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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 197 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 197

 Congratulating the men and women of the National Archives and Records 
        Administration on the occasion of its 75th anniversary.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 19, 2009

Mr. Carper (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Alexander, Mr. 
Voinovich, Mr. Burris, Mr. Levin, Mr. Webb, Mr. Warner, Mr. Cornyn, and 
Mr. Akaka) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
                               agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
 Congratulating the men and women of the National Archives and Records 
        Administration on the occasion of its 75th anniversary.

Whereas the National Archives was established by Congress in 1934 to centralize 
        Federal recordkeeping;
Whereas the National Archives, now called the National Archives and Records 
        Administration (in this resolution referred to as ``NARA''), serves 
        democracy in the United States by ensuring that United States citizens 
        can discover, use, and trust the records of the United States 
        Government;
Whereas NARA has grown from one building along the National Mall to 38 
        facilities nationwide, from Atlanta to Anchorage;
Whereas NARA administers regional archives, Federal records centers, 
        Presidential libraries, the Federal Register, and the National 
        Historical Publications and Records Commission;
Whereas the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom serves as the permanent home of 
        the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of 
        Rights and makes these founding documents available to more than 
        1,000,000 visitors each year;
Whereas the first issue of the Federal Register was published on March 16, 1936, 
        and the Federal Register has not missed a publication date since, 
        providing orderly publication of the official actions of the Federal 
        Government;
Whereas the Electronic Records Archives is laying the foundation for preserving 
        and providing public access to historically valuable electronic records, 
        ranging from vast, complex databases to documents that detail the making 
        of foreign and domestic policies;
Whereas the Presidential libraries are great treasures of the United States, 
        serving as repositories and preserving and making accessible the papers, 
        records, and other historical materials of Presidents of the United 
        States;
Whereas the National Personnel Records Center serves as the official repository 
        for records of military personnel, responding to 2,000,000 requests a 
        year by veterans and their families for documents to verify military 
        service;
Whereas the Information Security and Oversight Office is responsible to the 
        President for policy and oversight of the Government-wide security 
        classification system and the National Industrial Security Program;
Whereas the National Historical Publications and Records Commission promotes the 
        preservation and use of the documentary heritage of the United States, 
        which is essential to understanding the democracy, history, and culture 
        of the United States, by providing grants in support of the archives of 
        the United States and for projects to edit and publish non-Federal 
        historical records of national importance;
Whereas NARA holds records, in the National Archives Building and its regional 
        facilities across the country, that allow naturalized citizens to claim 
        their rights of citizenship;
Whereas NARA works with Federal agencies, researchers, genealogists, lawyers, 
        scholars, and authors to respond to their evolving needs, requirements, 
        and methods;
Whereas NARA provides records management training, enhances reference services, 
        works with partners to digitize its holdings, and improves access to the 
        records of the United States;
Whereas NARA provides, through its Internet site, easy and convenient public 
        access to many of the most important and most requested historic 
        documents and valuable databases of the United States; and
Whereas inscribed on the facade of the National Archives Building are 
        Shakespeare's words, ``What is past is prologue'', which aptly describe 
        the records of the past preserved by NARA as the groundwork for the 
        future: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) congratulates the men and women of the National 
        Archives and Records Administration on the occasion of its 75th 
        anniversary;
            (2) understands the vital role that records play in a 
        democracy;
            (3) recognizes the service that NARA has given to the 
        democracy of the United States by protecting and preserving the 
        records of the United States Government; and
            (4) commends the efforts by NARA to support democracy, 
        promote civic education, and facilitate historical 
        understanding of the national experience.
                                 <all>
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