Posted on behalf of the NHPRC Joint Advocacy Task Force:
The House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Treasury,
Transportation, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia and Independent
Agencies (T-THUD), held a hearing on NARA on April 26th. Dr. Allen
Weinstein was the sole person scheduled to give testimony. The hearing went
well from the perspective of those concerned about NHPRC. The issue of
NHPRC funding was raised by members in attendance, although Dr. Weinstein
was not in a position, as an appointee of the administration, to be
permitted to surface it at length in his own remarks.
The questions and comments from the members of Congress show they are
hearing from their constituents and appear to be supportive of restoration
of funding. In particular, Congressman Ralph Regula of Ohio very
forthrightly asked about funding issues. Congressman Regula is the
Vice-Chair of the full House Appropriations Committee, and as such is an
ex-officio member of the T-THUD subcommittee. That he attended, and spoke
in favor of NHPRC, is a very positive thing. Other members, including
Chairman Knollenberg either made helpful statements or asked "friendly"
questions.
The subcommittee held several hearings that day, and public testimony was
invited for all of those hearings. As of Tuesday morning before the
hearing, 94 pieces of public testimony had been submitted, 91 of which were
on the topic of NHPRC. That was seen by the Subcommittee and its staffers
as a very clear indication of the importance of this issue to their
constituents. Thanks to all who helped with this!
The transcript of Dr. Allen Weinstein's testimony before T-THUD is available
on the National Archives website at
http://www.archives.gov/about_us/archivists_speeches/speech_04-26-05.html.
We have included excerpts from a transcript of the question and answer
session that followed below. There were range of issues covered, but we
have only included those relating to NHPRC. (Copyright concerns prevent us
from posting the entire transcript.)
If you are a constituent of any of the members who attended, a brief letter
faxed to them thanking them for their attendance and interest in NHPRC would
be both helpful and a good reminder that the issue is still important.
We need to continue to keep this issue before the House, so if you or your
constituents have not written yet, this is a good time to encourage them to
do so. We will be in touch again shortly on launching the campaign in the
Senate. Details on contacting Congress regarding this issue can be found at
any of the following sites:
www.savearchives.org
www.archivists.org
www.coshrc.org
Thanks for your help with all this--the results are heartening, but we do
need to stay the course through the Spring and possibly the Summer. We'll
continue to keep you informed.
Members of the NHPRC Joint Advocacy Task Force
Council of State Historical Records Coordinators:
David Carmicheal, Sandra Clark, Kathleen Roe
Society of American Archivists:
Nancy Beaumont, Peter Gottlieb, Rand Jimerson, Joan Krizack, Richard
Pearce-Moses
ARMA International:
Stacey Moye
National Association of Government Archivists and Records Administrators:
Timothy Slavin
========================================================
HEARING ON NATIONAL ARCHIVES, Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Held by the Transportation, Treasury and Housing and Urban Development, the
Judiciary, District of Columbia Subcommittee, Appropriations Committee, U.S
House of Representatives
[Excerpts from transcript of Subcommittee Hearing prepared by Congressional
Quarterly, Inc. FDCH Political Transcripts]
The following are excerpts from the hearing transcript that focus on
comments made by subcommittee members re: the National Historical
Publications and Records Commission.
Gaps within the excerpts are indicated by ellipses (. . . . . . .)
------------------------------
Questions from U.S. Representative John W. Olver (D-Ma), Ranking Member
Although at first glance, your budget request seems consistent with past
appropriations, I have noticed some holes in the budget. Most distressing is
the proposed elimination of the National Historical Publications and Records
Commission grants . . . . . . .
This is a significant program that aids state archive and preservation
program.
As a historian, you know the importance of preserving that history and that
record. Numerous historians and educational preservations groups depend on
these grants to help protect local historical items of national
significance, and usually that involves financial (inaudible) monies at the
state and local level.
Without this assistance, the important pieces of our national identity could
well be lost.
Although, as we are constantly reminded, we are in a tough budget time, it
seems to me cutting this relatively small program will lead to big losses
for future generations.
[Later in the hearing, Congressman Olver returned to the topic of NHPRC]:
The commission itself was created much before the grant program was created,
I guess. And during the period, as I understand it, during the period that
the grant program was in place, there have been an average over the years of
a hundred or so projects per year and the average expenditure has been
somewhere in the range of only really $4 million. Those projects have been
on an average of something like $40,000. These are not huge sums. They are
modest sums for preservation purposes...
. . . . . . .
