State of Maryland, but because it will be a prototype of many other State efforts, and be a guide to the committee. Senator HRUSKA. I think the extent and quality of her efforts have come to the committee from other channels as well, and we are looking forward to her testimony. Senator MATHIAS. I am sure that is true. Senator HRUSKA. Thank you. Senator MATHIAS. May I submit those two documents that I mentioned previously for the record. Senator HRUSKA. Fine. [The documents referred to follow:] ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNORS CONFERENCE, Whereas, the American Revolution Bicentennial commemoration should and must be a nationwide event, encompassing 200 years of American experience and involving all our people; and Whereas, the federal government has cooperated in the establishment of state bicentennial commissions to assure such results; and Whereas, a nationwide commemoration involving all of our people will require funding which rightfully should be shared by the federal government and the states; and Whereas, the resolution passed May 15th by the National American Revolution Bicentennial Commission called for support of grants to states and territories from appropriated and non-appropriated funds: now, therefore, be it RESOLVED. That the Governors of the states in conference assembled strongly endorse federal government appropriations of matching funds to the states for bicentennial grants, total funding on specific state projects with national ARBC approval, and continuation of the $45,000.00 grant to State Commissions for operational expenses for the years 1975 and 1976. Approved unanimously by Executive Board-June 5, 1973. Approved unanimously by all Governors June 6, 1973. RESOLUTION PASSED AT THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION MEETING, WASHINGTON, D. C., MAY 15, 1973 The Commission recognizes that a need exists to provide a focal point in each state and territory for the effective commemoration and celebration of the Bicentennial of the American Revolution and therefore urges the establishment of a public Bicentennial Center in each state and territory. Accord ingly, to promote that end, we strongly support the principle of a matching, grant program to the states and territories from appropriated and nonappropriated funds. Further, we reaffirm our support for a grant program of appropriated and non-appropriated funds to assist in financing the bicentennial programs of the states and territories. Senator HRUSKA. We will now consider the testimony of Mr. Hugh Hall, Acting Director of the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission. accompanied by Mr. Eugene Skora, general counsel, American Revolution Bicentennial Commission. Before we ask Mr. Hall to proceed with his statement, there will inserted a letter dated today from Mr. David J. Mahoney, who is Chairman of the Commission, and it explains his interest in expeditious processing of the bill and also indicates his inability to be here because of circumstances beyond his control. [The letter from Mr. Mahoney follows:] Hon. ROMAN HRUSKA, AMERICAN REVOLUTION BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION, Chairman, Subcommittee on Federal Charters, Holidays and Celebrations, Committee on the Judiciary, U. S. Senate, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR HRUSKA: I regret very much that a previous and long standing commitment does not permit me to appear today before the Subcommittee on Federal Charters, Holidays and Celebrations of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary in support of H. R. 7446. Nevertheless, I do wish to record my strong support for the bill. The need for a new organizational structure was recognized by the President at the time of my appointment as Chairman of the ARBC in September 1970 when the national program for the Bicentennial commemoration was first submitted by the Commission to the President. My experience as Chairman of the ARBC since that date confirms beyond question the need for a new organizational structure to replace the present Commission. My only disagreement with the provisions of H.R. 7446 concerns the prohi bition in Section 10(f) on the Administrator serving as Chairman of the proposed American Revolution Bicentennial Board. On the contrary, I strongly recommend that the Administrator be ex officio Chairman of the Board. My opinion is the same as that of the full Commission as reflected in its Resolution on this matter (enclosed)... I urge speedy and favorable action by the Senate on this bill since time is running out and much remains to be done. Sincerely, DAVID J. MAHONEY, Chairman. Senator HRUSKA. Mr. Hall, you have provided us with a statement. You may proceed to testify in your own fashion and the statement will be printed in the record in toto. You may highlight it or read it, as you choose. Mr. HALL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will highlight my statement, since the full statement is placed in the record. STATEMENT OF HUGH A. HALL, ACTING DIRECTOR, AMERICAN REVOLUTION BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION Mr. HALL. Mr. Chairman, it is a pleasure for me to appear, before