<DOC>
[105 Senate Hearings]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access]
[DOCID: f:49445.wais]
S. Hrg. 105-535
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER
=======================================================================
HEARINGS
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE DEPARTMENT OF THE
INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES
and the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND
RELATED AGENCIES
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
SPECIAL HEARINGS
__________
MARCH 9, 1998--PHILADELPHIA, PA
SEPTEMBER 2, 1998--WASHINGTON, DC
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/senate
______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
49-445 CC WASHINGTON : 1998
_______________________________________________________________________
For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office
Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402
ISBN 0-16-057185-5
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
TED STEVENS, Alaska, Chairman
THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi ROBERT C. BYRD, West Virginia
ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii
PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina
CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont
SLADE GORTON, Washington DALE BUMPERS, Arkansas
MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey
CONRAD BURNS, Montana TOM HARKIN, Iowa
RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland
JUDD GREGG, New Hampshire HARRY REID, Nevada
ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah HERB KOHL, Wisconsin
BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado PATTY MURRAY, Washington
LARRY CRAIG, Idaho BYRON DORGAN, North Dakota
LAUCH FAIRCLOTH, North Carolina BARBARA BOXER, California
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas
Steven J. Cortese, Staff Director
Lisa Sutherland, Deputy Staff Director
James H. English, Minority Staff Director
------
Subcommittee on Department of the Interior and Related Agencies
SLADE GORTON, Washington, Chairman
TED STEVENS, Alaska ROBERT C. BYRD, West Virginia
THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont
PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico DALE BUMPERS, Arkansas
CONRAD BURNS, Montana ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina
ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah HARRY REID, Nevada
JUDD GREGG, New Hampshire BYRON DORGAN, North Dakota
BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado BARBARA BOXER, California
Professional Staff
Bruce Evans
Ginny James
Anne McInerney
Kevin Johnson
Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education, and Related Agencies
ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania, Chairman
THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi TOM HARKIN, Iowa
SLADE GORTON, Washington ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina
CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii
JUDD GREGG, New Hampshire DALE BUMPERS, Arkansas
LAUCH FAIRCLOTH, North Carolina HARRY REID, Nevada
LARRY E. CRAIG, Idaho HERB KOHL, Wisconsin
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas PATTY MURRAY, Washington
TED STEVENS, Alaska ROBERT C. BYRD, West Virginia
(Ex officio) (Ex officio)
Majority Professional Staff
Bettilou Taylor
Mary Dietrich
Minority Professional Staff
Marsha Simon
Administrative Support
Jim Sourwine and Jennifer Stiefel
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Monday, March 9, 1998
Opening remarks of Senator Ted Stevens........................... 1
Opening remarks of Senator Slade Gorton.......................... 2
Opening remarks of Senator Pete Domenici......................... 3
Prepared statement of Senator Arlen Specter...................... 3
Prepared statement of Senator Rick Santorum...................... 4
Prepared statement of the National Park Service.................. 5
Statement of Hon. Edward G. Rendell, mayor, city of Philadelphia,
PA............................................................. 5
Prepared statement........................................... 10
Statement of James Pickman, development manager, Gateway Visitor
Center, and president, Gateway Visitor Center Corp............. 13
Prepared statement........................................... 15
Statement of Joseph M. Torsella, president, National Constitution
Center......................................................... 17
Prepared statement........................................... 19
Statement of Dr. Judith Rodin, president, University of
Pennsylvania................................................... 19
Prepared statement........................................... 21
Partnership...................................................... 22
Wednesday, September 2, 1998
Opening remarks of Senator Arlen Specter......................... 31
Statement of Hon. Edward G. Rendell, mayor, city of Philadelphia,
chairperson, National Constitution Center...................... 32
Prepared statement........................................... 33
Independence Hall................................................ 39
Statement of Richard R. Beeman, dean, College of Arts and
Sciences, University of Pennsylvania........................... 43
Prepared statement........................................... 45
Debating team.................................................... 47
Statement of Joseph M. Torsella, president, National Constitution
Center......................................................... 47
Prepared statement........................................... 50
Country symbols.................................................. 52
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER
----------
MONDAY, MARCH 9, 1998
U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies,
Committee on Appropriations,
Philadelphia, PA.
The subcommittee met at 9 a.m., in Carpenters Hall,
Philadelphia, PA, Hon. Slade Gorton (chairman) presiding.
Present: Senators Gorton, Stevens, and Domenici.
Also present: Senators Specter and Santorum.
NONDEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES
STATEMENT OF EDWARD G. RENDELL, MAYOR, CITY OF
PHILADELPHIA, PA
opening remarks of senator stevens
Senator Stevens. Let me call the hearing to order, please.
It is a great pleasure to be here today in this very historic
building, and we are grateful to the Carpenter's Co., of
Philadelphia. I am told that they offered this facility to the
First Continental Congress; and we appreciate the continued
hospitality of the Carpenter's Co., today and also the city of
Philadelphia, Mayor Rendell and his lovely wife Midge last
night having a chance to visit.
