Tell the House to Move the NHPRC Reauthorization Bill!

On July 12, the Senate passed legislation (S. 2872) to reauthorize the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) at a $10 million level for fiscal years 2010–2014. Unfortunately, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has yet to schedule a markup of a bill (H.R. 5616) to reauthorize the NHPRC at a $20 million level for fiscal years 2011–2015.

It is vitally important that H.R. 5616, with an annual authorization level of $20 million, pass the House and be reconciled with the Senate version before Congress adjourns in the fall. For that to happen, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee must take up the bill before the impending congressional recess which begins the first week of August.

The NHPRC’s most recent authorization, at an annual level of $10 million, expired at the end of FY 2009. Only twice over the past decade has the NHPRC received at least that amount and it has been chronically under-funded. While Congress can continue to fund the grants program without an authorization, it makes it more difficult to ensure that the NHPRC is not eliminated and is adequately supported by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and the White House.

The National Coalition for History is asking you to contact the Members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee TODAY and urge them to support consideration, and passage of, the NHPRC reauthorization bill (H.R. 5616) this month! All Members of Congress can be reached by via the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

Letters, emails and phone calls from constituents within each Member’s district are most effective, but so are contacts by individual members of national, state, regional, and local organizations. A list of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, with direct links to their office Websites and phone numbers, is provided below.

To assist in making the case for the NHPRC, a link is provided to a briefing paper, as well as a link to NHPRC grants by state.

Democrats (Majority)

Republicans (Minority)

One thought on “Tell the House to Move the NHPRC Reauthorization Bill!”

  1. To: Members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee:
    As editor of The Papers of Clarence Mitchell Jr., I am writing to request your support for the full authorization of $20 million for the NHPRC’s grants program. The Mitchell papers project is the only scholarly entity that is devoted to the study of the legislative history of the civil rights struggle, and the NHPRC’s funding has been essential for our work, enabling us so far to publish the first 3 of 7 volumes of Mitchell’s monthly and annual reports, which document the progressive stages of his work. In September volume IV (1951-54) of the papers will be published. As you know, Clarence Mitchell Jr.’s legendary status as the civil rights lobbyist won him popular recognition as the “101st senator.”
    Prof. Denton L. Watson
    Editor
    The Papers of Clarence Mitchell Jr.
    CC E210
    SUNY College at Old Westbury
    PO Box 210
    Oldwestbury, NY 11568

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