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NCC WASHINGTON UPDATE, Vol. 7, #15, April 11, 2001



NCC WASHINGTON UPDATE, Vol. 7, #15, April 11, 2001
by Bruce Craig <rbcraig3@juno.com> of  the National Coordinating Committee
for the Promotion of History
*****************

1. $50 Million for History Education Update
2  The President's Budget Proposal - Bad News/Good News for History/Archives
3. News Bits and Bytes: La Pietra Report Issued

1. $50 MILLION FOR HISTORY EDUCATION UPDATE
After consultations with various history constituencies, the Department of
Education has decided to place a "professional development focus and
emphasis" on the $50 million available grant money that was earmarked for
"history education" in the FY 2001 Department of Education appropriation.

According to recent communiques and discussions with DOE staff, the grants
will support programs designed to raise student achievement by means of
improving teacher knowledge, understanding and appreciation of American
history. The goal of the grant program will be to help teachers to develop a
greater ability to teach history as a separate subject within a core
curriculum. It is hoped that Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) will
"partner" with institutions of higher learning, non-profit history or
humanities organizations, libraries and museums. Grant applications will
probably be available in mid-May. Interested parties should contact the DOE
at the E-mail address posted below to be placed on the mailing list for
application forms and related information.

The DOE also is just beginning the process of recruiting field readers for
the grant proposals. Readers should not be directly involved in writing a
grant proposal and should have a demonstrated ability in program
development, history, or the humanities. Selected individuals will meet in
panels that will be assembled on either a regional basis or in Washington
D.C. for about a week in August. Expenses and a $500 honoraria will be paid.
Please send a statement of interest and resume to Christine Miller at the
following E-Mail address: TeachingAmericanHistory@ed.gov

2.  THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET PROPOSAL - BAD NEWS/GOOD NEWS FOR HISTORY and
ARCHIVES

On April 9, 2001, President George W. Bush proposed a $1.96 trillion
spending plan that builds on the outline proposed earlier in the year by the
White House. Overall, the Administration is proposing a modest 4% increase
in federal discretionary spending (about $25 billion - a level barely above
the pace of inflation) of which proposed spending on the military accounts
for approximately half of the increase.  To pay for the increases, the White
House is proposing flat funding for most agencies (the National Endowment
for the Humanities, for example) - while a few departments are slotted for
dramatic increases (the Department of Education, for example). Of special
concern to the historical and archival community are the deep cuts proposed
for the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and several
other cultural programs.

The good news is that by a vote of 65 to 35, last week the Senate adopted an
amended budget resolution (H. Con Res. 83) thereby endorsing (in concept at
least) an 8% increase in federal spending.  Included are a number of
proposed increases that are deemed "inconsistent" with the Bush budget.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) admits that
he expects that the Senate is likely to pass larger spending increases than
the House or President desires.  Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle
(D-SD) was even more forthright when he stated that "this may be the first
budget in history that wasn't just dead on arrival, it was dead before
arrival."  When the dust settles, and after specific spending bills are
addressed by the various appropriations committees, Hill watchers expect
that the 4% increase proposed by the President will more likely end up being
in the 6-7% range.

The federal can be accessed on-line at:

http://w3.access.gpo.gov/usbudget/fy2002/maindown.html

While the budget is literally "hot off the press" and Hill watchers are
still studying its details, what follows hopefully will give readers an idea
of how history and archives did in the various agency proposals.

NATIONAL ARCHIVES TO TAKE CUTS
President Bush has proposed budget cuts for the National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA).  Present funding for the agency is $316.7
million and the President's budget allocates a total of  $259,326,000 in all
accounts for FY 2002, which break down as follows:
=B7 Operating expenses $244,247,000
=B7 Facility repairs and restorations $10,643,000
=B7 NHPRC grants $ 4,436,000.
If adopted as crafted, the budget would protect NARA's base funding needs
for mandated staff salary increases, and anticipated higher costs for
facility rent and utilities.  The budget would also enable NARA to take the
next steps to build the electronic records archives of the future and
advance initiatives under NARA's Strategic Plan.