I want to thank the mayor and Senators Specter and Santorum
for the hospitality they have shown me and other members of the
committee and the interesting discussions we have had so far.
We have gone over the development plan for the Constitution
Center, and we have allocated some time here this morning--I do
not know how long the rain's going to hold off. We appreciate
everything you have done to arrange this meeting. I think it is
very important the subject we are discussing.
I served on the Commission on the Constitution with a
former Chief Justice, and I do believe that celebrating the
Constitution and helping to educate our children is one of the
tasks that we should undertake, educating them concerning the
Constitution and the meaning of the Constitution. And it is
really of great importance to our lives as Americans.
Now, we have this morning a period of time which we have
allocated to be here. We must return to Washington slightly
after noon. We have set some time limits here on you gentlemen
and the statements you want to make, but let me just put it
very plainly, Mr. Mayor: We are going to leave right after
noon. You use the time however you want. Now, if you want to
take the full 2 hours to talk to us right now, you can go right
ahead and do that.
We would like to have a chance to walk down the mall, and
we will not melt if it is raining. We will be happy to take a
walk in the rain, but I want you to know that I am the chairman
of the full committee. But under the circumstances since
Senator Gorton is chairman of the subcommittee that has
jurisdiction over this matter and if you want to get the money,
you have got to talk to him. [Laughter.]
We allocate money--the chairmen do--among the
subcommittees; but after Senator Gorton gets the money, he
makes the recommendations to the committee as to how the money
is to be spent. And normally, normally, the subcommittee
chairmen are like cardinals. The only difference is I am not
the Pope, and I cannot change that very easily.
So let me do this, let me welcome our colleagues from
Pennsylvania who are with us here today, Senator Specter and
Senator Santorum. Senator Domenici who is the chairman of the
budget committee; and if you read the morning paper, you know
he has got to get back today, too, because he is going to
markup his bill this week. But I leave it to Senator Gorton to
chair the full hearing today. Thank you very much.
opening remarks of senator slade gorton
Senator Gorton [presiding]. I thank Senator Stevens for
that, and I really appreciate the welcome that we have received
here, Mr. Mayor, from you and from members of your staff and
from the two extremely persistent U.S. Senators from the State
of Pennsylvania. And the fact that three others of us are here
today is a tribute to them.
For me, it is a wonderful experience. One of my most
favorite books in my library is Katherine Drinker Bowen's
``Miracle in Philadelphia.'' I went out for my morning run and
did the mall and was thrilled by what I saw. The idea that we
should have a memorial, a physical memorial, in place in which
to celebrate the Constitution of the United States, I believe
is thoughtful and brilliant and extremely valuable.
Where we come up with the money, of course, is another
question. Senator Stevens has described the way in which we
operate, and my subcommittee--we get a certain number of
dollars for a wide range of functions. To the best of my
memory, the total amount we get each year for capital
investments is a little bit over $100 million for the entire
United States and the whole Park Service.
But last summer Senator Santorum talked me into an extra $1
million or so for a refurbishment at Gettysburg here in your
State. So we are here to come listen to the case that you have
to make to see whether or not we can come up with an
imaginative way in which to help you in what I consider to be a
wonderful project. The question being, how we can come up with
money to pay for it.
And with that, of course, your own Senator Specter is also
a chairman of an even larger subcommittee of the Appropriations
Committee. And we should probably hear from the two Senators
from Pennsylvania, but maybe we will let them go last and hear
next from Senator Domenici.
opening remarks of senator pete domenici
Senator Domenici. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr.
Mayor, I want you to also know that in addition to being budget
chairman I am on the Interior Subcommittee. So if you all were
watching the Senate floor during the past week and saw Senator
Specter and I talking on the floor, and Senator Santorum and I,
you might wonder in what deep thoughts we were involved.
Actually, they were there to lobby me all week long to make
sure I came here. [Laughter.]
On Friday, I finally decided that I could get away; and I
am very pleased to be here. It has been a pleasure meeting you,
Mr. Mayor, and seeing just a little bit of a side of you that
makes you a great mayor. It has been a pleasure being with you,
and to meet your wife last night was a distinct pleasure.
Mr. Torsella, it was good to be with you. When you told me
what your title was, I almost asked you how old you were.
Mr. Torsella. I am 60; I am just very healthy.
Senator Domenici. You do look very young for such a
formidable job, but I have no doubt that you are going to
succeed. I did want to put a plug in for way out West since
frequently in the East all you easterners think the only
American history is back here. We are celebrating the 400th
anniversary in my State of the arrival of the Hispanics setting
up a capitol for Spain in America in my State. So we have a
little bit of another side of history.
Let me say from the standpoint of an American and a U.S.
Senator wherever you are from, New Mexico, Alaska, or New
Jersey, it is obvious that the Constitution is something very
sacred to us all. To the extent that you are proposing to do
more by way of getting Americans to recognize this fantastic
part of our heritage, I commend you; and I hope your plans for
doing this in a more formidable way than in the past are
achieved.