It's a grant program, the appropriation for the grants, which are locally
matched, 50 percent...
THOMAS: Generally even more...
OLVER: ... by the states or would it be local, as well? Would it be a
municipal, as well?
BELLARDO: It can be local, can be small historical societies, can be state
historical societies.
. . . . . . .
OLVER: So this has a support mechanism that goes beyond -- I mean, the
network that is being supported here with these grants is quite extensive,
covering wherever. There are those who think that there is something of
really national significance and you, of course, in making the grants, have
to judge whether or not those are truly of national significance.
------------------------------
Questions from U.S. Representative Ralph Regula (R-Oh)
A couple of questions. I note that your budget does not contain anything for
the National Historical Publication and Records Commission.
Now, this has been very valuable in the state of Ohio and I'm sure in many
other places. I wonder what the rationale was -- it's not a big amount, $10
million -- for leaving it out, because this is where a lot of work gets done
at the state levels -- and local.
WEINSTEIN: Thank you for your question, Mr. Congressman.
My views on this issue, Chairman, members of the subcommittee, have been
stated plainly since I first addressed it in my remarks after being sworn in
as archivist two months ago.
I expressed concern then, most respectfully -- I stress most respectfully --
regarding the decisions by OMB to zero out both the administrative and grant
funding for the National Historical Publications and Records Commission,
effectively zeroing out the program.
Then and subsequently, I've urged the administration to reconsider this
action to doing away with this small but meaningful component of NARA. It's
been vital to the work of archivists, historians, states and communities in
virtually every state of the union, assisting on projects ranging from the
preparation of the papers of America's founders to developing electronic
record systems.
And if the staff or the members would ever care to take a look at all of the
projects that have been developed by the NHPRC, I'd be happy to provide them
to the committee.
REGULA: You certainly wouldn't object if we were to restart (ph).
WEINSTEIN: No, sir.
------------------------------
Questions from U.S. Representative John Abney Culberson (R-Tx)
I just want to reiterate Chairman Regula's comments about the importance of
a National Historical Publications and Records Commission grant program.
It's something that I agree with you, Professor, is really essential, and I
do hope the committee will restore that funding. Because, again, the
president's budget proposal is just that -- a recommendation and a proposal,
and it's up to us to add or subtract as we believe is in the best public
interest.
And this is one clearly in the public interest, Mr. Chairman. And I hope
that we will restore this as Chairman Regula suggests.
Thank you, sir.
------------------------------
Questions from U.S. Representative Joe Knollenberg (R-Mi), Chairman
KNOLLENBERG: Thank you very much, Mr. Aderholt.
We're down to the last few minutes. I've just got a question or two here.
Dr. Weinstein, I'm wondering why there was no funding request in your budget
submission for NHPRC. Did you request that it be zeroed out or did you -- or
what level of funding did you request?
WEINSTEIN: Sir, as you know, every agency has an OMB review of the statement
it's going to make.
KNOLLENBERG: I think you've said it enough. Go ahead.
WEINSTEIN: I have said enough. I'm trying not to say more than I have to.
KNOLLENBERG: What then is the administration's reasoning for zeroing it out?
WEINSTEIN: I would hesitate to speak for the administration here.
KNOLLENBERG: But you have some disagreement with that decision.
WEINSTEIN: Well, I've stated that publicly -- respectfully and publicly.
KNOLLENBERG: What will the impact be to the nation in current grantees if
funding is cut off?
WEINSTEIN: Well, it will be significant. It will bring to a halt some of the
papers of the founders and their programs. Most importantly, from my point
of view, it will stop -- it will prevent a number of these small programs,
these small grants which states and localities and private NGOs are trying
to learn how to do electronic records. And we've provided the seed money for
a number of them. And that will grind to a halt if we don't have the
funding.
KNOLLENBERG: What would be the minimum amount of restoration possible in the
situation you are in?
WEINSTEIN: Well, I would use the figure $8 million.
KNOLLENBERG: What?
WEINSTEIN: $8 million.
KNOLLENBERG: $8 million.
And is it possible to...
WEINSTEIN: That would include -- pardon?
KNOLLENBERG: Is there a possibility that any agency or some other federal
program could...
WEINSTEIN: We're the only organization giving grants to focus exclusively on
archival issues. We overlap with any agency on terms of the grants on some
of the papers of the founders.
But basically in terms of the bulk of our programs we don't overlap to the
best of my knowledge.
KNOLLENBERG: Thank you, Dr. Weinstein.
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