|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
President Proposes Tight FY 2006 Budget for the National Archives
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 7, 2005—President George W. Bush has sent
to Congress a proposed Fiscal Year 2006 budget for the Federal Government,
including the National Archives and Records Administration. The National Archives
requested portion of the Federal FY 2006 budget is $323,071,000, which exceeds
the FY 2005 funded level of $318,720,672.
The Electronic Records Archives (ERA) program, a key National Archives initiative,
is funded in the FY 2006 request at the FY 2005 level of $35,914,000. The FY
2006 funding level sought by the President will enable the Archives to continue
the development of ERA and lay the groundwork for building the entire system.
ERA is vitally important, not only to the National Archives and the Federal
government at large, but also to state and local governments and the private
sector. This entirely new, ground-breaking approach will provide a comprehensive,
systematic, and dynamic means of preserving and providing continuing access
over time to any type of electronic record created. This essential capability
does not now exist. Federal agencies, Congress, and others recognize that the
National Archives is the leader in creating this system. Without ERA, many
of the records of our Government will be lost forever.
The President’s budget also recommends an end to all grant funding and
staff support for the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
(NHPRC), the National Archives grant-making arm. Over the past 40 years, the
Commission has awarded $153,000,000 to 4,000 state and local government archives,
colleges and universities, and individuals to preserve and publish important
historical records that document non-Federal American history. Since some of
the Commission’s grants encompass multiple years, these grants will continue
until the awarded funding has been used.
The President’s budget proposes $280,975,000 for operating expenses,
an increase over this year’s $264,809,440. It is from this appropriation
that the National Archives funds basic agency operations and staffing at the
34 facilities nationwide. The National Archives is facing a number of increased
costs in these core areas.
The NARA budget request also includes resources in FY 2006 to cover some special
requirements. For some mandated e-Government costs, $240,000 is being requested.
An additional $100,000 has been proposed to enable the Inspector General to
increase investigations of missing or stolen documents from our holdings.
The President’s budget also requests $3,353,000 to replace the 11-year-old
security system for the National Archives College Park facility. The new system
will use smart chip technology to meet recently mandated Federal guidelines
and standards.
Also included in the President’s request is $1,076,000 to develop an
agency-wide Continuity of Operations Plan that is required of all Federal agencies.
The National Archives Office of the Federal Register has a lead role in emergency
situations to publish emergency regulations for the Government to ensure its
continued operation no matter what crisis may be disrupting normal Governmental
operations.
To maintain the 15 facilities owned by the National Archives, including the
National Archives Building, the College Park facility and the Presidential
libraries, the President’s budget requests $6,182,000. This is the same
amount that was allocated for this function in FY 2005.
For press information, contact:
National Archives Public Affairs
202/501-5526
See also: NHPRC Budget Zeroed
Out for FY2006!
|
