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NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE (Vol. 12, #30; 8 JULY 2006)
by Bruce Craig (editor)
NATIONAL COALITION FOR HISTORY (NCH)
Website at http://www.h-net.org/~nch/
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NOTE TO READERS:  An abbreviated WASHINGTON UPDATE this week and only
periodic postings for the next couple of weeks as the editor is away 
from
the office in the great far North on a working vacation.  Normal weekly
postings will resume in early August.


1.  FOIA ANNIVERSARY
2.  NARA BUDGET -- STILL TIME TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
3.  BITS AND BYTES
4.  ARTICLES OF INTEREST


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1.  FOIA ANNIVERSARY
This last week was the fortieth anniversary of the Freedom of 
Information
Act, which was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on 4 July 
4
1966.  The event was commemorated with the release of a number of 
reports
and special publications.

Tom Blanton of the National Security Archive has issued a brief history
of
the FOIA titled "Freedom of Information at 40" which is based on
documents
obtained from the Johnson Presidential Library.  For the report, go to:
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB194/index.htm .  The National
Security Archive has also assembled a legislative history of the FOIA 
Act
that can be found at:
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/foialeghistory/legistfoia.htm .

OpenTheGovernment.org has issued a critical analysis of agency
"improvement"
plans that assesses how well various federal agencies are complying 
with
FOIA.  The report, titled "FOAI's 40th Anniversary: Agencies Respond to
President's Call for Improved Disclosure of Information" finds that 
there
is
a varying range of agency compliance with provisions of the law. For 
the
report, go to: http://www.openthegovernment.org/


2.  NARA BUDGET -- STILL TIME TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
A week or so back the National Coalition for History issued an "NCH
Action
Alert" in which we reported on the dire predicament confronting the
National
Archives budget in FY 2007. We stated that there is an operational
shortfall
of $12 million in the President's proposed budget; that in addition, an
ADDITIONAL $8 million was cut from the NARA budget when lawmakers voted
to
take money from NARA in order to fund an anti-drug amendment.

NARA is also dealing with $2 million worth of flood damage at its
Washington
D.C. Main Archives facility.  But in addition, a second flood -- this 
one
at
NARA's Suitland facility -- has soaked an estimated 15,000 boxes of
records
including the papers of several Members of Congress.

Unless the $22 million is added to NARA's base funding by the Senate 
NARA
officials may be compelled to reduce research room hours of operation;
cut
the number of hours the rotunda is open to visitors to view the 
documents
of
American Freedom (the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and
Constitution); and other cost-cutting measures would be instituted,
including the elimination of door-to-door shuttle service between Main
Archives and College Park, new photocopying fees, and creation of a
charge
for reference services throughout the NARA system.  Finally, researchers
may
be further inconvenienced if the National Archives has to balance its
books
by furloughing employees.

Readers who have not yet made their voice known in support of a proposed
$22
million increase for NARA still have time to call their senator (the
Capitol
switchboard number is (202) 224-3121) and urge them to add the needed
funds
to the NARA budget.


3.  BITS AND BYTES
No postings this week.

4.  ARTICLES OF INTEREST
No postings this week.


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Who We Are...
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