NCC Washington Update Vol. 1, #25, May 18, 1995
by Page Putnam Miller, Director of the National Coordinating
Committee for the Promotion of History <pagem@CapAccess.org>
1. NEH Update
2. Confirmation Hearing for Archivist Set for May 23
3. Senate Hearing on Enola Gay
1. NEH Update - The leadership in the House -- particularly Dick
Armey (R-TX) who advocates zero funds for NEH in 1996 -- have
expressed dissatisfaction with H.R.1557, the Goodling (R- PA)
bill that calls for a three year phase out of the Endowments.
Thus there seem to be no immediate plans to bring H.R. 1557 to
the floor for a vote.
The second week of June the House Appropriations Subcommittee on
Interior and Related Agencies expects to "mark-up" their
appropriations bill for FY'96. The Republican leadership has
told the supporters of NEH that if money is included in the bill
for NEH, it will be struck out when the bill goes to the floor
for a vote. Nevertheless, it is important that money for NEH be
included in the initial subcommittee mark-up. Members of the
House Interior and Related Agencies Subcommittee need to hear
from NEH supporters. Chair, Ralph Regula (R-OH); Bob Livingston
(R-LA); Joseph McDade (R-PA); Jim Kolbe (R-AZ); Joe Skeen (R-NM);
Barbara Vucanovich (R-NV); Charles Taylor (R-NC); George
Nethercutt (R-WA); Jim Bunn (R-OR); Sidney Yates (D-IL); David
Obey (D-WI) ; Norman Dicks (D-WA); Tom Bevill (D-AL); David
Skaggs (D-CO).
2. Confirmation Hearing For Archivist Set for May 23 -- Senator
William Roth, Chair of the Governmental Affairs Committee, has
announced that his committee will hold a hearing at 2:30 pm on
May 23 to consider the nomination of John Carlin for U.S.
Archivist. There will be four outside witnesses, Professor
Gaddis Smith of Yale University, representing the American
Historical Association and the Organization of American
Historians; Susan Davis of the State Historical Society of
Wisconsin representing the Society of American Archivists; Dr.
Bruce Dearstyne of the New York State Archives representing the
National Association of State Archives and Records
Administrators; and Dr. Terry Sullivan representing the
Presidency Research Group. The Governmental Affairs Committee
has scheduled a mark-up on May 25 to vote on the Carlin
nomination. The Senate will be in recess from May 26 to June 5.
It is unclear if the committee would attempt to bring the
nomination to the floor for a vote before the recess.
There are now 15 professional history, archival and library
associations opposing the nomination of John Carlin for U.S.
Archivist. They are the American Historical Association, the
Society of American Archivists, the Organizations of American
Historians, the American Library Association, the American
Council of Learned Societies, the National Council on Public
History, the Midwest Archives Conference, the Western History
Association, the Special Libraries Association, the American
Association of Law Libraries, the Southern Historical
Association, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference, the
Society of Maine Archi vists, the Kentucky Council of Archives,
and the National Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of
History. The 15 organizations opposing Carlin contend that his
background and experience do not meet the qualifications set
forth by law for an non-political, professional. They fear that
a nominee, whose career has been primarily in the political
arena, jeopardizes the integrity and professionalism of the
National Archives. The OAH, SAA, and AHA are vigorously opposing
the nomination and are asking their members to contact their
Senators to register concern about the nomination.
Since this nomination was forwarded to the Senate on May 5
newspapers around the country, including Washington, New York,
Atlanta, Cleveland, Baltimore, Memphis, Denver, Chicago, and
Louisville, have published editorials opposing the nomination of
John Carlin for U.S. Archivist.
On April 8, prior to the nomination of Carlin, the American
Political Science Association Council voted to reaffirmed the
statutory language regarding the qualification of archivist but
decided not to vet or approve specific candidates. It stated
that individual groups of scholars were free to support or
oppose specific nominees. It appears that Presidency Research
Group has decided to support Carlin. The National Association of
Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA) has an
appointment with Carlin on May 21 and will decide following that
meeting whether or not to support the nomination.
3. Senate Hearing on the Enola Gay -- The Senate Rules Committee
will hold a second day of hearings on May 18 to consider the
Smithsonian's handling of the canceled Enola Gay Exhibit on the
dropping of the first atomic bomb. The witnesses for the hearing
will be Representative Sam Johnson (R-TX), a strong critic of the
Enola Gay Exhibit; Secretary of the Smithsonian, I. Michael
Heyman; Tom Crouch, Chairman of the Air and Space Museum's
Department of Aeronautics; Maxine Singer of the Carnegie
Institute and Chairman of the Commission on the Future of the
Smithsonian; and Edward Linenthal, Professor of Religion and
American Culture at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh and a
member of the Advisory Committee on the Enola Gay Exhibit. On
May 11 the Committee heard from representatives of veterans
groups.