Whether we will be able to be a full partner immediately,
we will wait and see; but obviously, it is good that we are
here. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
opening remarks of senator arlen specter
Senator Specter. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I thank
Senator Stevens, and Senator Gorton, and Senator Domenici for
coming to Philadelphia today. Senator Santorum and I take great
pleasure and pride in having this Appropriations Committee
hearing on location. I believe that it is unprecedented to have
the full Appropriations Committee meet in a field hearing of
this sort. At least, none has occurred during my tenure in the
Senate.
I believe that this is a very important matter to be heard
by the committee. The Constitution Center, I believe, will
have, could have, important aspects for the country as a whole.
I think part of what the Constitution Center will be directing
its efforts toward is not only of the buildings here in
Philadelphia, but active programming to educate Americans
across the land as to what the Constitution means.
We come upon it every day. Right now there is a fixed
debate in the Congress about the President's authority as
Commander in Chief versus the constitutional authority of the
Congress to declare war as we take a look at the Iraqi issues.
We have just finished after years of efforts to pass
legislation on a line-item veto, but that is now in the hands
of the Supreme Court as to whether it squares with the
Constitution.
Yesterday I was asked a question which is on most people's
minds: What does it take to impeach a President? I started to
refer to the Constitution, and I was interrupted by the
questioner. They did not want to hear anything about the
Constitution. I said, well, the Constitution is where you
start. It is high crimes and misdemeanors. People do not
realize that the Constitution has great force and bearing on
virtually everything that happens in America.
As the Supreme Court has interpreted the Constitution in so
many 5 to 4 decisions, the document becomes even more
important. We know the statistics that school children and high
school children or students and Americans generally do not know
the Constitution. So I think that this could be a great
learning experience for America if handled properly.
The sum of money is difficult, but I know that Senator
Gorton, and Senator Stevens, and Senator Domenici, and the rest
of the committee, and the Congress will give a very careful
thought; and if possible, it will be done. Thank you very much,
Mr. Chairman.
Senator Gorton. Senator Santorum.
opening remarks of senator rick santorum
Senator Santorum. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, want to
join my colleague Senator Specter in thanking all of you for
taking time to come up to Philadelphia. We have had a good time
here learning more about this, and you are going to learn a lot
more information today.
The mayor has done a great job, and I want to congratulate
him and all of his people for putting together a very
impressive gathering. The mayor has done great work in moving
the National Constitution Center to this point. The center is
close now, I believe, to a reality. I am very hopeful, like
Senator Specter, that the committee can be as helpful as
possible.
Just two comments, this country learns, No. 1, more and
more--particularly children, from real life interaction. The
abstract is ever more difficult in a concrete age that we have
today. It is very difficult for children to learn, and the more
we can give them to get their arms around, the better
understanding they will have. This is one reason, I believe,
this center is so important.
The other reason the center is important is because symbols
are important. Whether it is the symbol of Independence Hall or
whether it is the symbol of the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol,
or the Statue of Liberty, they all burn in us some sense of
what the concepts of liberty and freedom mean.
I really believe that having a physical place where people
can experience the Constitution will be very important to the
psyche of America. It will burn in those responsibilities and
rights that we have within the Constitution. I am hopeful that
we can do that today. We have a group of students from Horace
Furnace High School here in Philadelphia. Two classes. One that
studied the Constitution. One that studied the appropriations
process. Bless your heart for that. [Laughter.]
But for them, it is an abstract concept. Having something
physical they can interact with, will be very important for
their learning experience. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
prepared statement of the national park service
Senator Gorton. With that, we do have a statement here from
the National Park Service that will be included in the record.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of the Department of the Interior, National Park
Service
The National Park Service [NPS] appreciates the opportunity
to provide the following statement regarding the National
Constitution Center [NCC].
The NPS entered into a cooperative agreement with the NCC
on May 11, 1990, pursuant to the authority contained in Public
Law 100-433, the (Constitution Heritage Act of 1988. Under the
terms of that agreement, the NPS has provided annual statutory
aid to the NCC as appropriated by Congress for operating
expenses to support the Fusion of the NCC as stated in the act.
The NPS has included the NCC in its final General Management
Plan (approved 4/97) for Independence National Historic Park
and the Independence Mall Master Plan. The plan calls for the
placement of the NCC structure on the Third Block of the Mall.
In fiscal year 1999, the NPS is requesting a statutory aid
increase of $264,000 above the fiscal year 1998 level of
$236,000 for a total of $500,000. The increase in funding is
specifically provided to support planning involved in the
development of a new structure. The NPS welcomes the NCC within
the boundaries of Independence National Historic Park, and
supports both the construction of an appropriately sized
facility and the creation of a center with programs that
complement the interpretive activity already provided by the
NPS at Independence NHP.
