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NCC Washington Update, Vol 6, #15, May 4, 2000
by Page Putnam Miller <pagem@capaccess.org> and Bruce Craig
<Rbcraig3@juno.com> of the National Coordinating Committee for the
Promotion of History

1. Update on NEH Budget for 2001
2. House Subcommittee Votes for Sharp Cuts for Government
Printing Office and Other Legislative Branch Agencies
3. Legislation on Landmark Theme Study on
The Peopling of America

1. Update on NEH Budget for 2001 - The Interior Subcommittee of the House
Appropriations Committee tentatively plans to decide on the budgets of the
agencies under its jurisdiction on May 17. The President has requested
$150 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities' FY 2001
budget, which is a significant increase over the 2000 level of $115.260
million. The foremost problem complicating an increase for NEH is the
1997 balanced budget agreement that places tight spending caps on the FY
2001 budget. On April 13 the House and Senate passed a budget resolution
that reduced for 2001 the overall level for discretionary spending, the
category of the budget that provides the funding for most agencies. The
result of this budget resolution is that the Interior Appropriations
Subcommittee will have approximately $400 million less to work with this
year than it had last year.

In light of the tight budget situation facing the Interior Subcommittee,
it is important that members of Congress, and particularly members of this
subcommittee, hear from constituents about the important role that NEH
plays in support of scholarly research in the humanities and the
dissemination of that knowledge through public programing. Detailed
information on the Administration's budget request for NEH in 2001 can be
found at the NEH web site at <http://www.neh.gov>. Members of the House
Interior Appropriations Subcommittee are: Representatives Ralph Regula,
Chair (R-OH); Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) <jimkolbe@hr.house.gov>; Zach Wamp (R-TN)
<www.house.gov/wamp/>, Joe Skeen (R-NM) <www.house.gov/skeen/>; Charles
Taylor (R-NC) <chtaylor@hr.house.gov>; Ge orge Nethercutt (R-WA)
<grnwa05@hr.house.gov>; Jack Kingston (R-GA) <www.house.gov/kingston/>;
John Peterson (R-PA) <john.peterson@mail.house.gov>; (D-WI); Norman Dicks
(D-WA) Ranking Minority <www.house.gov/dicks/>; John Murtha (D-PA)
<murtha@hr.house.gov>; James Moran (D-VA) <jim.moran@mail.house.gov>;
Robert (Bud) Cramer (D-AL) budmail@hr.house.gov>; and Maurice Hinchey
(D-NY) <hinchey@hr.house.gov>; Address: U.S. House of Representatives,
Washington, D.C. 20515.

2. House Subcommittee Votes for Sharp Cuts for Government Printing Office
and Other Legislative Branch Agencies - On May 3 the Legislative Branch
Appropriations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee voted on
their budget recommendations for the agencies and programs under its
jurisdiction. With the six Republican members of the subcommittee voting
for the cuts and the three Democratic subcommittee members voting against
the cuts, the subcommittee marked-up a budget bill that includes a 25.3
percent cut for the Government Printing Office as well as major cuts for
the General Accounting Office, the Congressional Research Service, and
other legislative branch agencies. The large cut for the Government
Printing Office would undoubtedly have a very detrimental effect on the
Federal Depository Library Program, which guarantees public accessibility
to Federal information at no cost to the user through the 1400 depository
libraries. Each congressional district has at least one depository
library and many are associated with universities. The total budget for
the Library of Congress would decrease only slightly, but there would be
major reductions in the Congressional Research Service and the Copyright
Office, which are under the Library of C ongress.

Indications are that many House Republicans, as well as the Senate
Republican leadership, are not comfortable with the prospects of large
layoffs in legislative branch agencies. The full House Appropriations
Committee will be considering the subcommittee's recommendations the week
of May 8.

3. Legislation on Landmark Theme Study on the Peopling of America - On
April 27, Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI), for himself and Senator Bob Graham
(D-FL), introduced legislation authorizing the National Park Service (NPS)
to conduct a theme study to identify, interpret and preserve sites
relating to the migration, immigration and settling of America. S. 2478,
"The Peopling of America Theme Study Act," builds upon the latest official
thematic framework authorized in 1996 (PL 101-628, Sec. 1209) and seeks to
encourage the nomination of properties for listing on the National
Register of Historic Places, the identification of potential new National
Historic Landmarks, and the recommendation to Congress of sites for
potential inclusion in the National Park System.

In introducing this legislation Akaka noted that "All Americans were
originally travelers from other lands. Whether we came to this country as
native peoples, English colonists or African slaves, or as Mexican
ranchers, or Chinese merchants, the process by which our nation was
peopled transformed us from strangers from different shores into neighbors
unified in our inimitable diversity -- Americans all." Akaka stressed
that it is essential for all Americans to understand this process. The
legislation recognizes that only one National Park unit focuses on the
peopling of America and that is Ellis Island, a part of the Statue of
Liberty National Monument. Akaka hopes that the study will serve as a
springboard for the preservation and interpretation of s everal
significant properties.

In preparing the theme study, the legislation calls on the NPS to
establish linkages with "organizations, societies and cultures" and to
enter into a cooperative agreements with a educational institutions,
professional or local historical organizations or other entities to
prepare the theme study in accordance with generally accepted scholarly
standards. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has
scheduled a hearing on May 11. As of this writing, companion legislation
has yet to be introduced in the House of Representatives.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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