NCC Washington Update, Vol 1, # 49, September 19, 1995
by Page Putnam Miller, Director of the National Coordinating Committee
for the Promotion of History <pagem@CapAccess.org>
1. FY'96 Budget for NEH Is $110.5 Million
2. National History Teaching Standards Face Increased Criticism
3. U.S. Archivist Names Lewis Bellardo Deputy
1. FY'96 Budget for NEH Is $110.5 Million -- On September 19 the
House/Senate Conference Committee met to reconcile the House and Senate
versions of the Interior Appropriations Bill and agreed to an FY'96
appropriation for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) of
$110.5 million and $99.5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts
(NEA). The House had appropriated $99.5 million for both NEH and NEA and
the Senate had appropriated $110 million for each of the agencies.
The most contested portion of the bill concerned the National Endowment
for the Arts (NEA) and the House provision that the FY'96 appropriation
for NEA be contingent on reauthorization legislation being passed by
October 1. A similar rule for NEH had been waived by the House on the
recommendation of the House Rules Committee. Although reauthorization
bills have been introduced in both houses, the prospect of a compromise
being reached on the divergent House and Senate bills and legislation
being passed in the next few weeks is most unlikely. The conferees voted
to drop the reauthorization requirement for NEA from the legislation but
agreed to strong report language that will call for NEA to be eliminated
in two years. The conference committee has not yet completed its work,
and their recommendations are subject to votes in both the House and the
Senate. Thus the process is not yet over.
2. National History Teaching Standards Face Increased Criticism --
The Department of Education has disowned the National History Teaching
Standards, and Presidential candidate Senator Bob Dole has launched a
harsh attack on them. Last October the National Center for History in
the Schools at UCLA released the history standards. They are part of a
federal initiative to develop model standards for the core disciplines.
Use of the model standards is voluntary. The History Standards were
developed through two and half years of collaborative efforts that
included school teachers, parents, historians, and 35 national education
and professional historical organizations.
On September 4 Richard W. Riley, the Secretary of Education, released a
statement that greatly distanced himself and the President from the
National History Standards. He noted that the history standards were
developed by a grant awarded by NEH under Chairwoman Lynne Cheney and the
Department of Education under Secretary Lamar Alexander. Riley stressed
that while we should not "whitewash" our history, the message should be a
positive one. He noted that panels headed by very respected individuals
are now reviewing the standards and will be completing their review in
October. However, his basic point was: "The President does not believe
and I do not believe that the UCLA standards should form the basis for a
history curriculum in our schools."
In a speech on September 3 Senator Bob Dole criticized the national
history standards as being too negative and of placing too great an
emphasis on the past treatment of minorities. Dole said the history
standards were a part of the Government's "war on traditional American
values," and he identified them of part of elitist liberals attempt to
undermine American values.
3. U.S. Archivist Names Lewis Bellardo Deputy --
U.S. Archivist John Carlin has officially named Dr. Lewis J. Bellardo to
the position of Deputy Archivist of the United States/Chief of Staff.
Since Carlin arrived at the National Archives in June, Lew Bellardo has
been on detail as Special Assistant to the Archivist. Lew Bellardo has
had a distinguished career in the field of archival management and served
for a number of years as the state archivist of Kentucky. Since coming
to the National Archives in 1989, he has served as Director for the
Center for Legislative Archives, the Director of the Preservation Policy
and Services Division, and Deputy Assistant Archivist for the National
Archives.
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