In the summer of 413 BCE, the Athenian army was depleted and exhausted, having spent the previous two years locked in furious battle with the Sicilian city-state of Syracuse, allies of the Athenians’ arch-nemesis Sparta.
Nicias, the Athenian general, decided it was time to leave Sicily. They packed their ships and prepared for the long journey home. But that night, the moon turned pale and blood red. Superstitious by nature, Nicias took it as an omen warning against the voyage, and opted to stay put.
The Syracusians seized the advantage, attacking the Athenians and routing their forces. Nicias was captured and executed, and Athens began to see its hold on the Mediterranean slip away.
Nicias wasn’t the first person to see ominous warnings in an eclipse, and certainly wasn’t the last. As a broad swath of the country plunges into temporary midday darkness Monday, leaders in Washington could perhaps be excused for wondering if the 2024 solar eclipse is a harbinger of scary things to come.
With Congress returning to DC after its two-week Easter recess, funding for Ukraine remains a major priority – and sticking point. The White House and Senators of both parties are pushing the House to approve a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine as it faces a continued Russian onslaught. But House Republicans are divided on whether to approve the package. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) appears open to bringing some kind of bill to the floor. But he is facing a revolt from his right flank, namely from Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who before the recess filed a motion to vacate the Speaker’s chair and who is adamantly opposed to helping Ukraine in its hour of need.
This was the same procedure that led to the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last fall, which after a 22-day stalemate saw Johnson assume the Speakership. Although Greene has not indicated whether she will demand a vote on her motion, she indicated that bringing a Ukraine funding bill to the floor would be, in her words, one of the “most egregious things [Johnson] could do.” With the GOP holding the barest of majorities in the House, Johnson would likely need help from Democrats to hold onto the gavel should Greene force a vote on her motion. Suggestions abound that Democrats could demand a vote on a Ukraine funding package in exchange for saving Johnson’s job, meaning that Greene may very well bring about the one thing she doesn’t want to happen.
Funding for Ukraine is just one of the difficult items on Congress’ plate. There also is the matter of military aid to Israel, which, while strongly backed by Republicans, is beginning to receive more skepticism from Congressional Democrats, particularly after last week’s killing of seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen by an Israeli air strike. In addition, the White House will soon ask Congress to provide upwards of a billion dollars to replace Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed last month after being hit by a cargo ship. And, of course, all of this happens in the shadow of the rapidly approaching 2024 elections season.
With or without an eclipse, the omens are foretelling a bumpy few months in Congress.
ACHP Approves Indigenous Knowledge Policy Statement
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) voted unanimously to adopt its Policy Statement on Indigenous Knowledge and Historic Preservation March 21. The statement establishes a set of principles and guidelines regarding the role that Indigenous Knowledge has in historic preservation. These principles should be applied by federal agencies, state and local governments, and nongovernmental institutions, including private contractors, to advance the integration of Indigenous Knowledge into historic preservation decision making.
In its comments to ACHP on the draft statement last month, ACRA noted that it “and its members are committed to genuine and holistic engagement with Indigenous Peoples that values not only the Indigenous Knowledge they possess but demonstrates proper respect for how that Knowledge is obtained, shared and disseminated.” ACRA also urged the Council to “take as assertive a role as possible in ensuring that Indigenous Knowledge is considered in all Section 106 proceedings.” (Read ACRA’s comments here.)
Speak Up for CRM in Washington!
Regardless of how, or whether, Congress acts on major issues, legislators face big issues that may impact preservation and cultural resource management. CRM firms have a lot at stake when Congress makes policy decisions that impact their bottom line. And there’s no better way to make sure lawmakers hear the industry’s point of view than meeting them in person.
ACRA members have a powerful story to tell policymakers about the importance of cultural resources management. As Congress debates policies that impact the CRM industry, it’s more important than ever to make sure lawmakers hear that story.
That’s why ACRA is holding its annual Capitol Hill Fly-In May 7-8, 2024.
Don’t miss this chance to join your fellow CRM professionals in meeting with your members of Congress to discuss issues important to the industry. ACRA will arrange your meetings and provide training beforehand. There is no cost to register for the Fly-In, but you are responsible for making your travel and lodging accommodations.
ACRA needs time to get your meetings scheduled, so sign up now before it is too late!