Furthermore, the NPS supports the continuation of statutory
aid to the NCC for its operating expenses, and we are hopeful
that their capital campaign will achieve the goal of funding a
structure which is compatible with its purpose. The fiscal year
1999 budget does not include funding for construction. We
understand that the Administration is willing to explore
options for appropriate federal contributions if agreement can
be reached on a suitable project scope and cost sharing
arrangement during the planning process.
The Independence NHP as well as most other parks in the
system have extensive unmet construction needs involving
deferred maintenance, rehabilitation, replacement and resource
preservation. Addressing these needs must take precedence over
this major new development project.
In summary, we look forward to continuing our partnership
with the NCC as it evolves, and working with the NCC to achieve
its aims as embodied in the act. We support their efforts to
raise private funding for their structure.
summary statement of hon. edward g. rendell
Senator Gorton. We will now start with the mayor's
presentation. Mr. Mayor, thank you again for your hospitality,
and we are at your disposal.
Mr. Rendell. Well, Senator, thank you very much. Again, our
personal thanks to you and Senator Stevens and Senator Domenici
for taking the time to come up here. As Senator Specter said,
it is extraordinary to have a field hearing like this; and we
thank you very much for that. We believe that this is an
extraordinary subject, but we appreciate your taking the time
to be with us.
We also deeply appreciate the work of our own two Senators,
Senator Specter and Senator Santorum, who on this issue as on
all issues have had a tremendous working relationship with not
only myself as mayor, but with all of the people of
Philadelphia in trying to advance the things that will continue
to make our city a great one. And we pride ourselves in being
the most historic city in America, not withstanding the 400
years of civilization and government in New Mexico, probably
without question more things of importance in the development
of this country happened here in Philadelphia than anywhere
else.
We pride ourselves in that, and it is a central part of
what we do, but we appreciate all the things that the Senators,
our own two Senators, have done to advance our cause in
Washington. And as you know in 1988, this Congress and
President Reagan passed legislation creating the National
Constitution Center; and it gave us a mandate to promote the
education of the Constitution among the American people, adults
and children alike.
And in that mandate, there were two aspects of it. They
asked us to continue--to begin immediately to programming that
would, in fact, bring knowledge of the Constitution throughout
the United States of America and at the same time plan for a
museum on or near Independence National Historic Park to be
dedicated to this great document, its interpretation and the
education of people for the great document itself.
I think the first mission the National Constitution Center
has done very well. Over the last decades, we have won awards
for the program we have developed, radio shows, materials that
we sent out throughout the country, and contests we have run to
promulgate to interest in education in the Constitution. We
maintain a library of lesson plans given to us by the Warren E.
Burger repository, and those lesson plans are now available on
our website and can be downloaded--over 800 lessons plans can
be downloaded to teachers all over the Untied States of
America. And many of those lesson plans are ingenious ways to
make learning about the Constitution relevant to students in
the 20th century and as we go into the 21st century.
We also run a program all across America during
Constitution Week called ``I Signed the Constitution'' where
people are asked to come in at libraries, schools, Government
offices and sign copies of the Constitution, put their names
next to Madison and Jefferson; and they get a pocket
Constitution, one of which is included in the front of your
book.
And we were able to find--even though the ``I signed the
Constitution'' takes place in locations all over the 50 States,
we asked people who were at our sites to send back in pictures
or reports to us. And we just coincidentally have two from
Washington, the State of Washington, from a librarian at the
Jefferson County Library in Hadlock, WA, where 150 students
signed the Constitution. They sent us in pictures, and we also
have one from the Olympia Timberland Library where 250
individuals came in and signed the Constitution. And there is a
great picture of a young person with the librarian signing the
Constitution, and I would like to pass those up to Mr.
Chairman, as well as an editorial in the Seattle Times talking
about the very subject of the Constitution during the last
Constitution Week and how it is important for all Americans
from Maine to Alaska, from Washington to Florida, New Mexico
also--important to all Americans that we learn more about the
Constitution.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to pass those up and make them
part of the record. And so I think we have done a great job in
fulfilling our first mission. We have developed a website with
the University of Pennsylvania, and you will hear more from its
great president, Judith Rodin, who has led the university to
become our academic partner.
And that website has generated a tremendous amount of
interest, and we have done this over the last decade on a
budget of slightly more than $1 million of which $230,000 comes
to us from the Federal Government from your committee and the
House committee and has to be matched. And, or course, it is
matched; and on a budget of about $1 million with no permanent
home, we rent office space. We have tried to carry out our
mission throughout the length and breadth of this country.
But unfortunately, we are simply not reaching enough
people. That is something we suspected; and this past year as
part of Constitution Week and the Constitution Week we have
honored people who have advanced the cause of the Constitution
and have been great heroes in the name of the Constitution. Two
years ago, we honored Senator Byrd and Senator Hatfield here in
Philadelphia; and this year as part of Constitution Week, we
commissioned a poll to find out if we really were reaching
Americans or there was this gap that we thought there might
exist.
