NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE (Vol. 12, #11; 10 March 2006)

1. DOCUMENT RE-REVIEW AT NARA: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
2. HUMANITIES ADVOCATES CONVERGE ON CAPITOL HILL
3. STATE DEPARTMENT HISTORICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETS
4. "FLAWED" PATRIOT ACT BILL SENT TO THE PRESIDENT
5. BUSH LIBRARY PLAN ASSAILED
6. NEW NPS UNITS RECOGNIZE AFRICAN AMERICAN LEGACY
7. BITS AND BYTES: Congressional Seminar to Feature Eric Foner andJohn Hope Franklin; Faculty Salaries on the Rise States Report; Herbert Feis Award Revamped; PIDB Meets; Endangered Battlefield Report; History Channel"Save Our History" Grant Program Announced;"Save America's Treasures" Grants Announced; NARA Proposed Rule on Use of Official Seals
8. ARTICLES OF INTEREST: "Bush's Obstruction of History" (Washington Post)

1. DOCUMENT RE-REVIEW AT NARA: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Following up on our recent story (see "A Home Run for Historians and Openness Advocates in Exposing a Government Reclassification Effort" in NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE 24 February 2006) in which we reported that for nine years the CIA, U.S. military, intelligence, and other federal agencies have secretly been withdrawing from public access and at times reclassifying thousands of pages of National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records, there have been some recent developments relating to this story: Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein has placed a moratorium on the re-review program, he has initiated an audit of federal agency actions, and this last week he conducted a "summit" in which representatives of all affected federal agencies met to discuss the situation. In addition the Historical Advisory Committee of the Department of State issued a statement supporting the Archivist's actions and Representative Christopher Shays (R-CT) has selected panelists to testify during a hearing on classification policy scheduled next week on 14 March.

On 6 March Archivist Weinstein convened a "summit" of federal agency representatives to discuss issues related to the systematic withdrawal. Following an hour long meeting the agencies unanimously agreed to support the moratorium and to work toward creating new procedures for the review of materials. That same day, the Historical Advisory Committee of the Department of State met and discussed the issue in its brief public session. After comments from representatives of the National Coalition for History, the National Security Archive, and Public Citizen Litigation Group, the committee returned to closed session and issued a statement the next day supporting the Archivist's actions. The statement is brief but to the point: "The Historical Advisory Committee of the Department of State supports the commitment of the Archivist of the United States to maintain a balanced approach to the release of public records and upholds the public interest in having archival records available while recognizing the importance of protecting national security. The Committee endorses the Archivists's request for a moratorium on withdrawal of records from the open shelves at the National Archives and Records Administration."

In the mean time, Representative Shay's staff contacted a number of historians and organization and invited them to present testimony during the hearing scheduled for this next week. While the witness list has not been finalized, the historical and government openness community will be well represented.

2. HUMANITIES ADVOCATES CONVERGE ON CAPITOL HILL On 1-2 March over one hundred humanities supporters met in Washington D.C.
to participate in the seventh annual "Humanities Advocacy Day" event. The activity, coordinated by the National Humanities Alliance and supported by more than 30 cooperating organizations (including the National Coalition for History), brings participants from a variety of humanities-related disciplines to receive advocacy training, to hear a policy briefing, to listen to lawmakers and their staff about the current legislative climate on Capitol Hill, and most important, to make visits to their representatives in order to register their support for the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) which for the second year in a row has been zeroed out by President Bush in his FY 2007 federal budget request. This year the participants pledged to support funding levels of $156 million in FY 2007 for the National Endowment for the Humanities ($15 million above last year's funding and the president's FY 2007 request) and $10 million -- full funding for the NHPRC in which part of the national grant funds would be concentrated on disaster planning grants for state archives.

An evening reception sponsored by the Humanities Alliance and cooperating organizations brought together nearly 150 guests who were treated to presentations by Representatives David Price (D-NC) and Jim Leach (R-IA). Both members of Congress spoke of the necessity to support humanities related programs and initiatives. NEH Chair Bruce Cole also addressed the group and summarized several of the NEH programs he particularly would like to see funded this year.

In meetings with Congressional staff and members the next day, participants stressed the importance of the work of the NEH, including its current emphasis on the history-based "We the People" program. Participants also voiced concern, however, that while the NEH is flat-funded this year, because of administrative salary and overhead costs the total NEH budget will actually experience a cut in programmatic funds unless Congress grants the agency a higher level of appropriations than is recommended by the President.

In meetings with Treasury/Transportation appropriations staff (committees of jurisdiction for the National Archives budget, including the NHPRC) Humanities Advocacy Day participants were told that "nobody wants to see the NHPRC zeroed out" and that members of the appropriations committees were getting tired of the White House and Office of Management Budget's
(OMB) "ploy" of providing zero funding for this program knowing that support in Congress is strong for the program and that lawmakers can be counted on to provide some level of funding for the program. Lawmakers expressed interest in a proposed state-based formula grant program which, should full funding be granted the commission, NARA hopes to initiate this next year by making several emergency/disaster planning grants to state archives. However, participants were told that this year -- even more than last -- that funding levels for all agencies, including the NHPRC, will be tight, that there is little room for increases in discretionary programs, and that obtaining funding even in the $5-$8 million range for national grants will prove challenging.

