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FW: [NCCmailings] NCC WASHINGTON UPDATE, Vol. 8, #31, July 23, 20 02



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From: rbcraig@nccph.org [mailto:rbcraig@nccph.org]
Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2002 8:59 AM
To: NCCmailings List Member
Subject: [NCCmailings] NCC WASHINGTON UPDATE, Vol. 8, #31, July 23, 2002


NCC WASHINGTON UPDATE, Vol. 8, #31, July 23, 2002
by Bruce Craig <rbcraig@nccph.org>
National Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of History (NCCPH)
*****************

1.   More Bush-Reagan Records Released
2.   TEACH Act Passes Moves Through House Committee
3.   NCC Internship Opportunity Postings
4.   News Bits and Bytes: Passing of Annie Snyder -- Legendary Preservation
Leader
5.   Articles of Interest: "Making Her Story Too" (New York Times)

*********************
NOTICE TO READERS:
There will be no posting of an NCC WASHINGTON UPDATE next week. The editor
will be fleeing from the heat of Washington D.C. and taking a week or so
off to make his annual trek to Prince Edward Island, Canada for some sun,
blue ocean, and cooler temperatures. The next issue of the UPDATE will be
posted the week of August 5.
************************************

1.  MORE REAGAN-BUSH RECORDS RELEASED
The Department of Justice has informed lawyers at the Public Citizen
Litigation Group that some 150 pages of presidential records of Ronald
Reagan's presidency and 40 pages of vice -presidential records of George H.
W. Bush's vice presidency -- records that were required by law to be
released more than a year ago -- have finally been authorized for release.
The delay had been challenged by Public Citizen and a coalition of
historical, archival, and media organizations in federal district court.

In accordance with the procedures established by Executive Order 13233,
representatives of former President Reagan, former Vice President George
H.W. Bush, and President George W. Bush reviewed the papers and decided not
to assert any constitutionally based privilege with respect to these
records.  These records were among the approximately 68,000 pages of Reagan
records and approximately 880 pages of Bush vice-presidential records that
were being withheld under the Presidential Records Act's 12-year,
post-presidency protection for records reflecting confidential advice among
White House officials.

Most of the 150 Reagan-era records are believed to consist of memoranda
concerning Supreme Court appointments and other presidential appointments
to federal office.  Also authorized for release are about 40 pages of
records of former Vice-President George H.W. Bush that were among 884 pages
of Bush vice-presidential documents. Like the 150 pages of Reagan
documents, the 40 pages of Bush documents are believed to relate to
appointments to federal office.

The Bush White House blocked release of the Reagan records in early 2001,
and then issued an executive order in November 2001 that claimed to give
former presidents and vice-presidents, as well as the incumbent president,
the power to veto releases of records by claiming "executive
privilege."  After the filing of a lawsuit challenging the executive order,
the White House approved release of most of the 68,000 pages of Reagan
records, but 150 pages that were considered especially sensitive were held
back for further review, which resulted in another 4 months of delay in
their release.

"The disclosure that the White House has finally decided to release these
documents is a clear indication that they realize they can't make a claim
of 'executive privilege' stick so many years after President Reagan left
office," said Public Citizen attorney Scott L. Nelson.  "And with the
pressure of a lawsuit, they also knew they couldn't keep stalling
indefinitely on the pretext that they were still 'reviewing' the documents."

Nelson added that he expects the government now to argue that the lawsuit
should be dismissed because the Reagan documents will soon be
released.  "The White House desperately wants to avoid having a court
decide whether its executive order is lawful, so it has made every effort
to dodge the issue," he said.  "But the government is continuing to
implement the executive order and is using it to hold up release of other
documents, so the legal challenge to the order remains a live issue."

In addition, there are another 1,654 pages of Reagan records, whose
existence was not previously disclosed by the National Archives, that were
supposed to be released in January 2001.  But the Archives, apparently in
deference to "concerns" expressed about the documents by former President
Reagan, did not include them with the 68,000 pages whose impending release
gave rise to the executive order and the litigation.

Only after Public Citizen raised questions about the handling of the
additional 1,654 pages of documents did the Archives notify the White House
and former President Reagan that it intended to release them and requested
they be reviewed by presidential representatives.  The release of those
documents, the contents of which are completely unknown, is currently being
held up pending review by the former President's staff and the White House
under the executive order.

