NCC Washington Update Vol. 1, #20, April 24, 1995
by Page Putnam Miller, Director of the National Coordinating Committee
for the Promotion of History <pagem@CapAccess.org>
1. Bill to Phase Out NEH in Four Years
2. House Subcommittees to act in early June
3. Senate to Hold Hearings on Smithsonian and Enola Gay Exhibit
4. Babbitt Seeks Names for National Park Service Advisory Board
1. Representative Goodling Considering Bill to Phase Out NEH In Four
Years-
Indications are that Representative Bill Goodling (R-PA), who chairs
the House Economic and Educational Opportunities Committee which has
responsibility for the oversight and reauthorization of NEH, is
circulating to members of his committee a draft of a bill that he
plans to introduce when the House reconvenes in May. Goodling's draft
calls for a four year phase out of NEH with a 40% cut in 1996, a
freeze of funding in 1997, a 20% cut in 1998, and a 40% cut in 1999,
which would be the last year for federal funding of NEH. If such a
bill should pass, it would presumably have to be reconciled with a
Senate reauthorization bill which Senators Kassebaum (R-KS), Jeffords
(R-VT), Kennedy (D-MA), and Pell (D-RI) are working on but which may
not be introduced until June. The Federation of State Humanities
Councils which is working on a list of House members considered to be
swing votes on NEH issues hopes to have its list completed by next
week.
2. House Appropriations Subcommittees to Act in early June after the
Budget Resolution passes -
The House Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee,
which has responsibility for the budgets of NEH, the Institute of
Museum Services, the National Park Service, and historic preservation
programs, among other agencies and programs, and the House Treasury,
Postal Service and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee,
which has responsibility for the budgets of the National Archives and
the grants program of the National Historical Publications and Records
Commission, have both indicated that they will not "mark-up" --that is
determine the language and amounts for their appropriations bills--
until after the final vote on the Budget Resolution. The House Budget
Committee will begin work the second week of May on the Budget
Resolution which sets the total amount of the FY'96 budget and then
specifies how the pie will be divided among the 13 appropriations
subcommittees. This budget process, known as 602a, has significant
consequences for agency budgets for the appropriations subcommittees
are limited by their total allocation and the need to spread funds
among many competing agencies. The Budget Resolution may also include
recommendations to the individual appropriations subcommittees about
programs that should have reduced funding. While the Budget
Committee's recommendations are not binding on the appropriations
subcommittees, they will be a factor with which to contend. By the
third week of May, the House may pass a Budget Resolution bill, which
will then need to be reconciled with the Senate Bill through a
Conference Committee. Earlier this year it had appeared that the
appropriations committees would "mark-up" their bills in May, but now
it will probably be June.
3. Senate to Hold Hearings on the Smithsonian and Enola Gay Exhibit -
The Senate Rules Committee, Chaired by Senator Ted Stevens (R- Alaska),
plans to hold two days of hearings on the Smithsonian and the Enola
Gay Exhibit. On May 11, the Rules Committee plans to hear from
representatives of Veterans organizations. On May 18 the witnesses
will be from the Smithsonian and academia. Finalization of the
witness list may not be completed until the end of next week. I have
been in conversation with Rules Committee staff about possible
witnesses for the hearing and it appears that because of time
constraints, there will be few witnesses. There are serious concerns
that these hearings may pit Veterans' understanding of "the truth"
opposite a much maligned view of historical scholarship.
4. The Secretary of Interior Seeks Suggestions for National Park
Service Advisory Board -
The April 18 Federal Register, on page 19407, includes a notice of
the reestablishment of the National Park System Advisory Board. The
purpose of this committee is to advise the Director of the National
Park Service on matters relating to the National Park Service and
programs administered by the National Park Service. The Secretary of
Interior will appoint 12 members who have "outstanding expertise in
the fields of history, archaeology, architecture, historical
architecture, landscape architecture, anthropology, biology, ecology,
or social science, or in other professional disciplines important to
the mission of the National Park Service." The notice states that
appointments will be made of individuals who have been identified by
federal agency staff, institutions of higher learning, and
professional associations. Recommendations should be sent to
Secretary Bruce Babbitt, Department of Interior, Interior Building,
18th and C Streets, NW, Washington, DC 20240.
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