In fact, the poll results were both very discouraging on
the one hand and very encouraging on the other hand. They were
discouraging because as we suspected Americans have a basic
lack of knowledge about the Constitution. Some of that lack is
shocking. One-half of our citizenry do not know the number of
U.S. Senators that sit in Washington. Only 6 percent of our
citizens can name the four basic freedoms guaranteed by the
first amendment. One out of three Americans do not know how
many branches there are of the Federal Government, and two out
of three Americans cannot name those three branches. Thirty-
five percent of Americans believe that the Constitution
establishes English as the official language of this country.
And I could go on and on with examples that are
discouraging, but there is good news in the same poll. And the
good news is: Despite this lack of knowledge, 91 percent of the
American public believes that the Constitution is important to
them; and 84 percent believe even if they do not know about the
Constitution believe for the Constitution to be successful, to
have its maximum impact, it is important that the American
people know and understand the basic tenets of the
Constitution.
And this poll convinced me more than ever that we needed a
building that was a center for interpretation that could be
visited by families where children could have a great time and
at the same time absorb learning in an interactive type way, a
center which would be a place, an academic place, where debate
about the Constitution, reflection on the Constitution, study
and work about the Constitution could take place. Do you know
it is ironic that perhaps the greatest document ever created by
man and womankind in the history of this planet has no museum
dedicated to it? In the United States of America, we have
museums dedicated to the peanut, to pound cake, to gourds, to
insects, to NASCAR racing, and to Barbara Streisand; and yet,
we do not have a museum anywhere in the length and breadth of
America dedicated to the most important document in this
country's history and maybe respectfully in the history of the
world.
So I believe it is important, and I believe it can fill the
need. Last night in our informal session, there was some
question--no question about the need, question about even this
type of great institution, whether it could accomplish the goal
of educating Americans more about the Constitution. Now, I
believe the answer to that is yes, not all Americans. We do not
delude ourselves. But we believe that in a decade 15 million
people will visit this new center, and we believe that they
will absorb. We believe many of the young people will be
inspired, and we believe this will fill a desperate need.
When I got home last night, I looked for a letter that I
had received recently from a schoolteacher in New York,
Larchmont, NY; and it was sent to me on February 25, probably
received a few days later. And I will not read the whole
letter, but she tells me that they are going to be in
Philadelphia, her class of 25 students, and would I have time
to see them; the class has studied the Constitutional
Convention and even dramatized our version of the events; so
the events of 1789 are well known to them; in addition, we have
just completed a simulation of hypothetical contemporary first
amendment rights case in which the class assumes role of
attorneys and Supreme Court Justices.
I would submit, Senator, we may not be able to reach the
entire American population; but if we reached 25 kids like this
and we produced a Supreme Court Justice or a Senator or a great
teacher because of what they experienced here and because of
the emotions that could be rekindled at a museum like this,
then I would submit that it is well worth the money that we are
asking you to appropriate and that we must raise ourselves.
And with your support, we can build this center. The center
will cost $130 million. We are asking over the next 3 years
that the Federal Government approve one-half of that in a
matching grant, money only to be spent if we can come up with
the other 65. I am certain that we can. The Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania has put in its capital redevelopment assistance
budget $30 million for this purpose, and I believe we can raise
the remaining $35 million both locally and nationally across
the length breadth of this country. We understand, obviously,
the priorities as a mayor of a city who inherited a $1.5
billion potential deficit, I understand that we have to make
choices. There is no question about that.
And I understand how legitimate the demands were. I have to
say no to more money for libraries, more money for parks, more
money for recreation centers, more money for after school
programs. I have to say no in my first couple of years if we
were ever going to put ourselves in a position to grow and
develop and to have a tax base broad enough to support that
type of spending; and fortunately, for us, we have gotten
there.
But the spending that we are asking from the Federal
Government, although significant in dollars, is, I think,
less--I think in context it is less than it might seem. You
have before you what we call the Independence Mall, a very key
part of Independence National Historic Park. And you will see
that there our basically three blocks to the mall starting on
Chestnut Street where Independence Hall faces out and faces
north.
That three block area was part of a general management plan
that the Park Service has been studying for several years. It
is in that GMP that the Constitution Center got its location.
Up until then, we did not have a location; but in the GMP, the
Park Service with terrific leadership by Martha Aikens and
Marie Rust gave us a location at the front part of the third
block.
And the entire mall restoration is going to happen in
phases. Phase 1 is underway, and that is for block 1 and block
2. And Jim Pickman, who is a consultant for the Pew Charitable
Trust and the Gateway Visitor Center, he will walk you through
this in his brief presentation so I am not going to belabor it.
But phase 1 includes block 1 and block 2 where we will get a
new building for the Liberty Bell, an interpretive center for
the Liberty Bell, a total change in the landscaping. Block 2 we
will create a wonderful new visitor center called a Gateway
Visitor Center, also a change in the landscaping and the
sculpting of the second block.
