If there remained any doubt that the 2024 election is upon us, the events of the last week more than dispelled that:
On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that states could not remove former President Donald Trump from the ballot for his role in the January 6th attack, clearing the way for his appearance on primary ballots in Colorado, Maine and Illinois, all of whom tried to remove him under the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause.
The next day, Trump won 14 out of 15 Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses, losing only Vermont to former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Haley, Trump’s last remaining competitor for the GOP nod, ended her campaign the next day – though without endorsing Trump. For his part, President Biden swept the Super Tuesday Democratic primaries and caucuses – except in American Samoa, where he lost to Jason Palmer, leading many in Washington and around the country to ask, “Who is Jason Palmer?”
And on Thursday, the President gave his annual State of the Union address before Congress, making it as much about the election as about the policy issues confronting Washington. Referring to his opponent as “my predecessor” multiple times, Biden drew sharp contrasts with his November opponent (who, for his part, took to his Truth Social platform to respond in real time).
With President Biden facing stubbornly low approval ratings and former President Trump facing 91 felony charges, it promises (threatens?) to be a bruising election campaign. Which means that at noon on January 20, 2025, a Supreme Court justice will administer the presidential oath of office to a man who was on the receiving end of more than a billion dollars in negative ads, and who nearly half the country loathes. As Winston Churchill once noted, “democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried.”
Even as the election campaign was shaping up, Congress did find time to conduct some business, passing a tranche of appropriations bills to fund the government. The package, which passed the House on a strong bipartisan vote and is likely to pass the Senate, includes funding for the Department of the Interior.
In some good news, the bill extends the authorization of the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) until the end of this fiscal year in September. This means that the Fund, which Congress had allowed to expire last fall, will receive its annual $150 million from offshore drilling royalties this year. Unfortunately, it means that the Fund will expire again in a few months, which is why ACRA and its allies in the preservation community continue to push Congress for a longer-term renewal.
In addition, the bill provides $188 million from the HPF for State and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers and competitive preservation grant programs for the fiscal year. That number is below the $205 million Congress provided the year, and below the amounts that the preservation community requested. But it is still significantly higher than levels that Congress provided only a few years ago. And in the current political climate, getting Congress to agree on any amount demonstrates that despite the partisan fighting, preservation continues to enjoy support from both sides of the aisle.
ACRA Offers Comments on ACHP Draft Indigenous Knowledge Policy Statement
ACRA last week submitted comments to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) in response to their draft Indigenous Knowledge and Historic Preservation Policy Statement.
In its comments, 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 Congress addresses the current budget stalemate, 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!