1. Update on NEH Funding
2. FY'96 Funding for Historic Preservation
3. Copyright Extension Bill
4. Cuts Slated for Grants for the Information Superhighway
5. Moynihan Commission Sets Agenda
6. Senate Details Additional Funds for the National Archives
1. Update on NEH Funding --
The wire services eroneously reported over the weekend that
the full Senate Appropriations Committee allocated $99 million
for NEH. That was incorrect. The Senate appropriated $114.5
million for NEH and $99.5 million for NEA, while the House
appropriated $99.5 million each.
The Senate has a very full legislative calendar;
however, the leadership has indicated a desire to bring H.R.
1977, the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies
Appropriations Bill, to the floor for a vote by the end of this
week or the beginning of next week. The Senate plans to leave on
its August recess on August 11. Expectations are that amendments
regarding NEH and NEA will be introduced on the floor.
The Senate Appropriations Committee's report on H.R.
1977, Report 104-125, provides additional information about the
$114.5 million appropriated for NEH. The Senate has earmarked
$28 million in FY'96 for state programs, which is the current
level. The House bill which provides $99.5 million for NEH
earmarked $23 million for the state programs. The allocation
for the Office of Preservation is $17 million, which is $7.5
million below its current level of $24.5 million. Although the
President's request for NEH in FY'96 had included $4 million for
a new technology and the humanities initiative, the Senate
provided no funds for this program. More detailed information is
now available on the Senate Appropriations Committee mark-up of
H.R. 1977 which was held on Friday, July 28. The amendment
introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to fund both NEH and
NEA at the level of $119 million failed, but by a very close 13
to 14 vote, with three Democrats -- Byrd (D-WV), Hollings (D-SC),
and Johnston (D-LA) -- voting against the increase for the
endowments. Three Republicans -- Jeffords (R-VT), Specter (R-
PA), and Bennett (R-UT) supported the Leahy amendment. McConnell
(R-KY) did not vote. When the amendment by Senator Daniel Inouye
(D-HI) to move the added $15 million for NEH to the Indian Museum
failed, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) suggested that $15 million be
taken from the Naval Petroleum Reserve for the Indian Museum.
This amendment passed.
2. FY'96 Funding for Historic Preservation --
The Senate Appropriations Committee followed the
recommendations of the Interior Subcommittee and earmarked
$32.712 million for the Historic Preservation Fund. This is $1.7
million below the House which funded the Historic Preservation
Fund--which includes funding of state/local governments, tribes,
and historically black colleges--at the FY'95 level. The Senate
also reduced funding for the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation, providing only $2.5 million compared to the $3.06
million in the House bill. The Senate did increase the funding
for the National Trust for Historic Preservation with an
appropriation of $5.6 million, compared to the $3.5 million in
the House. The Trust is currently funded at almost $7 million.
3. Copyright Extension Bill -- Although the House Subcommittee
on Courts and Intellectual Property held a hearing on H.R. 989, a
bill to extend copyright protection, on July 13, the Judiciary
Committee does not plan to markup the bill until September.
Indications are that there is sympathy on the subcommittee for
the concerns of historians and librarians about the extension of
copyright for material created but not published before 1978. On
this point the subcommittee has requested that the Register of
Copyright assist in providing legislative language for modifying
the bill. The NCC has been in touch with the Register of
Copyright and the subcommittee staff on this issue. There has
been no action on a parallel Senate bill, but we can expect
Senate hearings in the fall.
4. Cuts Slated for Grants for the Information Superhighway --
Through various rescissions to the FY'95 budget, the
original appropriation of $64 million for the Telecommunications
and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP) has
been reduced to $45 million for this fiscal year. This program,
which supports the development of educational, economic, and
cultural telecommunication services to the public, is also facing
sharp cuts in the FY'96 budget. The House FY'96 Commerce
Appropriations Bill provides only $40 million for the
Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance
Program compared to the $100 million requested in the President's
budget.
5. Moynihan Commission Sets Agenda --
On July 27 the Commission on Protecting and Reducing
Government Secrecy heard testimony and considered a work plan for
completing the Commission's tasks in the designated two-year
period. In addition to ensuring the protection of legitimate
secrets, the Commission will be defining and analyzing the
culture of secrecy with special attention to understanding how
"risk" is analyzed in decisions to withhold information. There
will also be a consideration of costs, inc luding the impact of
secrecy on industrial competitiveness, and an exploring of the
use of new technology to assist in declassification. In January
1997 the Commission will present a report which will include
recommendations. During the hearing Senator Moynihan noted that
there is a disjuncture today between the political culture that
regularly leaks classified information to the press and the
secrecy culture that overclassifies and officially releases very
little information. He said that rarely does a day pass when
classified information does not appear on the front page of the
Washington Post.
6. Senate Report Details Additional Funds for the National
Archives --
The Senate Appropriations Committee filed on July 27
Report 104-121 which accompanies H.R. 2020, the Treasury, Postal
Service, and General Government Appropriation Bill for FY'96. In
a section titled "Electronic Access," the report states: "The
Committee has provided $4,500,000 for expanding public access to
National Archives and Records Administration records and
historical documents. These funds shall be used by the Archives
to develop an electronic, online, comprehensive catalog of
Federal records. The Committee notes that despite the extensive
holdings of the National Archives, some 2.5 million cubic feet of
documents, the Archives is not capable of answering the question,
'What do you have that could be of use to us?' With the
increasing use of the Internet and other information networks,
the Committee believes that as a first step, the Archives should
catalog the vast amount of information it stores so that it will
be in a position to provide access to these holdings through the
superinformation highways."
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