There must be renovations to the parking garage that is
below the second block. All told, this is a $65 million plus
project. We have been able to do this project with only a
request for $3.5 million from the Federal Government. The rest
of the money has been put in increments by the city of
Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Pew
Charitable Trust, Ambassador and Mrs. Annenberg, and the
Philadelphia Parking Authority. That is a renovation of
probably two of the most historic blocks in America for only
$3.5 million of Federal money.
And I do not believe, respectfully, that that occurs in
national parks very often where the local government and the
local charitable and business community has undertaken to put
up 90 percent of the money. So in phase 2, we are asking for
$130 million to be spent, albeit $65 million, half in Federal
allocation; but the total Federal allocation for the revamping
of these three historic blocks is less than one-third of the
entire price. And that is something that we are proud of.
It is also true, as Senator Specter said last night, we are
not asking for any continuing operating funds. So over a 10-
year period, we hope--and we need to get this money in the next
3 years hopefully. But over a 10-year period your total
spending for this project will be about $68 million. If I can
contrast to two very worthwhile projects--one extraordinarily
worthwhile--the Holocaust Museum which over the first 10 years
of its life span will cost the Federal Government $333 million
in operating costs and Steamtown USA in northeastern
Pennsylvania which will cost the Federal Government some $90
million in both capital and operating costs over 10 years.
The price for this crucially important, crucially
important, project put in that context, I think, is a
relatively modest one. And that does not in any way, shape, or
form denigrate your difficult task in appropriating the limited
sum of money, but I did want you to see our request in the
perspective of other initiatives.
So it is our hope we can do this. It is our hope that we
will break ground on Constitution Day in the year 2000; and
that 2 years later, people can stand in front of Independence
Hall--and we are going to have the opportunity to start our
tour hopefully from Independence Hall--look down the Mall where
there is basically nothing other than a Liberty Bell Pavilion
that is not what we would like it to be; and they will be able
to look down two clear and beautiful blocks with the Liberty
Bell arrayed in a wonderful glass pavilion to their left with
the Gateway Center a block further arrayed to the left with
sculptured gardens to the right and look down clearly to the
end of the mall at the beginning of the third block and see the
Constitution Center.
And when people come out of the Constitution Center, they
will be able to look down; they will be able to look south and
see the same vista but see a Independence Hall. So we will
frame the most historic three blocks in America with the
Independence Hall in the south end, and the Constitution Center
in the north end.
We were discussing this in our informal meeting last night,
in an age when we often dwell far too much on what divides us,
I believe the Constitution Center will focus on what unites us.
And that is a set of political beliefs, though often
misunderstood and not practiced, that still command in America
almost universal assent. When people try to assail something
important in the Constitution, Americans whether they be
liberal conservative, Democrat or Republican rally to the
banner of the Constitution.
prepared statement
It is something that unites us in an age where we seem to
in the spirit of partisanship tear at each other, and I think
its importance cannot be overemphasized. And it was right here
in this room when, as Chairman Stevens said, the First
Continental Congress began the journey to make America into one
nation over two centuries ago. I think nothing could be more
appropriate than this committee meeting here in the same place
to ensure that that great American journey continues
successfully for centuries to come.
I thank you for coming to Philadelphia and thank you for
your attention.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Edward G. Rendell
Good morning, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for the opportunity to
testify to this committee regarding the National Constitution Center
located in the city that is both the birthplace of America and my home,
Philadelphia. I especially want to thank you and the members of the
committee for travelling here today to see, firsthand, our plans for
what has rightly been called the most historic square mile in the
United States. We are deeply grateful to all of you, and to your two
colleagues and Pennsylvania's dedicated senators, Senator Specter and
Senator Santorum, for their leadership on this issue, today and in the
past.
The National Constitution Center (NCC) was established by the
Constitution Heritage Act of 1988, passed by Congress and signed by
President Ronald Reagan. In that Act, Congress created NCC as an
independent, non-partisan, and non-profit organization and charged it
with two goals: first, fostering increased awareness and understanding
of the United States Constitution, and second, eventually building on
or near Independence Mall a permanent facility dedicated to
interpreting for visitors this great document and the system of
government it created.
In the past 10 years, NCC has done an excellent job, with extremely
limited resources, towards its first objective: education. We have
developed award-winning radio programming, materials, and contests. We
maintain a library of curricula and lesson plans on the Constitution,
the Warren Burger Repository, which we make available free to teachers
around the nation. Each September 17th, we commemorate the anniversary
of the signing of the Constitution with our trademark ``I Signed the
Constitution'' program. Citizens literally sign a parchment replica of
the Constitution, adding their name next to Madison's or Washington's,
and receive in return educational materials which change each year. An
estimated 1.5 million Americans have participated, and the program is
held in all 50 states of the union, at schools, businesses, national
parks, government offices, and hundreds of other sites. Each year, we
distribute hundreds of thousands of pocket-sized copies of the
Constitution. And last year, we opened an exciting website about the
Constitution in conjunction with our partner, the University of
Pennsylvania. This website received an extraordinary 200,000 ``hits''
in its first two weeks of operation. We do all of this on an annual
budget of approximately $1 million, supported in part by federal aid of
approximately $230,000 each year.
