Selection of New Archivist Moves Slowly. Although names of possible candidates for the position of US Archivist are circulating, there is no evidence that the White House has at this time decided on a specific person. With the many changes in the White House staff, indications are that it may be awhile before the President sends a nominee to the Senate for confirmation. In order to assure the selection of an eminently qualified person of stature, NCC member organizations have urged that an individual be sought who has a commitment to preserving government records, the ability to administer a large organization, the stature to work effectively with other agency heads and members of Congress, the ability to work within the governmental and budgetary process, a commitment to adapting the National Archives to the new information environment, and the capacity to assert a leadership role for the National Archives.
President Recommends Current Budget Level for Archives for FY’86. Although the President’s proposed budget includes approximately the same amount for the National Archives’ operational expenses in 1986 as in 1985, one small but significant addition does appear in the new budget. $3 million has been slated for start-up funds for a twenty-year preservation plan for the nation’s records.
Freedom of Information Act. On January 3, Senator Hatch (R-UT) introduced S. 150, the Freedom of Information Reform Act, which as S. 774 was passed by the Senate during the last Congress but never reached the House floor. A major component of this legislation is the introduction of a fee system to allow agencies to collect all costs reasonably and directly attributable to responding to the request. This would include the costs of search, duplication, declassification review, and any other processing involved. Historians were successfully able to secure language in this legislation for a “fee waiver” for scholarly research. Although this is called an FOIA reform act, it does not deal with some of the problems that most concern historians—the long delay, sometimes over several years, between the time of the original request and the receipt of requested documents and the fact that when many documents arrive, there are large deleted portions.
Bicentennial of the Constitution. In September of 1983 the President signed into law legislation to establish the Commission on the Bicentennial of the US Constitution, which is to organize and promote activities for the celebration. The historical community was most disappointed in 1983 and 1984 when the President failed to appoint the Commission. Now there is dismay with the appointment of former Senator Roger Jepsen (R-Iowa), who has no apparent special qualifications for the position, as the director of the project. Since the legislation calls for the Commission to appoint the director, there are now indications that the Commission members will be appointed soon.