Appropriations staff stressed how important letters from individuals and organizations are in maintaining and increasing the level of Congressional support for the NHPRC. In that there will not be a formal NARA hearing this year where Archivist Weinstein will be permitted to testify and directly articulate his priorities to members of Congress, staff stressed that written statements of support for NARA and the NHPRC should be delivered to the committee by fax or e-mail by the deadline of April 14.

3. STATE DEPARTMENT HISTORICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETS On 6 March 2006 the Historical Advisory Committee of the Department of State convened for its traditional open session that members of the public are able to attend. Following opening comments by Chair Roger Louis in which new members of the committee were introduced, and once the Minutes of the previous meeting were approved, departmental historian Marc Susser and other members of his staff presented brief reports.

It was announced that staffing of the history office (HO) is now at 40 individuals but attrition due to retirements and transfers to other agencies were impacting operations. Unlike other federal agencies where positions are often being left vacant once someone leaves their job, the HO is being permitted to fill such vacancies within the existing budget.
Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) General Editor Ted Keefer reported that while no new releases of FRUS volumes had taken place yet this year, he anticipated 11-12 such releases this year and pledged that by the year 2010 the HO will have addressed the FRUS volume backlog and from then on his office will be able to meet its 30-year release mandate. Though members of the commission were pleased to hear such a statement, there was some skepticism expressed as to the ability of the HO to meet this target given present staffing levels.

Members of the commission also asked Susser and his staff about electronic FRUS releases and the status of various retrospective volumes and wondered what the commission could do to help speed up releases. HO staff stated there were several "choke points" in the process in which agencies with equity interests in State documents (i.e. CIA, and Department of Defense) continue to be problematic, but the fact that proofing of volumes was currently being conducted in- house was also impacting the flow of completion.

The open session meeting concluded following a prolonged discussion of the NARA re-review program (see related story above) during which committee members individually voiced support for the Archivist's position regarding agency re-review. Following its traditional coffee and donut break the committee resumed activities in closed session.

4. "FLAWED" PATRIOT ACT BILL SENT TO THE PRESIDENT Following months of discussion over disputed provisions of the USA Patriot Act,on 7 March 2006 the House of Representatives joined with the Senate (which acted on the measure earlier) and voted 280-138 to extend the law for another five years and make permanent other provisions. President Bush has long hailed the Patriot Act as an integral tool in the war on terrorism, while civil libertarians have asserted that provisions in the Act constitute "a full frontal assault on the Bill of Rights and the Constitution."

Much of the debate focused on the use of National Security Letters, which essentially is a demand by investigators for records or access to records relating to the public. Members of the library community, in particular, were concerned that librarians were subject to demands for information about patrons contained in those letters. While most senators agreed to a "compromise agreement" worked out between the White House and some senators in which language was crafted that made most libraries not subject to demands in those letters, opponents complained that the restrictions on government power would be virtually meaningless in practice.

The American Library Association and other library organizations which worked long and hard to encourage Congress to make "moderate" but in the ALA's view "essential changes" to those sections in the act that "infringe civil liberties" characterized the final bill as "flawed" and promised to continue to work with "patriotic, hard-working members of Congress to encourage passaged of protections outlined in the SAFE Act."

5. BUSH LIBRARY PLAN ASSAILED
While the Bush administration has yet to make a final decision regarding where the Bush presidential library will be located, a Dallas lawyer who lives in a condominium complex owned by Southern Methodist University (believed by some to be the favored site for the Bush library) has filed a lawsuit objecting to a condemnation proceeding of the 347-unit property that was initiated by the university, allegedly as "a ploy to clear a spot for the library."

The lawsuit claims that SMU began to buy up condominiums in 1999 but has done nothing to maintain them in order to drive residents out of the complex and make way for the library. SMU has not acknowledged that the 12-acre tract is where the facility would be constructed if the university gets the nod for the library. University officials bristled at attorney Gary Vodicka''s allegations and called his suit "a convenient red-herring tactic" designed to respond more favorably to his offer to the university to sell his four condo units.

Vodicka has subpoenaed details from other library finalist groups (Texas Tech University, Baylor University, and University of Dallas) in an effort to learn whether the other contenders have stated where they would place the library should they be selected. Armed with this information Vodicka hopes to undercut SMU's public assertions and win his case in court.

6. NEW NPS UNITS RECOGNIZE AFRICAN AMERICAN LEGACY The National Park Service (NPS) recently added two new areas to its complex of properties that commemorate the African American legacy. The new sites are the Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site (NHS) in Washington, D.C., and the African Burial Ground National Monument (NM) in New York City. These additions bring the total number of NPS units to 390.

The Woodson home NHS was established by publication of a notice in the Federal Register on 27 February 2006. It was the home of Dr. Carter G.
Woodson, who was instrumental in establishing African American history as an academic discipline. He is also remembered for establishing Negro History Week in 1926, which today is recognized as African American History Month. For additional information about Woodson and the site, visit http://www.asalh.org .