this subcommittee in general support of HR, 7446, to establish the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission. As David J. Mahoney notified you by letter, he is unable to appear today, but that he does ask you to consider the remarks and observations that I will state during my testimony. As you know, Mr. Mahoney has served as the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission Chairman since September 1970 and is very much aware of the structural defects in, the present Commission. Chairman Mahoney and Vice Chairman Hobart Lewis forwarded recommendations to the White House to establish a new Bicentennial Administration, Their conclusions came from a review of private consulting firm studies, Government agencies' studies, and the Commission's report to the President of July 1970 which stated that "The Commission as presently constituted is not well suited to discharge the managerial responsibilities which effective coordination and implementation of recommended programs will require." I am also very much aware of the organizational defects in the ARBC since I have served as Acting Director since August of 1972 and as Deputy Director since December of 1969. The basic defect in the present ARBC is that the full 50-member Commission collectively is vested by law with statutory authorities normally vested in a single head of agency. Each member of the present commission, including the Chairman, has one-fiftieth of the legal authority. The result is fragmented authority with no individual responsibility. Equally troublesome is the fact that there is no chief executive officer of the ARBC. There is, rather, a part-time, nonpaid Chairman responsible for policy direction and a full-time, paid Director, ostensibly responsible for making day-to-day decisions. No one has clear-cut authority and responsibility to make decisions in a timely and decisive fashion. Accordingly, the President proposed that a more streamlined tightly organized structure, headed by a full-time Administrator, be established to continue and complete the preliminary Bicentennial work begun by the volunteer, part-time American Revolution Bicentennial Commission during the past several years. The President expressed his belief that the legislation was essential to insure that the American people are well prepared to mark in a meaningful fashion the completion of our first two centuries as a nation and to begin our third century rededicated to the spirit of 76 and the basic principles on which our Nation was founded. The President's proposal was introduced in the House of Representatives as H.R. 3695. A House Judiciary Subcommittee, chaired by Congressman Donohue, held 2 days of hearings on this proposal. Numerous public and private witnesses testified and many submitted their views to the subcommittee in writing. Following extensive subcommittee and full Judiciary Committee deliberations, a revised bill, H.R. 7446, was reported out of the Judiciary Committee and passed by the House of Representatives on June 7 by a vote of 344 to 14. The Judiciary Committee is to be complimented for its fine work. The bill, H.R. 7446, would establish the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration as an independent establishment for the observance of the Bicentennial. The new Administration would assume the functions and responsibilities of the Present American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, which would be abolished. The new Administration will be temporary in nature in that it will terminate on June 30, 1977. The Administration will be headed by a full-time Administrator who would be nominated by the President along with the Deputy Administrator and both confirmed by the Senate. Senator HRUSKA. You are now reading from page 4. Mr. HALL. I am reading from a highlight statement I prepared. The policies of the Administration would be defined by an 11member American Revolution Bicentennial Board for guidance of the Administrator. Also, a 25-Public-Member Advisory Council would be appointed by the President from a broad segment of our population to advise the Administrator in carrying out his duties. No more than 15 Council members may be from the same political party. The bill states its basic purposes as being to coordinate, facilitate, and aid in the scheduling of events and projects of State, local, national, and international significance. One of the primary functions of the new Administration is the maintenance of a master calendar of events to take place between March 1975 and December 15, 1976. The bill authorizes annual appropriations of such sums as the Congress may deem necessary to carry out the purposes of the act to the termination date of the Administration on June 30, 1977. The major changes made by the House in the executive branch proposals pertain to the organizational structure of the proposed American Revolution Bicentennial Administration and to the time period for its activities. No fundamental changes were made in the functions to be conducted by the new Administration. I would like to emphasize this point very strongly so that there will be no misunderstanding: The bill proposed by