To date, the Reagan Library has opened nearly 5.5 million out of a total of
43.8 million pages of Reagan Presidential Records; similarly, the Bush
Library has opened nearly 61,000 out of a total of 5 million pages of Bush
Vice Presidential Records, and nearly 4 million out of 34 million pages of
Bush Presidential records.

2.  TEACH ACT MOVES THROUGH HOUSE COMMITTEE
On July 17, 2002 the House Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the
Technology Harmonization and Education Act (the so-called TEACH Act -- S.
487), legislation that if enacted will make it easier for accredited
non-profit educational institutions to use films and songs in online
instruction. An identical bill passed the Senate in June 2001.  According
to Hill insiders, the measure has broad bipartisan support and is expected
to pass the full House without difficulty.  President Bush is reportedly
supportive of the legislation and will sign it into law when it is
presented to him.

The legislation will expand the exceptions under the 1976 Copyright Act
that enable educational institutions to use copyrighted material for
instruction without securing a copyright holder's specific permission.  The
Act will allow distance-education providers to show portions of movies,
plays, and dramatic works, and transmit non-dramatic literary and musical
works via digital transmission.

For more information about the TEACH Act, see
http://www.ala.org/washoff/disted.html

3. NCC INTERNSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT
The National Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of History (NCC)
seeks two interns - one in Policy Activities and one in Archival
Management.  Both positions require individuals who write clearly and
concisely, possess good organizational skills, can work independently, can
handle multiple projects, and can accomplish tasks under tight deadlines.
For the Policy position, the ideal candidate should have a major or minor
in history (or other relevant liberal arts field); excellent written/oral
communication skills and word processing experience are musts; web page
management and/or some experience in html, a plus. For the archival
position, the ideal candidate should have a major or minor in history
and/or archival management or library science (or other relevant liberal
arts field), excellent written/oral communication skills, and word
processing experience.

NCC's Policy Intern will gain experience working in a small advocacy
organization on a variety of legislative, policy, and regulatory
matters.  The individual will research and write policy background papers
relating to appropriations and legislative initiatives and policy matters
of interest to the historical/archival community; will attend and summarize
proceedings of legislative hearings, write articles for a national
web-based newsletter, draft testimony and correspondence, prepare comments
on agency regulations, attend to correspondence and information requests,
and provide general staff and administrative support for the organization.
While duties do include some routine administrative chores such as filing,
data entry, proofreading, fact-checking, and photocopying, such duties are
incidental to the primary tasks.  As part of the internship, it is expected
that a major project/research report (comparable to an independent study
project) will be undertaken and completed. The project will be designed
around organizational needs and tailored to the intern's strengths,
interests, and career goals.

NCC's Archival Intern will arrange and describe into a manageable record
group, the NCC archive.  The archive which consists of no less than 15-20
linear feet of files and other records, a library collection, and special
research reports.  The intern will organize the collection and draft a
preliminary inventory of records, and time permitting, begin to compile a
Finding Aid to Library of Congress standards using a standardized
processing manual.

These are unpaid internships based in Washington D.C. which will last a
minimum of two months or one semester.  They are available to exceptional
undergraduates and motivated graduate students.  Please visit the NCC
website for background information on the organization -
http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~ncc/

To apply for either of the positions, mail or fax cover letter, resume, and
writing sample (no more than 5 pages) to Dr. Bruce Craig, Director, NCCPH,
400 A Street SE, Washington D.C. 20003; Fax (202) 544-8307.

4.  NEWS BITS AND BYTES
Item #1 -- Passing of Annie Snyder: Legendary Historic Preservation
Leader:  Annie Snyder, who led the successful highly-publicized 1988-89
effort to stop the construction of a proposed residential
development/shopping mall by the Hazel/Peterson company in Northern
Virginia on lands adjacent to the Manassas battlefield, died of
complications due to diabetes and heart ailments on July 19.  She was 80.

One of the most colorful challengers of the word "progress," Snyder and her
"Save the Battlefield Coalition" launched a national campaign and managed
to preserve an historic 542-acre tract of land through a rarely used
legislative technique known as a "legislative taking." For her obituary and
feature article see:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41322-2002Jul21.html; and
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41341-2002Jul21.html>.

5. ARTICLES OF INTEREST
One posting this week: An article by Felecia R. Lee in the New York Times
entitled, "Making Her Story, Too" -- an in-depth interview with historian
Gerda Lerner who at age 82 recalls her years as a housewife, scholar,
victim of anti-Semitism, and women's rights advocate. For the article tap
into: http:www.nytimes.com/2002/07/20/books/20LERN.html?todaysheadlines

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