The site of the African Burial Ground NM was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1993 and as a National Monument by presidential proclamation on 27 February 2006. The site is where the remains of nearly 420 free and enslaved Africans were discovered in 1991 when construction began on a new federal office building in lower Manhattan. The burial ground is part of a seven-acre site that is estimated to have contained the remains of some 15,000 people, making it the largest and oldest African cemetery excavated in North America. For more information on the site, visit http://www.africanburialground.org .

7. BITS AND BYTES
Item #1 -- Congressional Seminar to Feature Eric Foner and John Hope Franklin: The National History Center launches the first Congressional seminar of the second session of Congress this Monday 13 March from 4-6 pm in the Senate Russell Building in Washington D.C. with presentations by Eric Foner of Columbia University and John Hope Franklin of Duke University. Lonnie Bunch, founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture will moderate the session titled, "Revisting Race and Reconstruction: What is the Federal Government Role?"
The seminar seeks to provide historical background and context to recent federal government reconstruction efforts; it is especially targeted to the Capitol Hill community with an interest in this topic. The National History Center is an initiative of the American Historical Association and seeks to create a common ground for historians drawn from throughout the world and to reaffirm the place of history in public life. To reserve a slot at the seminar, please r.s.v.p. to info@nationalhistorycenter.org or by contacting mhauss@historians.org or by calling (202) 544-2422 Ext 103.

Item #2 -- Faculty Salaries on the Rise States Report: A survey by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources states that faculty salaries rose an average 3.4% last year. A year ago salaries rose only 3.2%. Pay for law professors continue to lead the list of high earners with an average annual salary of $136,634. By contrast new assistant professors of history earn about $45,723; assistant professors earn $47,994, Associate professors $59,470, and full professors $80,706. Professors of English, library science, and those in the liberal arts and sciences and humanities fields earn in general less than historians while those in business, computer and information sciences, engineering, and physical sciences generally earn more. The full report is available online at: http://cupahr.org .

Item #3 -- Herbert Feis Award Revamped: The American Historical Association (AHA) announces that the Herbert Feis Award has been revamped to recognize distinguished contributions to public history during the previous ten years. Previously, the award was given only for books produced by historians working outside academe. Details are available at:
http://www.historians.org/prizes/index.cfm?PrizeAbbrev+FEIS .

Item #4 -- PIDB Meets: Equipped with a $1 million budget for FY 2006, the Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB) held its first meeting on 25 February 2006. The board that serves an advisory function in matters relating to declassification is chaired by L. Britt Snider, former CIA Inspector General. The board is supported by NARA's Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) which serves as executive secretariat. According to William Leonard, ISOO head, the first meeting was devoted mainly to administrative matters and was not open to the public. A second meeting scheduled for 1 April similarly will, according to Leonard, also be "organizational in nature." Leonard states that plans are in the works for a web page, for posting of PIDB minutes and for future meetings addressing the matters that come before the board to, at least in part, be open to the public (The PIDB is not subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act). Leonard has assured the National Coalition for History that timely notice will be given when the public can begin to follow the activities of the newly operational board.

Item #5 -- Endangered Battlefield Report: On 28 February The Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) released its annual report "History Under Siege: A Guide to America's Most Endangered Civil War Battlefields" that lists what the organization considers the 10 most endangered battlefields. Included are Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, the Glorieta Battlefield in New Mexico, and several battlefield sites in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Other endangered battlefields are located in Georgia, Alabama, Washington D.C., Louisiana, and Mississippi. For the CWPT press release announcing the report go here .

Item #6 -- History Channel "Save Our History" Grant Program Announced: The History Channel in partnership with the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) and the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors has announced it third round of grants (up to $10,000) to historical organizations that build partnerships with schools or youth groups. In addition, the History Channel is also looking for individual teachers and students across the country that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to local history through their preservation or history education efforts; based on a creative lesson plan, activity or project could win up to $5,000. Applications for the history organizational awards are due 2 June and 7 April 2006 for the teacher/student awards. For additional information, visit: http://www.saveourhistory.com .

Item #7 -- "Save America's Treasures" Grants Announced: Applications are available for the "Save America''s Treasure's" program -- federal government grants to fund preservation and/or conservation (including archival collections) of nationally significant intellectual and cultural artifacts, collections, and properties. The deadline for grant submissions is 18 April 2006. For additional information, go to: http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/treasures/ .

Item #8 -- NARA Proposed Rule on Use of Official Seals: A notice in the Federal Register published 24 February 2006 (page 9503) advances a NARA proposed rule to update its regulations on the use of official NARA seals and logos by the public and other federal agencies; the rule also will update two of the logs currently in use for the Federal Records Center Program and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Comments from the public are due by 25 April 2006. For the proposed rule,
visit here.

8. ARTICLES OF INTEREST:
One posting this week: In John Wertman's Op-Ed titled "Bush's Obstruction of History" (Washington Post 26 February 2006) the author raises concerns about the Bush administration's position on Executive Order 13233 and notes that "until the original intent of the law is restored, public access to records of our former president's stands in limbo" and calls on Congress to "correct this injustice." For the article go here: (if the link is not working type in the title of the article in the box provided)