[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 100 (Tuesday, July 15, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  1998

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                               speech of

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 11, 1997

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill, H.R. 2107, making 
     appropriations for the Department of the Interior and related 
     agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998, and 
     for other purposes:

  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the 
National Endowment for the Humanities and in opposition to the Chabot 
amendment that would eliminate the NEH.
  It is imperative that the government play an integral role in the 
preservation of the events and historical documents that shaped our 
Nation for this and future generations. The NEH fulfills that role.
  NEH projects preserve books, newspapers, and official documents in an 
effort to retain America's heritage. NEH grants stimulate local 
economies by increasing attendance at humanities exhibitions and 
attractions.
  I urge all of my colleagues to read the following letter to Members 
of Congress from Sheldon Hackney, the chairman of the NEH. This letter 
is an excellent explanation of the benefits our Nation receives from 
the work of the important National Endowment for the Humanities.
  Without a strong link to the past, we cannot build a strong bridge 
into the future.

                                            National Endowment for


                                               the Humanities,

                                   Washington, DC, March 14, 1997.
       Dear Member of Congress: America is a nation founded on an 
     idea. That idea--democracy--lives on generation after 
     generation through a celebration of the formation of this 
     union, an examination of the principles of the past, and a 
     teaching of the events and people who have gone before us to 
     make us the country we are today. A great nation as ours must 
     know its history if it is to be strong in facing the 
     challenges of the future.
       The National Endowment for the Humanities helps Americans 
     to know more about who we were, who we are, and who we will 
     be. We do this in part by devoting a large portion of our 
     resources to help historians preserve and interpret our past 
     and to share knowledge and evidence of our history with the 
     American people.
       For almost ten years, the NEH has helped museums and 
     historical organizations undertake projects to ensure the 
     preservation and security of millions of archaeological, 
     ethnographic, and historical objects. The NEH also supports 
     projects to train the staffs who maintain these historical 
     collections. The training paid off in the wake of Hurricanes 
     Hugo, Andrew, Iniki and the Midwest floods of 1993, because 
     it helped minimize damage to collections in the areas 
     affected by these disasters.
       Through supporting the compilation of U.S. Presidential 
     Papers, preserving photographs and saving brittle books, the 
     National Endowment for the Humanities works to insure our 
     nation's heritage is preserved and accessible to its 
     citizens. If you have any questions about the work we do, 
     please contact me or my staff in the Office of Congressional 
     Liaison at (202) 606-8328.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Sheldon Hackney,
                                                         Chairman.

     

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