the President anticipates that the many accomplishments and the work done to date by the present Commission is to constitute the foundation upon which the new Bicentennial Administration will build. The concept adopted by the ARBC for a nationwide, grassroots commemoration with the involvement and participation of all of our citizens, coordinated primarily through individual State bicentennial commissions, is to continue. Also, the three major program themes of Heritage 76, Festival USA, and Horizons 76 are specifically recognized in the bill as the bases for commemorative programs which relate to our historical yesterday, to the sharing of our experiences of today with all of our international neighbors and for the fulfillment of the American dream for every citizen for tomorrow. The House bill differs from the President's bill in certain important respects. For example, H.R. 7446 would establish an 11-member Board to provide policy guidance to an Administrator to be appointed by the President with Senate confirmation. Such Board will include the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the proposed Bicentennial Advisory Council previously mentioned, three representatives from State bicentennial commissions, two members of the Senate and two of the House of Representatives, and the Secretary of Interior, and the Administrator. I believe this is a reasonable structure. The Administration will have an Administrator with authority and responsibility to make day-to-day decisions. However, the Administrator will be subject to broad policy guidance of the Bicentennial Board. Section 10(f) of the bill provides that the Chairman of the Board is to be elected from members of the Board other than the Administrator. Thus, the Administrator is precluded from serving as Chairman. In my judgment, the Administrator should be ex officio the Chairman of the Board. Otherwise, the split responsibility between a parttime volunteer Chairman and a full-time paid Director found in the present ARBC structure is continued. I urge that section 10 (f) be modified to provide that the Administrator shall serve as Chairman of the Board. I would like to submit to the committee a resolution of the present Bicentennial Commission regarding the role of the Administrator under the bill. This resolution from those who have 4 years plus experience cannot and should not be overlooked. Senator HRUSKA. That resolution which is No. 11-73, dated May 15, 1978, will be printed in the record at this point. Mr. HALL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [The document follows:] AMERICAN REVOLUTION BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION, ACTION No. 11-73, At a meeting of the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission on May 15, 1973, in Washington, D. C., the following motion, originally made by Miss Nancy Porter and recommended to the Full Commission by the Executive Committee, was passed: "In view of the rapid passage of time between now and 1976, I move that the ARBC support the concept of a full-time Chief Executive, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, who has both the responsibility and authority to administer the Bicentennial with the advice of a representative group appointed by the President." May 15, 1973. DAVID J. MAHONEY, Mr. HALL. This role of the proposed Administration is consistent with the role of the present Bicentennial Commission which it will replace. This bill does not provide the Administrator with authority for a brick-and-mortar bicentennial commemoration. Rather, the purpose is to give special emphasis to the ideas associated with the Revolution which have been so important to the United States, in world affairs, and mankind's quest for freedom and improvement. An additional important activity of the new Administration relates to grants to the States and nonprofit organizations. The new bill would continue the authority presently available to the ARBC to make project grants on a matching basis solely from nonappropriated funds. The ARBC was, it was stated earlier today, authorized to make two annual grants from appropriated funds in the amount of $45,000 per State to assist in the initial establishment of their State bicentennial commissions. Such grants were made in fiscal year 1972 and fiscal year 1973. Since the authority available to ARBC has expired by its own terms, it is not continued in H.R. 7446 and was not proposed in H.R. 3695. Thus, the only grant authority continued in the new bill is for project matching grants to State bicentennial commissions and nonprofit organizations out of nonappropriated funds derived from such sources as the sale of commemorative medals struck by the U.S. Mint. In conclusion, I would like to state that the new administration proposed in H.R. 7446 is necessary if the Nation is to have a commemoration of its 200th anniversary worthy of the occasion. The changes proposed in the bill with the one modification pertaining to the Administrator serving as Chairman of the Board, will provide a structure which will facilitate decision making and allow acceleration of bicentennial actions in the very short time remaining before 1976. |