[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 25, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9926-S9927]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. WEBB (for himself and Mr. Warner):
  S. 1878. A bill to authorize grants for contributions toward the 
establishment of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library; to the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. WEBB. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation with 
my colleague Senator Warner which will authorize a one-time capital 
grant by the National Archives to establish a Presidential library to 
honor the life of Woodrow Wilson. Virginia is fortunate to have 8 
native sons that went on to become President of the U.S. This is a 
distinction that has led our fair Commonwealth to be known as the 
``Mother of Presidents.'' The bipartisan bill we introduce today honors 
the most recent of the eight and a native of Staunton, Virginia: 
Woodrow Wilson.
  Woodrow Wilson was one of the most influential statesmen, scholars, 
and Presidents in American history. His impact on domestic and 
international affairs is undeniable. Only now, nearly 100 years after 
his presidency, are we able to fully appreciate the contributions 
President Wilson made to the U.S. and to the world.
  As a professor and President of Princeton University, Wilson created 
a more accountable system for higher education. Through curriculum 
reform, Wilson revolutionized the roles of teachers and students and 
quickly made Princeton one of the most renowned universities in the 
world.
  As a scholar, Wilson wrote numerous books and became an accomplished 
essayist. Highly regarded for his work in political science, Wilson's 
dissertation, entitled Congressional Government, is still admired today 
as a study of federal lawmaking. He did this notwithstanding the fact 
that he could not read until he was ten years old and may have suffered 
from a learning disability such as dyslexia.
  As a statesman and President, Wilson compiled a record of domestic 
legislation that set the groundwork for modern America and reflected 
his belief in the ideal that: ``Liberty does not consist . . . in mere 
general declarations of the rights of man. It consists in the 
translation of those declarations into definite action.'' He 
spearheaded groundbreaking reform in finance, trade, industry and 
labor, including anti-trust and child labor laws and women's suffrage. 
During his two terms in office, he oversaw the birth of the Federal 
Reserve System and the Federal Trade Commission.
  In spite of Wilson's significant contributions to American history 
and his instrumental role in shaping the framework of the modern 
international landscape, there exists no authorized Presidential 
library dedicated to his achievements.
  For the last 70 years, the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library 
Foundation in Staunton, Virginia has admirably served as caretaker of 
Wilson's papers and artifacts, dedicating itself to the preservation of 
Wilson's legacy. But it has done so without the resources afforded to 
other Presidential libraries in the Federal system. Over time, the 
Foundation has outgrown its current space and facilities. Now, with 
each day that passes, the prevailing physical infrastructure severely 
limits educational capabilities and opportunities to share the profound 
legacy of President Wilson. Indeed, the foundation has even become 
reluctant to take on many new major new Wilson collections because its 
current controlled archival system is filled to capacity and cannot 
protect additional collections in the absence of the new facility.
  Accordingly, the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library Authorization 
Act authorizes a one-time capital grant from the National Archives for 
the establishment of an independent Woodrow Wilson Presidential 
Library. This library will serve as the center for education and study 
of Woodrow Wilson's life and legacies, and will enable people from this 
country and abroad to learn more about the life and work of our 
Nation's 28th President. To be clear, this bill would establish the 
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library as an independent, privately-run 
institution operating outside the existing Presidential Library System.
  The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library Foundation will use the 
Federal funds to offset costs associated with the construction of a 
29,000 square foot Presidential library honoring President Wilson. As 
planned, the library would include a research library, archives, 
lecture hall, reception hall, orientation theater, ceremonial space, 
and exhibit hall. These funds authorized under this legislation 
represent the full Federal share of the project. Significantly, the 
bill does not authorize ongoing operating subsidies on any other 
ongoing expenses. This is a one time authorization.
  The foundation's endeavor to construct the Woodrow Wilson 
Presidential Library will create the only site in the country dedicated 
to the exploration of the full life and legacies of the 28th President, 
at his birthplace in Staunton, VA. A new library will alleviate stress 
on existing foundation facilities and to allow for increased 
educational outreach to the benefit of students in Virginia and across 
the U.S. Construction of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library would 
achieve the following objectives:

       Make possible collaboration with the National Archives and 
     other presidential libraries, thereby fostering increased 
     awareness and study of American history and the institution 
     of the Presidency. Integrate cutting-edge digital archive 
     development. Promote tourism to Staunton and the Commonwealth 
     of Virginia to the benefit of all local economies.

