[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 92 (Thursday, June 18, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S6771]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION

  Mr. CARPER. Madam President, I take the floor for a few minutes to 
draw the attention of my colleagues to the fact that there is a 
birthday this year, a 75th birthday--not the birthday of a Member of 
the Senate, not a birthday of a Member of the House, but actually it is 
the 75th birthday of the National Archives and Records Administration. 
It is 75 years old this year.
  My colleague who is presiding today may recall the reception that was 
held at the National Archives during our orientation for new Senators 
and their spouses back in November. As it turns out, it was a small 
group of people who were able to witness and to visually see and read 
some of the most famous short documents in our Nation's history.
  But as it turns out, millions of Americans come every year and 
visitors from all over the world come each year to visit the National 
Archives. The National Archives serves as the custodian of some of our 
county's most precious and historic records and documents, and they 
have been doing this for something like three-quarters of a century.
  I wish to take a moment on behalf of all of my colleagues, Democratic 
and Republican, and an Independent or two, to thank the men and women 
who work at the National Archives now--and who have done that for the 
last three-quarters of a century--who work diligently to preserve our 
Nation's history, not just for us but for future generations of 
Americans and others who will come to our shores to visit here.
  Established by Congress to be our Nation's record keeper, the 
National Archives has the critical mission of storing and protecting 
our most valuable and our most important documents. In fact, the main 
Archives facility, which is located not far from where we are gathered 
here today, is the permanent home of--get this--the Declaration of 
Independence, our Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
  Thomas Jefferson once said that an educated citizenry will ensure a 
free society. He was right then. That is right now. Unhindered access 
to information about our government and leaders is truly critical to 
the continued health and vibrancy of our democracy.
  That is why I am pleased to hear that more than 1 million visitors 
travel to the National Archives each year to see thousands of 
documents--the ones I mentioned and others as well--records, and 
special exhibits. It is no stretch to say the National Archives is one 
of the most popular agencies in the U.S. Government. That probably 
comes as a surprise to a lot of us.
  But the Archives is not just a tourist attraction. Over the years, 
the Archives has become an international leader in developing an 
electrical records archiving system that will preserve digital 
information in any format--not just for a few years but forever.
  Information technology has forever altered our ability to create, 
access, and search information from any location in the world. Every 
year, billions--not millions, billions--of documents that shape and 
inform government decisions are never written down with pen and paper. 
Instead, these records are ``born digital.'' That means they are 
created electronically and stored not in a filing cabinet but on 
computers and on the Internet.

  Each year, the Archives preserves more and more information that is 
essential to understanding our democracy, our history, and our culture. 
To put it into some kind of perspective, it took eight C-5 military 
cargo planes to transport all of the paper materials created by the 
Clinton administration. Imagine that: eight C-5 military cargo 
aircraft. Following the most recent Presidential transition, it took 20 
tractor trailers, 2 Boeing 747s, and a DC-8 aircraft to transport all 
of President George W. Bush's records. At the same time, the National 
Archives continues to maintain records from 1775, including the 
military record of every single veteran in the 20th and 21st centuries. 
That is no small task.
  So I stand here today to give my thanks--really, to give our thanks--
to the hard-working folks who work and volunteer their time at our 
National Archives.
  Winston Churchill once said:

       A nation that forgets its past is doomed to repeat it.

  I think that quote truly sums up the important role of the Archives, 
not just for our history but for our future.
  Madam President, tomorrow I will submit, with a number of my 
colleagues, a resolution to commend the National Archives and its 
employees for excellent service over the past 75 years and to wish them 
many years of additional service.

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