Feb 7, 2006
NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE (Vol. 12, #6; 6 February 2006)
SPECIAL POSTING!
PRESIDENT SUBMITS FY 2007 BUDGET – BUT IS IT DEAD ON ARRIVAL?
After a weekend of strategic leaks announcing various aspects of the president’s budget proposal, on 6 February 2006 the White House officially submitted to Congress its $2.7-trillion budget proposal designed to fund the operations of the federal government in FY 2007. For a variety of reasons Washington insiders are already debating whether the budget is DoA – “Dead on Arrival.” After its release, Republicans, who will largely reshape the president’s proposals in coming weeks and months, voiced general support for it. Democrats, on the other hand, characterized the document as a less than an honest effort to deal with exploding deficits.
But why DoA? First, the president’s plan is not likely to be greeted with enthusiasm from fiscal conservatives or lawmakers squeamish about cutting programs in election years. Of particular concern is the president’s proposal for a significant cut in Medicare – $30 million over five years, and the equally offensive proposal to raise monthly premiums once again – a plan sure to draw fire from some of the 43 million seniors who traditionally vote in large numbers. The budget also reflects another massive deficit – $355-billion -- and that does not include the cost of off-line items such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq or Katrina hurricane relief.
Winners in the budget plan include the departments of Defense and Homeland Security whose operations will each grow by some 5%. The Department of Education is also slotted to receive a shot in the arm through the American Competitive Initiative – a new domestic program the president discussed in his State of the Union address. It would inject billions into math and science teaching. It also would double federal spending on basic research grants in the physical sciences over the next ten years at a cost of $50 billion. But, in reality, there is little new money in the initiative, only a reshaping of last year's appropriated budget with the new initiative being partially funded through the termination of nearly 100 more narrowly focused programs.
Losers include the elderly and the poor who receive federal benefits and also virtually every domestic agency from Agriculture to Veterans Affairs. Collectively domestic agencies stand to take billions in cuts. A total of 141 federal programs are slotted to be sharply curtailed or eliminated entirely (a third of them are in the Department of Education). And for the second year in a row the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) is zeroed out from the president’s budget.
As for the budget numbers for agencies of particular interest to the history and archives professions:
For the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) a request of $141 million (about $2 million less than appropriated last year), including:
$15.2 million – level funding – for the “We the People” initiative. Part of the funds would support the ”Interpreting America’s Historic Places” and “Family and Youth Programs in American History” initiatives – the purpose of the former is self evident while the latter supports inter-generational learning about significant topics in US history and culture. There is also a major new matching fund initiative to transcribe, digitize, and post to the Internet the papers of the first four presidents (Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison); there are funds earmarked to help preserve and increase access to collections of papers of former members of Congress. Finally, the budget includes $31.08 million for Federal/State partnership programs. For a more detailed breakdown of the NEH funding request, go to http://www.neh.gov/whoweare/2007budget.html .
For the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) the request is for $338 million. Of this $45 million will go toward development of “basic preservation and access capabilities of the Electronic Records Archives.” To the disappointment of many the initial funding for a new stateside archives formula grant program did not materialize. There is, however, $2 million for the initial move of the records and for staffing and operations of the Nixon presidential library.
For the NHPRC – once again zero funds for grants. The budget document states: “ The Budget proposes no new grants funding...so that NARA can focus its resources on its essential Federal records management mission.”
For the Department of Education “Teaching American History” Grant program – $50 million. In the funding proposal the president asserts that “the number of quality applications for assistance under this program in recent
years does not justify the current level of funding ($121 million). The reduced cost reflects “the anticipated number of high-scoring applicants” and would generate about 52 new awards.”
Other items of possible interest: For the 18 museums that comprise the Smithsonian Institution – $533 million -- up slightly from FY 2006 of $527 million. For the Institute for Museum and Library Services – a total of
$262.2 million (an increase of just over $15 million) of which $39.89 million (an increase of $2.5 million) in assistance to museums and $220 million for assistance to libraries. For the Woodrow Wilson Center – level funding of $9 million. And for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation level funding as well – $6 million.
