The American Historical Association has sent a letter to Ambassador Maria Brewer (State Department) regarding the abrupt dismissal of the members of the Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation of the State Department, including the AHA’s representative on the committee.
The Historical Advisory Committee exists by Congressional statute. Federal law requires that it “shall” operate “on a permanent basis” in the State Department (22 U.S.C. § 4356(a)). Because it currently lacks any members, the Committee is unable to carry out its statutory duties to oversee preparation of the Foreign Relations of the United States series, the official historical record of US foreign policy activities dating back to President Abraham Lincoln’s Administration (22 U.S.C. §§ 4352(a)(1)(B). 4353). Nor can the Committee fulfill its duties to meet for quarterly meetings or advise on the declassification of State Department records (22 U.S.C. §§ 4354, 4356(d)). Instead, all statutorily mandated Committee work has come to a halt.