Library of Congress, the Government Printing Office, the Superintendent of Documents, and the Federal Depository Library Program--is scheduled to net the Library a total budget of $448.5 million. This represents a $21 million increase from the Library's FY 2000 budget and is well above the original House and Senate recommendations. Of singular importance to the historical/archival community is the funding provided for the Digital Futures Project which was approved for $7.890 million--the House recommended level--plus an additional $300,000 for "technology" that was recommended in the Senate version. All in all, it was a tough battle this year over governmental appropriations. But in the end, given that this was an election year, and that there was a strong desire (especially by the Republican leadership controlling Congress) for fiscal austerity, the historical/archival profession did remarkably well.

Cold War Theme Study
On 6 September, Representative Joel Hefley (R-CO) introduced H.R. 5114 - legislation requiring the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a National Landmark theme study to identify historic sites and resources and to recommend alternatives for commemorating and interpreting the Cold War. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Resources but did not receive a hearing this Congress. The congressman plans to reintroduce similar legislation early in the next Congressional session.

The thrust of the study currently focuses on defense/strategic-related sites, though, in all likelihood, the next version of this bill to be introduced in the next Congress will expand the scope of the study to include civilian-related and other non-military sites associated with the Cold War. Once the study is finished, the legislation mandates that an interpretive handbook be published based on the study's findings. The bill authorizes $200,000 to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of the act.

NARA Strategic Plan
On 17 July representatives of the historical and archival community as well as other organizational stakeholders met with Archivist John Carlin and other NARA representatives to provide comments on NARA's most recent update of the strategic plan entitled, "Ready Access to Essential Evidence: The Strategic Plan of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1997-2007." Updating the plan is mandated by law every three years. Comments and discussion points of reviewers focused on many aspects of the plan, including electronic records, human resources development, the unique needs of the Presidential libraries and genealogists, and partnering and organization collaboration. The need for NARA to "cultivate allies," better link goals with money, and provide time frames for accomplishment, were also raised. On 2 October 2000 NARA announced that the plan had been finalized by agency officials. The 57-page updated plan may be downloaded from the NARA web site: <http://www.nara.gov/nara/vision/nara2000.html>

NPS "Discovery 2000" Conference
From 11 to 15 September some 1,350 representatives from the National Park Service (NPS), and from non-profit and advocacy groups, met in St. Louis to tackle several issues pertaining to the future direction of that bureau. The hope was that the meeting entitled, "Discovery 2000: The National Park Service General Conference"--the first major management conference in twelve years--would signal a fundamental change in attitude and image for NPS. At the meeting, agency officials declared visitor services would no longer be the agency's top concern; protecting and preserving America's natural and cultural resources would instead take top billing.

The conference was organized along four program tracks (cultural resources, natural resources, education, and leadership). Clearly the conference was designed to develop a vision of the NPS's 21st-century role in the life of the nation and to inspire and invigorate the Park Service, its partners, and the public about this vision. Based on feedback from conference participants, the lofty goals appear to have been largely met.

The track on cultural resources was highlighted by a keynote address by historian John Hope Franklin, Professor Emeritus of History at Duke University and the newly appointed chair of the National Park System Advisory Board. Franklin's comments focused on history as a contributor to the civic good. He emphasized the usefulness of the study of history and that the preservation of historic sites makes a better society. Professor Franklin's comments may be accessed via <http://www.nps.gov/discovery2000/culture/keynote.htm>.

World War II Memorial Receives Final Approval; Suit Filed
On 21 September Washington D.C.'s National Capital Planning Commission voted 7 - 5 to approve the final design for the controversial World War II memorial that supporters hope to see constructed between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Memorial on the National Mall. The meeting lasted ten hours and more than a hundred witnesses including veterans, representatives of civic and preservation groups, and residents voiced their opinions. After the vote opponents vowed, through court action, to attempt to stop the project from moving forward. They filed suit in a U.S. District Court on 2 October 2000, charging that Administration officials violated aspects of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Commemorative Works Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act.

The WW II memorial site was approved in 1995 but major objections only surfaced in 1997 when the design was unveiled. Most recently, the President's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation slammed the controversial project in a letter to Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. The council stated that construction of the memorial on the site contemplated, "has serious and unresolved adverse effects on the preeminent historic character of the National Mall." The panel called the design (a sunken replica of the existing Rainbow Pool surrounded by a plaza and 56 columns) incompatible with its historic setting and a violation of the open feeling of the Mall. In his own letter back to the advisory council , Babbitt defended his views, responded to the objections and vowed to move forward with the project. It is estimated that the $100 million project will take some two years to complete--supporters hope to dedicate the memorial on Memorial Day, 2003.

George Washington Diaries Now Online
Through an agreement among the Library of Congress, the University Press of Virginia, and the Papers of George Washington at the University of Virginia, all 51 diaries of George Washington will be accessible online on the Library of Congress's American Memory collections website. The Diaries of George Washington offer a unique opportunity to explore the thoughts, activities and historical world of one of America's most important Founding Fathers.  To access the diaries, tap into <http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwintro.html>

Gap in Nixon Audiotape Irretrievable
On 21 September the Advisory Committee on Preservation of the National Archives and Records Administration issued its findings regarding technological advances in the recapturing of sound from audio records as it relates to the famous "18-minute gap" in the Nixon White House tape recordings that figured so prominently in the Watergate hearings. The committee found "We know of no available non-destructive technique that will extract the signal that was erased...[furthermore] it is highly unlikely that one can recover the erased speech from the tape."

Website offer Access to Research Information
The Government Printing Office and the Department of Energy have initiated two new services that expand public access to federal government scientific and technical research information. The GrayLIT Network, <www.osti.gov/graylit>, and Federal R&D Project Summaries, <www.osti.gov/fedrnd>, provide users with the capability to find information regardless of where it resides by searching for documents across multiple databases of many federal agencies in response to a single query. GrayLIT provides a portal to more than 100,000 full-text technical reports, and Federal R&D enables researchers to access more than 240,000 research summaries. In addition, GPO Access, <http://www.access.gpo.gov/>, which has been in operation since 1994, provides access to approximately 190,000 titles relating to all three branches of government.

Smithsonian's American History Museum and the Library of Congress Receive Huge Donations
Kenneth E. Behring, a 72-year-old West Coast developer, has pledged $80 million to the National Museum of American History to refurbish the museum. The donation is the largest single individual gift the Smithsonian has ever received and represents one of the biggest donations a single person has ever given to any American museum. Smithsonian officials will acknowledge the contribution through the addition of the words "Behring Center" on the front of the building.

Meanwhile, on 5 October the Library of Congress accepted the largest single donation in its 200-year history: $60 million from 85-year-old philanthropist, billionaire entrepreneur, and president of global telecommunications and entertainment giant Metromedia Inc., John W. Kluge. The donation will be used for the establishment of the John W. Kluge Center and the John W. Kluge Prize in the Human Sciences. The center will include five endowed chairs in broad areas such as American law and governance, the cultures and societies of the Northern and Southern hemispheres, technology and society, and modern culture. In addition, ten endowed fellowships for young scholars will be established. The Kluge Prize in Human Sciences (likely to include history, anthropology, sociology, literary and artistic criticism), consists of a $1 million cash award that will be given for lifetime achievement for scholarly endeavors in a broad field not recognized by the Nobel Prize. The initial senior scholars are to be chosen within the next year, with the first Kluge Prize for intellectual excellence being presented in 2002.

President On Hand for Groundbreaking
President Clinton was in Philadelphia on 17 September to put his signature on a metal girder that will form the foundation of a newly planned museum, the National Constitution Center. The museum was authorized by Congress in 1988 and is being constructed in order to increase the public's awareness and understanding of the Constitution. Financed both by government and private funds, the $105 million museum will be built in the heart of Philadelphia's historic district. It is scheduled to be finished in time for the 215th  anniversary of the original signing of the Constitution on 17 September 2002.

Legislative Wrap-Up
The NCC attempts to track legislation of interest to historians, archivists, and the related professional disciplines. In addition to monitoring the appropriations bills reported on above, there are literally dozens of bills that are introduced each Congress that in some way or another may impact our community. Since at this writing Congress has yet to adjourn, my next installment will include a summary of bills passed during this last session of the 106th Congress of interest to the historical/archival community.
Readers interested in receiving NCC updates by electronic mail may subscribe to H-NCC at <http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~ncc/>.