A more detailed summary will follow later in the week in the regular posting of the NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE.
PRESIDENT SUBMITS FY 2007 BUDGET – BUT IS IT DEAD ON ARRIVAL?
After a weekend of strategic leaks announcing various aspects of the president’s budget proposal, on 6 February 2006 the White House officially submitted to Congress its $2.7-trillion budget proposal designed to fund the operations of the federal government in FY 2007. For a variety of reasons Washington insiders are already debating whether the budget is DoA – “Dead on Arrival.” After its release, Republicans, who will largely reshape the president’s proposals in coming weeks and months, voiced general support for it. Democrats, on the other hand, characterized the document as a less than an honest effort to deal with exploding deficits.
But why DoA? First, the president’s plan is not likely to be greeted with enthusiasm from fiscal conservatives or lawmakers squeamish about cutting programs in election years. Of particular concern is the president’s proposal for a significant cut in Medicare – $30 million over five years, and the equally offensive proposal to raise monthly premiums once again – a plan sure to draw fire from some of the 43 million seniors who traditionally vote in large numbers. The budget also reflects another massive deficit – $355-billion -- and that does not include the cost of off-line items such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq or Katrina hurricane relief.
Winners in the budget plan include the departments of Defense and Homeland Security whose operations will each grow by some 5%. The Department of Education is also slotted to receive a shot in the arm through the American Competitive Initiative – a new domestic program the president discussed in his State of the Union address. It would inject billions into math and science teaching. It also would double federal spending on basic research grants in the physical sciences over the next ten years at a cost of $50 billion. But, in reality, there is little new money in the initiative, only a reshaping of last year's appropriated budget with the new initiative being partially funded through the termination of nearly 100 more narrowly focused programs.
Losers include the elderly and the poor who receive federal benefits and also virtually every domestic agency from Agriculture to Veterans Affairs. Collectively domestic agencies stand to take billions in cuts. A total of 141 federal programs are slotted to be sharply curtailed or eliminated entirely (a third of them are in the Department of Education). And for the second year in a row the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) is zeroed out from the president’s budget.
As for the budget numbers for agencies of particular interest to the history and archives professions:
For the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) a request of $141 million (about $2 million less than appropriated last year), including:
$15.2 million – level funding – for the “We the People” initiative. Part of the funds would support the ”Interpreting America’s Historic Places” and “Family and Youth Programs in American History” initiatives – the purpose of the former is self evident while the latter supports inter-generational learning about significant topics in US history and culture. There is also a major new matching fund initiative to transcribe, digitize, and post to the Internet the papers of the first four presidents (Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison); there are funds earmarked to help preserve and increase access to collections of papers of former members of Congress. Finally, the budget includes $31.08 million for Federal/State partnership programs. For a more detailed breakdown of the NEH funding request, go to http://www.neh.gov/whoweare/2007budget.html .
For the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) the request is for $338 million. Of this $45 million will go toward development of “basic preservation and access capabilities of the Electronic Records Archives.” To the disappointment of many the initial funding for a new stateside archives formula grant program did not materialize. There is, however, $2 million for the initial move of the records and for staffing and operations of the Nixon presidential library.
For the NHPRC – once again zero funds for grants. The budget document states: “ The Budget proposes no new grants funding...so that NARA can focus its resources on its essential Federal records management mission.”
For the Department of Education “Teaching American History” Grant program – $50 million. In the funding proposal the president asserts that “the number of quality applications for assistance under this program in recent
years does not justify the current level of funding ($121 million). The reduced cost reflects “the anticipated number of high-scoring applicants” and would generate about 52 new awards.”
Other items of possible interest: For the 18 museums that comprise the Smithsonian Institution – $533 million -- up slightly from FY 2006 of $527 million. For the Institute for Museum and Library Services – a total of
$262.2 million (an increase of just over $15 million) of which $39.89 million (an increase of $2.5 million) in assistance to museums and $220 million for assistance to libraries. For the Woodrow Wilson Center – level funding of $9 million. And for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation level funding as well – $6 million.
A more detailed summary will follow later in the week in the regular posting of the NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE.