[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 13, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H65]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           FDR DOCUMENTS ACT

  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 692) to provide that claims of the United States to certain 
documents relating to Franklin Delano Roosevelt shall be treated as 
waived and relinquished in certain circumstances.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 692

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. TREATMENT OF OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS 
                   RELATING TO FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT.

       (a) In General.--If any person or entity makes a gift of 
     any property described in subsection (b) to the National 
     Archives and Records Administration, then any claim of the 
     United States to such property shall be treated as having 
     been waived and relinquished on the day before the date of 
     such gift.
       (b) Property Described.--Property is described in this 
     subsection if such property--
       (1) is a part of the collection of documents, papers, and 
     memorabilia relating to Franklin Delano Roosevelt or any 
     member of his family or staff; and
       (2) was in the possession of Grace Tully and retained by 
     her at the time of her death.
       (c) Date of Gift.--The date of a gift referred to in 
     subsection (a) is any date specified by the donor so long as 
     such date is subsequent to the physical delivery of the 
     property described in subsection (b) to the National Archives 
     and Records Administration.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Luetkemeyer) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and add any extraneous materials.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Massachusetts?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LYNCH. I yield my such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform, I present Senate bill 692 for consideration.
  This legislation will facilitate the donation of the Grace Tully 
Archive to the National Archives and Records Administration. Senate 
bill 692 is the Senate companion to H.R. 1506, which was introduced by 
Representative Louise Slaughter. H.R. 1506 passed the House by voice 
vote on November 16, 2009, after it was approved by the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform by voice vote on October 29, 2009. 
Senate bill 692 is identical to H.R. 1506, and was introduced by 
Senator Chuck Schumer on March 25, 2009. The legislation was reported 
out of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs without amendment on October 5, 2009, and was passed by the 
United States Senate on October 14, 2009, by unanimous consent.
  Madam Speaker, Ms. Grace Tully served as the personal secretary of 
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt from June of 1941 to April of 1945. 
In her capacity as personal secretary to the President, Ms. Tully 
preserved an assortment of personal papers and other historical items 
related to President Roosevelt that have come to form a historically 
significant collection. While the private owner of the Grace Tully 
Collection would like to donate the materials to the Franklin Delano 
Roosevelt Presidential Library, the National Archives and Records 
Administration, which administers the Roosevelt Library, has asserted a 
claim to a portion of the collection. The claim asserted by the 
National Archives impacts whether the private owner may claim a tax 
deduction for the donation. In order to facilitate the donation of the 
Grace Tully Archive, Senate bill 692 waives the government's claim to 
the records and will thereby allow the collection to be gifted to the 
Roosevelt Library.
  Madam Speaker, the Grace Tully Archive represents an important part 
of American history. Through the passage of Senate bill 692, we will 
ensure that this collection will be properly preserved and made 
publicly available through the Roosevelt Library.
  I'd also like to note that this legislation enjoys the support of the 
National Archives. As noted by former Acting Archivist Adrienne Thomas 
in a letter sent to the Oversight Committee in October of 2009, ``I 
write to express my strong support for the ongoing legislative effort 
to facilitate the donation to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential 
Library of the Tully Archive.'' Ms. Thomas went on to say that, ``It is 
very important to the National Archives and Records Administration, and 
for future historians that might want to study these papers, for the 
Tully Archive to be kept intact and made fully accessible to the 
American people in a public government archives.''
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting Senate 
bill 692.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  S. 692 is identical to House Resolution 1506, which passed the House 
on November 16. Therefore, I want to reiterate the points made 
previously during debate on the House bill. This bill will waive 
certain claims of the United States to specific documents, known as the 
Tully Collection, relating to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Grace Tully 
served in Franklin Roosevelt's secretarial staff for several decades, 
and in 1941, became his personal secretary. After her death, her 
collection of papers passed through a number of hands and finally to 
the current owners, Sun Times Media, who bought the collection for $8 
million in 2001.
  In 2004, the National Archives asserted a claim to a portion of the 
documents. Sun Times Media wishes to donate the collection to President 
Roosevelt's Presidential Library in Hyde Park, New York, and take a tax 
deduction. Due to the Archives claim, Sun Times Media is prevented from 
receiving a tax deduction on the donation. This bill waives the legal 
claims of the United States and the Archives, thereby clearing the way 
for the tax deduction and the donation.
  I understand the Archives has offered to support this legislation in 
a letter to the committee. Nevertheless, I want to again highlight two 
points: The majority moved this bill without a hearing. We should have 
had a better understanding of legislation relinquishing the Federal 
Government's claims while benefiting certain private entities through 
tax breaks. Given the multiple, ongoing instances of mismanagement of 
the Archives, we should have the opportunity on the committee to review 
all legislation relating to this agency.
  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I urge the Members to support the 
passage of S. 692, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LYNCH. Likewise, Madam Speaker, I urge support of Senate bill 
692, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, S. 692.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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