But we are simply not reaching enough Americans. Despite our best
efforts, and the efforts of other dedicated groups and individuals, far
too few Americans have even a basic working knowledge of the
Constitution and its role in their everyday lives. And, as all of you
know, the Constitution will not work by itself. The system it designs
assumes an informed and involved citizenry. Today, we are in danger as
never before of losing that invisible glue that holds the Constitution
together.
Last September, NCC commissioned the first-ever comprehensive poll
of Americans' constitutional knowledge. The startling results
demonstrate our appalling ignorance of how our government works:
--More than half of those polled DO NOT know the number of U.S.
Senators;
--only 6 percent can name the rights guaranteed by the First
Amendment and almost one-quarter cannot name a single first
amendment right;
--1 out of 6 believe that the Constitution establishes America as a
Christian nation;
--35 percent believe that the Constitution mandates English as the
official language; and
--about 1 in 3 do not know the number of branches in the federal
government and about 2 in 3 cannot name all three branches.
Overall, just 5 percent of all adults could correctly answer ten
basic questions about the Constitution. If our poll had been a test,
our nation would have received an ``F.''
There was, however, some good news in the poll. While I was
dismayed by our lack of knowledge, I was surprised and pleased by the
poll's findings on our reverence for the Constitution. Ninety-one per
cent (91 percent) of Americans believe the Constitution is important to
them. Eighty-four per cent (84 percent) believe that for a
constitutional system to work they must be active and informed
citizens. It is this paradox between knowledge and reverence which
provides reason for great optimism. The picture that emerges from the
NCC poll portrays us as a citizenry which knows little but is motivated
to know much, much more.
These statistics are why the National Constitution Center has
recently dedicated itself to the second goal contemplated in the 1988
legislation: building the first-ever museum dedicated to the document
from which the soul of our government grew and flourished. And these
statistics are why, just over a year ago, I accepted the position of
Chairperson of NCC, even though I have never before or since taken a
position outside of government during my term as Mayor. I believe that
building this museum and reversing this tide of ignorance is absolutely
critical to the health of our democracy.
It is astonishing that there is no museum devoted to this
incredible document, probably the finest political creation of man and
womankind. For two centuries, the Constitution has made the United
States into the most successful democracy the world has ever seen. It
has inspired, and been emulated by, hundreds of other nations,
literally remaking the globe. But--even here in the city where it was
born--the Constitution is homeless. As one commentator has written,
``The United States has museums devoted to the appreciation of peanuts,
cakes, gourds, NASCAR racing and Barbara Streisand, but it has none
that concentrates on this supple framework for history's most
successful experiment in democracy.''
Today we are on the verge of righting this wrong, of at last
realizing the dream you first laid out in the Constitution's
bicentennial. With your support, the Constitution Center can break
ground on the first Constitution Day of our third millenium, September
17, in the year 2000. In recent months, there have been several
important developments that have put this project on a fast track.
First, the National Park Service (NPS) included the Constitution
Center in the final General Management Plan (GMP) for Independence
National Historical Park (INHP). The GMP was developed through the
visionary leadership of our local park officials, especially
Superintendent Martha Aikens and Regional Director Marie Rust. As you
will hear from the other witnesses, the GMP, finalized last summer,
outlines a comprehensive set of exciting projects planned for
Independence Park, comprising the most significant changes to
Independence Park in a generation. They include a new building and site
for the Liberty Bell, a new Gateway Visitor Center, a new Constitution
Center, new visitor amenity facilities, and a complete restructuring of
the layout and landscape architecture for the Park. This restructuring
will transform Independence Mall from a failed public space into a
vibrant plaza which uniquely captures the spirit of the American
experience. And the proposed Constitution Center--placed opposite
Independence Hall as the northern anchor of the Park--will be central
to this transformation. In calling for construction of the Constitution
Center, the GMP recognizes, as Congress has, that the Constitution
deserves a state-of-the-art interpretative facility at the place of its
birth.
A second important development has been that we at NCC have
sharpened our plans for such a center, and are ready to proceed. As you
will hear, what we propose is vastly different from a typical museum.
The Constitution Center will be an exciting, interactive, and even
entertaining place. It will not just deal with the history of the
Constitution, it will show visitors the document's contemporary
relevance to their daily lives. And the Center will be one-half museum,
accommodating an estimated 1 million visitors, and one-half center for
study and debate, reaching many millions more. The total capital budget
for the project will be $130 million, which includes the costs of
detailed planning and design, construction, contingency, and an
endowment fund to defray admission pricing. As I mentioned, the Center
will break ground on Constitution Day, 2000, and will open its doors to
the public two years later.
