Saturday, May 28, 2005
Bush Unmakes History
Inside Higher Ed notes that the Bush Administration is attempting to kill off The National Historical Publications and Records Commission:
The budget of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission has never exceeded $10 million. A major grant from the commission might not exceed $100,000. This is small change in the context of the federal budget — a rounding error would be larger than the agency’s budget. But the funds have been vital to scholars who are editing and publishing the documents of American history.
President Bush proposed eliminating all support for the program this year....
The article notes that projects supported by NHPRC include the First Federal Congress Project, which makes publishes records from the earliest Congress (it "has enormous importance in American history, having passed the Bill of Rights and the laws creating the first three executive departments, and setting the course of the legislative branch") , and editing and publishing the papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.
The budget of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission has never exceeded $10 million. A major grant from the commission might not exceed $100,000. This is small change in the context of the federal budget — a rounding error would be larger than the agency’s budget. But the funds have been vital to scholars who are editing and publishing the documents of American history.
President Bush proposed eliminating all support for the program this year....
The article notes that projects supported by NHPRC include the First Federal Congress Project, which makes publishes records from the earliest Congress (it "has enormous importance in American history, having passed the Bill of Rights and the laws creating the first three executive departments, and setting the course of the legislative branch") , and editing and publishing the papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.
