[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 124 (Thursday, September 28, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H7737-H7738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WOODROW WILSON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AUTHORIZATION ACT
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 4846) to authorize a grant for contributions toward the
establishment of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 4846
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. GRANTS FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WOODROW WILSON
PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY.
(a) Grants Authorized.--Subject to subsections (b), (c),
and (d), the Archivist of the National Archives and Records
Administration may make grants to contribute funds for the
establishment in Staunton, Virginia, of a library to preserve
and make available materials related to the life of President
Woodrow Wilson and to provide interpretive and educational
services that communicate the meaning of the life of Woodrow
Wilson.
(b) Limitation.--A grant may be made under subsection (a)
only from funds appropriated to the Archivist specifically
for that purpose.
(c) Conditions on Grants.--
(1) Matching requirement.--A grant under subsection (a) may
not be made until such time as the entity selected to receive
the grant certifies to the Archivist that funds have been
raised from non-Federal sources for use to establish the
library in an amount equal to at least double the amount of
the grant.
(2) Relation to other woodrow wilson sites and museums.--
The Archivist shall further condition a grant under
subsection (a) on the agreement of the grant recipient to
operate the resulting library in cooperation with other
Federal and non-Federal historic sites, parks, and museums
that represent significant locations or events in the life of
Woodrow Wilson. Cooperative efforts to promote and interpret
the life of Woodrow Wilson may include the use of cooperative
agreements, cross references, cross promotion, and shared
exhibits.
(d) Prohibition of Contribution of Operating Funds.--Grant
amounts may not be used for the maintenance or operation of
the library.
(e) Non-Federal Operation.--The Archivist shall have no
involvement in the actual operation of the library, except at
the request of the non-Federal entity responsible for the
operation of the library.
(f) Authority Through Fiscal Year 2011.--The Archivist may
not use the authority provided under subsection (a) after
September 30, 2011.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.
General Leave
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Georgia?
There was no objection.
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might
consume.
Woodrow Wilson was this Nation's 28th President, and today I rise in
support of a bill that honors his life and his legacy.
As both a statesman and a scholar, President Wilson was a champion of
democracy and freedom. He was a fierce advocate of using diplomacy as a
tool for foreign policy, and when he led America to fight against
Germany in World War I, he did so saying, ``The world must be safe for
democracy.''
H.R. 4846, as amended, will enable the construction of a Presidential
Library and Museum at President Wilson's birthplace in Staunton,
Virginia. This facility would provide educational services honoring the
ideals and beliefs President Wilson promoted throughout
[[Page H7738]]
his life, and I urge all Members to join me in supporting it.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I would yield myself such time as
I might consume.
Mr. Speaker, this bill creates, for the first time, a matching grant
program administered by the National Archives for the construction of a
private Presidential library. I am pleased that the Woodrow Wilson
Library Foundation is expanding, and I hope it can develop into a vital
research center.
While I fully support the private Presidential libraries and will not
oppose this bill, I do, however, want to raise two concerns about this
method of funding these libraries.
First, I want us to be clear that we are not establishing a precedent
here. Private Presidential libraries have always sought funds from
private donors and have been successful in doing so. I do not want
passage of this bill to encourage them to turn away from these sources
of funding in favor of the Federal Government. The Federal Government
simply does not have the resources to support all private Presidential
libraries.
Secondly, I have been concerned that this grant would cut into the
operating funds of the Archives. The National Archives is the Nation's
depository of all valuable and preserved documents and materials
created in the course of business conducted by the Federal Government.
This is a huge responsibility that must be met with its limited budget.
The bill before us is different from the introduced version, and I
want to thank the sponsors of the bill for revising the bill to give
the Archivist discretion regarding the provision of the grant. This
provision ensures that any grant made to the Woodrow Wilson Library
Foundation does not jeopardize any of the Archives' important work
because it ensures that any grant to the library must be from funds
appropriated specifically for that purpose.
Mr. Speaker, with these expressions of concerns and provisions, I
would support this legislation.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 4 minutes to the
gentleman from the Commonwealth of Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte).
Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4846, the
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library Authorization Act, which will
authorize grants from the National Archives for the establishment of a
Presidential library to provide educational and interpretive service to
honor the life of Woodrow Wilson.
As a statesman, scholar and President, Woodrow Wilson faced economic
crisis, democratic decay, and a world war. Presidential historians
agree that World War I and President Wilson's leadership radically
altered the role of diplomacy as a tool of foreign policy, a policy
that established a new path for America's role in promoting democracies
throughout the world. So, too, did Wilson's high-minded ideals craft a
legacy that shaped the powers and responsibilities of the executive
branch in times of war.
Mr. Speaker, as a professor and President of Princeton University,
Wilson created a more selective and accountable system for higher
education. By instituting curriculum reform, Wilson revolutionized the
roles of teachers and students and quickly made Princeton one of the
most renowned universities in the world.
Due to Wilson's legacy at Princeton, I am pleased to have the support
of the current Princeton President, Shirley Tilghman, as we establish
this library.
H.R. 4846 gives the National Archives the authority to make pass-
through grants for the establishment of a Presidential library in
Staunton, Virginia, Woodrow Wilson's birthplace, and does not create a
new program.
In addition, to ensure that a public-private partnership exits, this
legislation mandates that no grant shall be available for the
establishment of this library until a private entity has raised at
least twice the amount to be allocated by the archives.
Quite frankly, more Federal public-private programs should operate in
this manner.
Finally, and to ensure that the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library
is not part of the Presidential library's system, this legislation
states that the Federal Government shall have no role or responsibility
for the ongoing operation of the library.
I am also pleased to have the support of several other Presidential
sites throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, known as the Birthplace
of Presidents, including Monticello, Poplar Forest, Montpelier, Ash-
Lawn, and Mount Vernon.
Mr. Speaker, in order to increase the awareness and understanding of
the life and principles and accomplishments of the 28th President of
the United States, I ask that you join me in voting for this
legislation in the 150th anniversary of Woodrow Wilson's birth year.
I would also like to thank the Woodrow Wilson Library Foundation for
their help in this cause, including Eric Vettel, Don Wilson, honorary
officers, board members, and trustees. I want to thank House leadership
for scheduling this bill today, cosponsors, which includes the entire
Virginia delegation and the staff of the Government Reform Committee
and the Office of Legislative Counsel for their assistance in crafting
this bill.
Mr. GOODE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4846, which
authorizes a grant for contributions toward the establishment of the
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library in Staunton, Virginia.
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born in Staunton, Virginia on December 28,
1856. He later lived in Charlottesville, Virginia while studying law at
the University of Virginia. When elected President of the United States
in 1912, Wilson became the eighth person born in Virginia to ascend to
the Presidency, more than any other state in the nation.
As President, Wilson promoted numerous social and economic reforms
including the Federal Reserve Act of 1913.
H.R. 4846 authorizes a matching grant program to establish the Wilson
Library at the President's birthplace in Staunton. I have had the
pleasure of visiting the museum there on many occasions and my nephew,
Brett, especially enjoyed seeing the fully restored Pierce-Arrow
limousine that was used to transport President Wilson from New York to
Washington upon his return from France in 1919 after negotiating the
Treaty of Versailles.
I commend the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Goodlatte, for this
legislation and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4846.
{time} 1530
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the
passage of H.R. 4846, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4846, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to
authorize grants for contributions toward the establishment of the
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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