The President's budget request includes $20 million for NARA's Electronic
Records Archives, the program through which NARA is developing solutions for
preserving and providing access to the records of the Federal Government in
the digital age. "I am especially pleased that the President has recognized
the critical importance of dealing with our electronic records challenges,"
said Archivist of the United States John W. Carlin. "These resources would
allow us, with help from our partners, to further define our research agenda
of archival and technical questions for development of the Electronic
Records Archives, collaborate in sponsoring research to answer these
questions, and begin translating the research results into engineering
solutions that work." According to some NARA observers, the $20 million
number for the Electronic Records project -- though four times higher than
the project has received in the past, is less than what agency officials had
hoped for, but review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
necessitated deeper reductions over agency requests.

NARA budget also includes $1,135,000 to help NARA to preserve and process
electronic records from the Clinton White House and $237,000 to pilot the
implementation of a records management application at NARA. For other NARA
strategic initiatives, the President's request includes $4,970,000 to expand
opportunities for citizens and Federal agencies to use more NARA services
electronically and to meet the requirements of the Government Paperwork
Elimination Act. Among the new services this funding would allow NARA to
offer the online submission of forms and online ordering of copies of
records and merchandise.

The Federal Register would receive $1,442,000 to implement an Electronic
Editing and Publishing System and further develop its electronic Code of
Federal Regulations (e-CFR). The Eisenhower Presidential Library would
receive $1,288,000 and the Ford Library and Museum $4,405,000 to house
records and artifacts in more appropriate space, increase available space
through compact shelving, renovate exhibit space, and improve accessibility
for visitors. And the request includes $1,503,000 to complete the staffing
of the Clinton Presidential Library and accelerate the processing of Clinton
Administration records in preparation for the opening of the library.

NHPRC TO TAKE DEEP CUT
Of concern to many however, is the deep funding cut proposed for the
National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) which NARA
administers.  The President's proposal is for a funding level of $4,436,000
- dramatically down (31%)  from the $6.436 million funding level in the
current budget. Unofficially, word on Capitol Hill is that NARA had
requested full funding for the NHPRC ($10 million) which was reauthorized up
to that level by the Republican controlled Congress last year. Here again
OMB is held responsible by most observers as being the chief proponent of
the cut.

NHPRC supporters are urged to contact their Congressional representatives
(the Capitol switchboard telephone number is 202. 224-3121) immediately, and
urge them to support full-funding ($10 million) for the NHPRC. Furthermore,
state that these funds should not be taken out of the existing NARA program
base.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO REALIZE DRAMATIC INCREASE
Education is the President's highest priority in domestic spending and it is
reflected in his budget request to Congress.  The President's fiscal year
2002 budget provides for a spending level of $44.5 billion - an increase of
$2.5 billion or almost 6 percent over the 2001 program level -- the largest
increase of any domestic department.

When releasing the budget, Secretary of Education, Rod Paige stated that,
"President Bush and I are especially concerned about the deep, persistent,
and unacceptable gaps in achievement between poor and minority students and
their more advantaged peers...too many children are being left behind by our
current education system. The time has come for a bold and fundamental
change in how our system of public education works."

The budget includes $900 million for Reading First State grants, more than
triple the 2001 level for reading instruction. According to Secretary Paige,
"increases in specific program areas are designed to promote annual testing
of all students in grades 3-8 in reading and math; increased accountability
for student performance; a focus on research-based practices -- particularly
in teaching reading; reduced bureaucracy and greater flexibility for States,
school districts, and schools; and expanded options for parents to make
choices for their children's education."

The budget also includes $9.1 billion in Title I Grants to Local Educational
Agencies (LEAs), an increase of $459 million, to give States and school
districts financial support to turn around failing schools, improve teacher
quality, and ensure that all students meet State academic standards before
advancing to the next grade.  Unfortunately, there are no specific earmarks
to LEAs or other historical institutions to promote history education.  Last
year, a $50 million earmark amendment for history education was realized by
Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) when the appropriation was considered by the
Senate. The historical community has high hopes that the Senator will make a
similar request in the FY- 2002 appropriation when it is considered by the
Senate.

INTERIOR DEPARTMENT TO TAKE CUTS
President Bush has requested $10 billion for the Interior Department - down
3% from last year.  In the National Park Service (NPS) budget, cuts are
proposed for historic preservation funding and in several operational line
items.  The National Park Service, however,  is slotted to see increases in
a handful of special program areas.   For example, during the presidential
campaign, George W. Bush promised to eliminate the $4.9 billion maintenance
backlog in national parks and to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation
Fund (LWCF) at $900 million. The budget boosts funding for replacing aging
infrastructure in national parks by $440 million and does allocate the
promised  $900 million for the LWCF. Other Interior agencies and bureaus are
taking cuts in order to fund the President's priorities for the parks.

