Archaeopolitics: Changing Times
Judith A. Bense
As the outgoing chair of the Government Affairs Committee (GAC), I would
like to highlight some of the significant events that have occurred in
Washington politics and SAA in the past five years.
A Little History
Prior to 1994, SAA lobbying on Capitol Hill was done part time by a Washington,
D.C.-based consulting firm that carried out the policies set by the SAA Board
of Directors with the GAC's guidance. Grass-roots lobbying was performed by the
Committee of Public Archaeology (COPA), a network of volunteer SAA members in
each state. Realizing the importance of lobbying and a presence in Washington,
the Board decided in the early 1990s to hire a full-time Washington lobbyist
and attorney and establish the Government Affairs Program. Donald Craib was
hired and continues to manage that program. In 1994, I became the committee
chair after Dean Snow and developed a strong partnership with Craib.
The Republican Revolution
In November 1994, the Republicans won their first majority in Congress in
decades, ousting our long-time political allies and placing top priority on
reducing the national debt and inflation. The Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation was zeroed out, the National Endowment for the Humanities was
under the budget-cutting hatchet, and everywhere there was political
uncertainty in archaeology. This was a sobering "wake-up call" on the
importance of Washington politics to archaeology, and the membership called for
immediate action.
It was quickly realized that SAA was the only archaeology organization in the
country with a permanent presence and lobbyist in Washington, and we took the
lead in dealing with the "Republican Revolution." Alliances with other
archaeology organizations, especially the Society for Historical Archaeology
(SHA) and the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), were made. The
then-SAA president, Bill Lipe, one very politically savvy archaeologist, made
an unimaginable number of trips from his home base of Pullman, Washington, to
Washington, D.C., to hit Capitol Hill with Craib and educate the new
congressional leadership and their staff about archaeology and the serious
impact of the planned cuts to our country's heritage. A spring lobbying week
was developed by Craib which briefed the GAC chair and presidents of the
archaeology organizations at seminars with "Washington insiders" and sent these
archaeologists on a Capitol Hill mission similar to Lipe's. These sessions
formed critical alliances between former competing organizations. We all
realized that we are much more effective as partners for our shared interest in
archaeology.
Restructuring
Quickly, the role of the GAC changed from a policy-shaping entity to an action
committee. It was restructured to be "leaner and meaner" by making it smaller
and more representative of professional archaeologists. The GAC is now made up
of members with political experience and the facilities for quick communication
who are comfortable with politicians and staffers alike. A restructured COPA
became the Government Affairs Network State Representatives (GANSR). GANSR
consists of one politically aware member in each state who keeps archaeologists
in his/her state informed of political activity around archaeology, and who
mobilizes colleagues if swift action on a particular issue is required.
At the Annual Meeting, a regular forum sponsored by the GAC on "Washington
Politics and Archaeology" was initiated to keep the membership informed about
the politics of archaeology by bringing key people from inside and outside
archaeology to give synopsis of issues of concern and to provide an opportunity
for discussion. U.S. Rep. Phil English (R.-Pa.) participated in the 1997
GAC-sponsored forum in Nashville and received the Public Service Award for his
efforts in saving the Advisory Council at a critical moment.
We've Come a Long Way
Through these changing times, SAA has emerged as the political leader in
archaeology in this country, largely through the efforts of the Government
Affairs Program. The Board of Directors' vision in the early 1990s has paid
off. The Advisory Council was saved, NEH is still in business, and SAA is
recognized as a major player on Capitol Hill.
I have had a very educational and interesting time as chair of the Government
Affairs Committee through the 104th and 105th Congresses, and I am sure that
incoming chair Brona Simon of Massachusetts will serve us all well. She knows
her way around politics and is a natural on Capitol Hill. We can all sleep much
better knowing the Government Affairs Program is watching Congress from inside
the Beltway for all of us out in the trenches.
Judith A. Bense is chair of the Government Affairs Committee and director of
the Archeology Institute at the University of West Florida in Pensacola.