[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 127 (Wednesday, September 19, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S6422]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            MORNING BUSINESS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to 
speak for up to 10 minutes each.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, the week of September 17th marks the third 
annual celebration of Congress Week, sponsored by the Association of 
Centers for the Study of Congress. The Association is an independent 
alliance of institutions that preserve the papers of Members of 
Congress and use those papers to promote the study of Congress.
  Congress Week's theme this year is ``Congress: Chosen by the 
People.'' Congress is the only branch of the Federal Government that is 
elected by the people. It is important, as Members of Congress, to 
manage and preserve our own papers for future historical research and 
study of our democracy.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a letter from the 
President of the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress and 
the Chair of the Congressional Papers Roundtable about Congress Week be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:
                                                   September 2012.
       Dear Member of Congress: In honor of Congress Week (16-22 
     September 2012), the Congressional Papers Roundtable (CPR) 
     and the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress 
     (ACSC) encourage you to remember H. Con. Res. 307 (5 March 
     2008), ``expressing the sense of Congress that Members' 
     Congressional papers should be properly maintained and 
     encouraging Members to take all necessary precautions to 
     manage and preserve these papers.''
       Established in 1986, the Congressional Papers Roundtable is 
     composed of members of the Society of American Archivists who 
     work with or have an interest in the papers of members of 
     Congress and the records of Congress. CPR provides a forum 
     for discussing developments and developing guidelines in the 
     preservation and management of congressional papers and 
     records.
       In 2003, ACSC was founded as an independent alliance of 
     institutions and organizations that support a wide range of 
     programs designed to inform and educate students, scholars, 
     policy-makers, and members of the general public on the 
     history of Congress, legislative process, and current issues 
     facing Congress. ACSC encourages the preservation of material 
     that documents the work of Congress, including the papers of 
     representatives and senators, and supports programs that make 
     those materials available for educational and research use. 
     The association also welcomes the participation of 
     institutions and individuals committed to the goal of 
     promoting a better understanding of Congress.
       ACSC has sponsored an annual celebration of ``Congress 
     Week'' since 2009. The central goal of this national 
     initiative is to foster the study of the U.S. House and 
     Senate, and to promote a wider appreciation for the vital 
     role the legislative branch plays in our representative 
     democracy. This year's theme, ``Congress: Chosen by the 
     People,'' is drawn directly from language in the Constitution 
     and emphasizes that Congress is the only branch directly 
     elected by the people. During Congress Week, ACSC members and 
     participating organizations will feature a range of events 
     including lectures and exhibits to highlight the role of 
     legislative branch and the participatory role of citizens in 
     registering to vote, staying informed on issues, and making 
     one's opinions known to members of Congress.
       Every day, the House and Senate make significant 
     contributions to our nation's history. As a Member of 
     Congress, the archival preservation of your papers is a long-
     lasting form of service to constituents in your state and 
     throughout the nation. We urge you to embrace the tenets of 
     H. Con. Res. 307:
       (1) Members' Congressional papers (including papers of 
     Delegates and Resident Commissioners to the Congress) should 
     be properly maintained;
       (2) each Member of Congress should take all necessary 
     measures to manage and preserve the Member's own 
     Congressional papers; and
       (3) each Member of Congress should be encouraged to arrange 
     for the deposit or donation of the Member's own noncurrent 
     Congressional papers with a research institution that is 
     properly equipped to care for them, and to make these papers 
     available for educational purposes at a time the Member 
     considers appropriate.
       Documenting our democracy through the preservation of the 
     record created by Congress is the work of many. In addition 
     to the efforts of the National Archives, the endeavor 
     involves the efforts of libraries, archival repositories, 
     historical societies, and congressional and public policy 
     centers in every state across the nation. We cannot succeed 
     without you. Please take steps to preserve the historical 
     legacy of your state and nation as represented in the records 
     generated by your congressional office.
           Sincerely,
     Leigh McWhite, Chair,
       Congressional Papers Roundtable, Society Association of 
     American Archivists and Political Papers Archivist, 
     University of Mississippi.
     Sheryl B. Vogt, President,
       Association of Centers for the Study of Congress and 
     Director, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research 
     and Studies.
                                  ____

                                                      U.S. Senate,


                                      Office of the Secretary,

                               Washington, DC, September 13, 2012.
     Hon. Harry Reid,
     Majority Leader, U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Reid: The week of September 17, 2012 marks the 
     third annual celebration of Congress Week, sponsored by the 
     Association of Centers for the Study of Congress (ACSC). The 
     ACSC was founded in 2003 as an independent alliance of 
     institutions that preserve the papers of members of Congress 
     and promote the study of Congress through the educational use 
     of these collections.
       This year's celebration builds on successful Congress Weeks 
     in 2010 and 2011, observed by 35 member institutions around 
     the country through lectures, film series, exhibits, and 
     appearances by members of Congress. For Congress Week 2012, 
     the ACSC and the Congressional Papers Roundtable would like 
     to call attention to H. Con. Res. 307 (2008) by asking you to 
     insert the attached letter into the Congressional Record.
       As Chair of the Advisory Committee on the Records of 
     Congress, I support this request because it encourages 
     members of Congress to preserve their records and history.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Nancy Erickson,
     Secretary of the Senate.

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