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NCC WASHINGTON UPDATE, Vol. 7, #20, May 18, 2001



NCC WASHINGTON UPDATE, Vol. 7, #20, May 18, 2001
by Bruce Craig <rbcraig3@juno.com> of  the National Coordinating Committee
for the Promotion of History
*****************

1.   $100 Million Amendment for History Grants in Senate Education Bill
2.   Congress Acts to Nullify Further Review of Mall Memorial
3.   Legislation Introduced: Old Spanish Trail NHT; Adams Memorial
4.   News Bits and Bytes: NHPRC Grants Awarded; Save America's Treasures
Funding; Report of Millennium Council

1.  $100 MILLION AMENDMENT FOR HISTORY GRANTS IN SENATE EDUCATION BILL
Over the last couple of weeks, the House and Senate have been working on
separate bills designed to implement aspects of President Bush's education
reform plan. Both the House and Senate bills focus largely on proposals
relating to school performance, student achievement (based on some type of
nationwide testing), and reading programs.  On May 10, 2001, in the Senate
version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (S. 1), an amendment
offered by Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) to authorize $100 million for history
education in FY-2002 was agreed to. Senate Amendment #402 (see Congressional
Record-Senate May 10, 2001; pages S4807-4812) reads as follows:
"Section 9201. Grants for the Teaching of Traditional American History as a
Separate Subject.
(a) In General.=96There are authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000  to
enable the Secretary to establish and implement a program to be known as the
"Teaching American History Grant Program" under which the Secretary shall
award grants on a competitive basis to local educational agencies--
(1) to carry out activities to promote the teaching of traditional American
history in schools as a separate subject; and
(2) for the development, implementation, and strengthening of programs to
teach American history as a separate subject (not as a component of social
studies) within the school curricula, including the implementation of
activities to improve the quality of instruction and to provide professional
development and teacher education activities with respect to American
history.
(b) Required Partnership.- A local educational agency that receives a grant
under subsection (a) shall carry out activities under the grant in
partnership with 1 or more of the following:
(1) An institution of higher education.
(2) A non-profit history or humanities organization.
(3) A library or museum."

In his floor statement when introducing the amendment, Byrd reminisced about
his education in a two-room schoolhouse 79 years ago. He recalled learning
about Nathan Hale and how Hale's heroic story influenced his life.  Byrd
recalled how he memorized his history lessons by the light of an oil lamp
and he remembered the importance of good books and teachers and how they had
a formative influence on him. "So I say today we need good history books and
good teachers so that the boys and girls of today will find their heros
among the early Americans who built this country."  In offering the $100
million "authorizing" amendment, Byrd stated his intention was to continue
the current $50 million Teaching American History Grant program that he
initiated in the FY 2001 Department of Education appropriation bill. "That
program is going, it is on going, it is moving."

Byrd explained to his colleagues what he meant by the teaching of
"traditional" American history: "An unfortunate trend of blending history
with a variety of other subjects to form a hybrid called "social studies"
has taken hold in our schools.  I am not against social studies, but I want
history. If we are going to have social studies, that is OK, but lets have
history. Further, the history books provided to our young people, all too
frequently, gloss over the finer points of America's past. My amendment
provides incentives to help spur a return to the teaching of traditional
American history."

After Byrd had finished speaking, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MASS) rose to thank
the Senator from West Virginia for his amendment and for his recollections.
Kennedy reiterated the importance of having good history books and informed
the Senate that David McCullough's new book on John Adams and Thomas
Jefferson was soon to be released.  Kennedy also recalled how McCullough,
some years back, played an important role in seeing to it that important
historical papers discovered at the Longfellow House in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, relating to the Revolutionary War were preserved. Kennedy
also stated that he hoped that the $100 million would increase student's
knowledge of the Constitution. Senator James Jeffords (R-VT) also spoke in
favor of the amendment.  Following his comments the amendment was agreed to.

While the language of the Senate bill authorizes the appropriation of funds
for Teaching American History grants, at the present time, the House version
of the education bill does not contain similar language. In fact, some House
Republicans have vowed to strip the Senate bill of various expensive
Democratic amendments when the two education bills (once they pass their
respective Houses) are conferenced and reconciled. Because of Senator Byrd's
influential position on the Senate Appropriations Committee, the prospect of
having a  $100 million appropriation for the continuation and expansion of
the present Department of Education history grant program seems good.

2.  CONGRESS ACTS TO NULLIFY FURTHER REVIEW OF MALL MEMORIAL
Having grown exceedingly frustrated with six years of legal challenges and
generally successful tactics of the opponents of the proposed World War II
Memorial scheduled for construction on the National Mall in Washington D.C.,
Congress seems poised to pass legislation that would allow construction of
the controversial project without further review by the National Capital
Planning Commission which recently announced plans to reconsider the
Memorial's design.  Congressional action would also nullify a lawsuit filed
against the project in federal court.