  Sensitive to the budgetary constraints faced by the National 
Archives, let me reiterate we have crafted this legislation to minimize 
and cap the financial burden on the Federal Government posed by this 
project. First, the bill ensures the existence of a strong public-
private sponsorship by mandating that any Federal dollars are matched 
two-for-one by the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library Foundation and 
only after the nonfederal funds are certified to be in possession of 
the nonprofit entity, an arrangement that Congress has used in the 
past.
  This legislation States that the Federal Government shall have no 
role or responsibility for the operation of the library and guarantees 
that the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library will operate outside the 
existing Presidential Library System. This is not an effort by the 
nonprofit foundation to secure annual operating subsidies along the 
lines of what Congress provides all Presidential Libraries in the 
existing system.
  This legislation enjoys broad, bipartisan, bicameral support in 
Congress and broad support among individuals, organizations and 
officials across the country. This bill is identical to legislation 
approved by the House of Representatives by voice vote in the 109th 
Congress on September 28, 2006, and which the entire Virginia House 
delegation has reintroduced in the 110th Congress. I would note that 
the Governor of Virginia has written Senator Warner and me to endorse 
the project. So too have other regional officials, historians, and 
representatives of other Presidential sites throughout the Commonwealth 
of Virginia, including Monticello, Poplar Forest, Montpelier, Ash-Lawn, 
and Mount Vernon.
  This project has the potential to benefit not only the greater 
Staunton region, but Virginia and the Nation as a whole, both from a 
historical/educational sense and by strengthening an important cultural 
asset in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. We are advised that a new 
building will be an open, welcoming forum for the hundreds of thousands 
of American and foreign visitors who will visit each year to learn 
about Woodrow Wilson and his

[[Page S9927]]

democratic legacies. The project sponsors believe that the country's 
best museum designers will work with historians to turn the story of 
Woodrow Wilson into an unforgettable experience that is fun, 
educational, and permanently memorable.
  In order to increase the awareness and understanding of the life, 
principles and accomplishments of the 28th President of the U.S., I 
urge my colleagues to support this legislation to ensure that Wilson's 
legacy is more accessible and available for a wider audience for years 
to come. I am hopeful that the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs will consider this legislation favorably and that 
we can enact it during the remainder of this Congressional session. 
With the 100th anniversary of his election just 5 years away, this is 
the time for Congress to accept its responsibility to help preserve 
President Woodrow Wilson's legacy and to improve its accessibility for 
generations.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1878

       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.

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today, along with Senator Jim Webb, 
to introduce legislation that seeks to establish the Woodrow Wilson 
Presidential Library.
  President Woodrow Wilson was born in Staunton, VA, in 1856. He was 
first elected to the Presidency in 1912 and was reelected in 1916. 
Throughout his lifetime, Wilson advocated engagement with other nations 
in the search for peace, expansion of economic opportunities to more 
Americans, commitment to democratic principles at home and abroad, and 
protection of the Nation's people and institutions. He created the 
Federal Reserve and was President when women were finally granted the 
right to vote. President Wilson's legacy and historical significance 
are forever linked with his profound efforts in World War I and its 
aftermath, particularly with his attempts to broker a lasting peace in 
a fractured Europe. He was a man of ideals, always maintaining a 
``simple faith in the freedom of democracy.'' It is the utter strength 
of his faith in democracy that continues to inspire our Nation today.
  During my time in the Senate, I have witnessed the growth and 
development of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and have seen 
firsthand the benefits it has provided for its community, the 
Commonwealth, and the country. The library has done remarkable work in 
preserving and protecting historical documents related to Woodrow 
Wilson's life. Equally remarkable has been its ability to share his 
life with communities around the world.
  As you know, Virginia is often referred to as the ``Birthplace of 
Presidents,'' as it has produced more Presidents than any other State 
in the Union, eight in total. I want to respectfully acknowledge our 
most recent President from the Commonwealth of Virginia through the 
recognition of this Presidential library. I can think of no better 
place to preserve his life's work than where his life began.
  I thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of this important 
legislation. I urge my colleagues to honor President Wilson's legacy by 
joining me in support of this bill.

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