MUSEUM/LIBRARY PROGRAMS TO TAKE CUTS
Under the President's budget proposal, the Institute of Museum and Library
Services funding under the Library Services and Technology Act would drop
from a FY 2001 high of $207,219,000 to a FY 2002 proposed level of
$168,078,363. Funding for the Office of Museum Services would also drop
slightly from the FY 2001 level of $24,907,000 to $ 24,898,879.

The President's budget also seeks to abolish the National Commission on
Libraries and Information Science.  Language in the budget seeks to explain
the rationale for the cut:  "Other agencies can effectively perform the
necessary functions for which the Commission has been responsible" thus
saving the Administration $1.4 million.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION BUDGET SEEKS TO RESTRUCTURE PROGRAMS
Under the President's budget proposal the Smithsonian Institution is slotted
to receive $494.1 million, an increase of $40.2 million (9%) over the
current budget of $454 million. This total includes $30 million for
construction of the National Museum of the American Indian, and $67.9
million for repairs to existing buildings.

However, significant federal reductions are also proposed. Placed on the
chopping block in the President's budget proposal are the National Zoo's
Conservation and Research Center (which works to save endangered species),
the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education, an art
conservation laboratory, Smithsonian Productions (the center for the
Institution's video, audio, and multi-media productions) and three offices
in the Smithsonian libraries (including the Museum Support Center Branch in
Suitland, Maryland). Overall, the budget proposes to eliminate about 180
jobs or about 2% of the present Smithsonian workforce of about 6,000
employees.

The proposed closings have already generated considerable opposition. Jerry
Podamy, president of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and
Artistic works, said the closing of the Materials Laboratory (which has a
budget of $3.2 million and 36 employees and provides technical support to
the Smithsonian museums in the analysis and conservation of its collections
of art and artifacts) would "be a devastating loss to the nation and to the
nation's museums." In his defense of the budget proposal, Secretary Lawrence
Small characterized the new budget as simply "a redirection of spending."
At a press briefing, he defended the budget stating that "the Regents have
charged senior management with modernizing the Smithsonian and bringing it
into the 21st century.  That mandate is the basis for the Secretary's vision
to improve public impact, management excellence, financial strength and
first-class research."

ENDOWMENTS TO RECEIVE FLAT FUNDING
Given the number of agencies taking cuts, in the President's FY 2002 budget
plan, both the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National
Endowment for the Arts (NEA)  appear fortunate to see their spending levels
frozen at FY 2001 levels. The President has requested $120.5 million for the
NEH and $105 million for the NEA. Humanities advocates are encouraging
Congressional staff and others to pass a FY 2002 budget of $150 million for
the NEH - the same amount requested last year for the FY 2001 budget.

Budget hearings on the House side have already been concluded for both the
NEH and NEA (see NCC WASHINGTON UPDATE, Vol 7, # 14, April 6, 2001).  In the
NEH budget, every division of the humanities council would maintain flat
spending levels under the President's request.  The request includes $30.6
million for the state humanities councils, $12.1 million for education
programs, $18.3 million for preservation, $12.6 million for public programs
and $12.5 million for research. In addition, $1.2 million is requested for
the establishment of 10 regional centers to study the humanities; this is
the same funding level allocated to this program in both FY 2000 and 2001.

More budget data about various agency budget proposals will be shared with
readers when additional information is available.

3.  NEWS BITS AND BYTES
Item #1 - LA PIETRA REPORT: The Organization of American Historians (OAH)
and the New York University's International Center for Advanced Studies have
issued the "La Pietra Report" to the historical profession.  The report
(copies of which were recently mailed to all OAH members) reflects the work
and thinking of many historians over a four year period and discusses
various options on how best to internationalize the study of American
History in the nation's schools and colleges.

The report "does not propose to subsume United States history under the
umbrella of world or global history," but seeks to make "connections and
comparisons in our thinking about nations and cultures beyond the borders of
the United States...Such a history will connect the United States and United
States history to other histories, making it a part of world history."  The
report's principal author is Thomas Bender who served as project director.
The report will be discussed in detail at the annual meeting of the OAH in
Los Angeles during a session at 9:00 am Friday, April 27.  Consult the OAH
program guide for additional details. For a copy, tap into the OAH web page
at: <http://www.oah.org/activities/lapietra/>.

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