On May 14, under "suspension of the rules" (through this procedure, a
measure passes if a two-thirds majority agrees to a bill) and without
benefit of a Congressional hearing, by a vote of 400 to 15, the House of
Representatives agreed to a bill (H.R. 1696) introduced by Rep. Bob Stump
(R-AZ) the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, that would clear
remaining legal obstacles to the construction of a proposed $140 million
memorial to World War II veterans on a 7.4-acre site located between the
Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Opponents of the current
design maintain that the structure would block the Mall vista.  They
denounced the action by the House as a "power grab" designed to strip
federal agencies of their own oversight. The House action indeed does
override a 1985 law that authorizes three federal commissions to review and
approve all memorials slotted for construction on federal land.

On the Senate side, Senator Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark) has introduced
legislation (S. 580) similar to the House passed bill and has pledged to
"get this one done before Memorial Day."  Hutchinson, like other members of
the Senate who are being lobbied hard by veteran groups, stated his goal "is
to clear out all the roadblocks" for construction.  On May 16, President
Bush also issued a statement stating that if Congress acted on the measure
favorably, he would sign the measure thus effectively ending any further
review and thereby make the current plans, "final and conclusive."

While time is short, opponents of the legislation are contacting Senators in
an effort to slow down Congressional action and, at a minimum, require that
Congress hold hearings before enacting legislation which even some of its
supporters believe is vulnerable to legal challenge. Beth Soloman, a
spokesperson for the Save the Mall coalition said, "It would be a terrible
shame if our government destroyed the National Mall and some of the most
cherished national symbols in the name of World War II veterans."
Supporters, President Bush included, feel differently. Noting that of the 16
million who served in WW II that only 5 million are still alive, "It is more
important than ever that we move quickly to begin construction if those who
served are to see the nation's permanent expression of remembrance and
thanks."

3.  LEGISLATION INTRODUCED
Old Spanish Trail National Historic Trail:
On May 2, 2001, Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) and his colleague Jeff Bingaman
(D-NM) introduced legislation (S. 817) designed to designate the Old Spanish
Trail that served as a major trade route between Santa Fe, New Mexico and
Los Angeles, California, in the early 1800s as a National Historic Trail.
The proposed route cuts through six states.  The legislation states that
"the Old Spanish Trail is a symbol of the cultural interaction between
ethnic groups, nations, and the commercial exchange that made possible the
development and growth of the United States." The bill was referred to the
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Adams Memorial Foundation:
On May 1, 2001, Representative Tim Roemer (D-IN ) for himself and nearly
twenty co-sponsors introduced legislation (H.R. 1668) to authorize the Adams
Memorial Foundation to "establish a commemorative work on Federal land in
the District of Columbia and its environs to honor former President John
Adams and his family." The bill recognizes that the Adams family
"individually and collectively...have enriched the Nation through their
profound civic consciousness, abiding belief in the perfectibility of the
Nation's democracy, and commitment to service and sacrifice for the common
good." The memorial, which must be constructed in compliance with the
Commemorative Works Act, was referred to the House Committee on Resources.

4.  BITS AND BYTES:
Item #1 - NHPRC Grant Action: During its meeting on May 2-3, the National
Historical Publications and Records Commission acted favorably on 48 grants
totaling $2,898,008 (47 were competitive projects - the second-year funding
(up to $1, 097,550) for the Center for Jewish History, New York is a
Congressionally earmarked project); there were 81 proposals requesting
project support funds in excess of $8.2 million- a 33% jump over last year's
requests.  For more information on the programs and activities of the NHPRC
tap into the website: <http://www.nara.gov/nhprc/>.

Item #2 - Save America's Treasures: On May 9, 2001, the Bush Administration
submitted a supplemental request to Congress regarding the Save America's
Treasures (SAT) program which was initiated during the Clinton
Administration.  Originally, the President's FY 2002 budget that was
submitted to Congress zeroed out the program, but the President apparently
has had a change of heart and now is requesting $30 million. Congress will
still need to act on the request for it to be appropriated.

Item #3 - Final Report of Millennium Council: The White House has released
the final report entitled "Honor the Past, Imagine the Future" detailing the
accomplishments of the White House Millennium Council.  Created in 1997, the
Council spearheaded a host of special initiatives designed to ring in the
year 2000 "in a true celebration of American culture and diversity." Copies
of the report are available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.
Government Printing Office (order ISBN # 0-16-050655-7) by calling (202)
512-1800.

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