Third, in the last year, we have developed partnerships to ensure
that this venture is truly a collaboration between all levels of
government, and with the private sector. In particular, the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has made an impressive commitment to this
project. Last October, through the leadership of Pennsylvania Governor
Tom Ridge, the leaders of the Pennsylvania General Assembly and Senate,
and Representative Robert Godshall, Chairman of the General Assembly's
Tourism Committee, the Pennsylvania legislature authorized the spending
of $30 million toward the construction and development of the
Constitution Center. Additionally, approximately one-half million
dollars was appropriated to continue to expand programming currently
offered by NCC. At the same time, we developed an exciting new
partnership with the University of Pennsylvania to jointly develop
Constitution-related programming now and for the Center. These are just
two examples that illustrate how this project is becoming a true model
of the type of public-private partnership which you and I, as elected
officials, strive to create.
For all of these reasons, now is the moment to turn this dream we
all share into a reality, and I am here today to ask this committee to
do just that. As you know, the Administration has requested a funding
increase in the statutory aid category for NCC. In fiscal year 1999, a
request of $500,000 has been proposed. While we appreciate the
administration's support of NCC programming and recognition of the
progress we have made toward building the Constitution Center, we are
at a point in time when greater federal support is needed. We seek $65
million in federal support over the next three fiscal years in order to
complete the design and construction of the Constitution Center. This
amount represents one-half of the total estimated project cost. The
remainder will be raised from state and local governments, and private
donations, and I am confident that we can raise the necessary amount.
This project has already attracted extraordinary support--including the
participation of Presidents Bush, Reagan, Carter and Ford, all of whom
serve with their wives on our Honorary Board--and the momentum of our
private fundraising will increase dramatically in response to a strong
lead from Congress.
We ask that your committee support a fiscal year 1999 appropriation
of $20 million directed to the Constitution Center, with two future
installments funding the balance. This funding would be used for a
variety of activities including architectural costs, exhibit design,
content development, construction and program management, museum
consulting and project management at NCC.
I want to emphasize that the amount we are requesting, although
one-half of the capital budget for the Constitution Center, represents
an even lower percentage of the capital costs of all the improvements
called for in the GMP. The combined cost of the other GMP projects I
mentioned earlier is an additional $75.6 million. So the total capital
cost for all the improvements to Independence Mall, including the
Constitution Center, is approximately $205.6 million, and a $65 million
federal contribution to NCC would represent less than one-third of that
amount.
This is an important point, since all of the other major capital
projects--the Liberty Bell Pavilion, the Gateway Visitor Center, the
parking garage--are being built with non-federal funds. As you will
hear, of the total required, we have already raised $58 million from
non-federal sources--the City of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, and from generous private donors including the Pew
Charitable Trusts and Ambassador and Mrs. Walter Annenberg--and these
projects will begin construction shortly. (This $58 million is in
addition to the $30 million authorized by the Commonwealth for the
Constitution Center).
We in Philadelphia are proud of this tremendous accomplishment. We
are turning to this committee only after exhausting other sources of
support, and demonstrating to you the depth of our commitment to this
project before we ask you to make yours. Independence Mall is perhaps
the most historic few blocks in America. It is fitting that the rebirth
of these precious sites will be a true and meaningful partnership
between the federal government, state and local government, and the
private sector.
I would like to clarify for the committee that the funding we seek
for fiscal year 1999, 2000, and 2001 will be our full request for NCC.
The fundraising plan for NCC has never envisioned the participation of
the federal government in the continued operation and maintenance of
the NCC after construction of the Constitution Center is completed. We
expect that market demand, subscriptions, endowment income, and other
non-federal fundraising mechanisms will serve as the source for
operating and maintaining this great treasure.
Mr. Chairman, as an elected official I understand and appreciate
the many difficult decisions you and your colleagues are asked to make
on a daily basis. Like the City of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, and this country, this committee faces many challenges
that need to be addressed, and will always have more needs than
resources.
Nevertheless, I urge you to make the Constitution Center a priority
project for this committee, for Congress, and for the nation. America
and Americans deserve it and, in fact, require it, if the flame of
freedom is to continue to burn bright. Only when Americans understand
how their government works can they fully participate in its
operations. As Judge Learned Hand wrote, ``Liberty lies in the hearts
of men and women: When it dies there, no Constitution, no law, no court
can even do much to help it.''
In an age when we often dwell on what divides us, the Constitution
Center will focus on what unites us: a set of political beliefs that,
while often imperfectly understood and practiced, still command nearly
universal assent. It was in this room, more than two centuries ago,
that America began its journey toward becoming a single nation. What
could be more appropriate than for this committee, meeting here, to
ensure that journey continues successfully for centuries to come?
Thank you.
STATEMENT OF JAMES PICKMAN, DEVELOPMENT MANAGER,
GATEWAY VISITOR CENTER, PRESIDENT, GATEWAY
VISITOR CENTER CORP.
Senator Gorton. Mr. Pickman.
Mr. Pickman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Senators. My name
is Jim Pickman. I am managing the development of the Gateway
Visitor Center and am helping to coordinate with the National
Park Service, the city, and the Commonwealth, and a range of
private sector partners a first phase of redevelopment of
Independence Mall.
I would like to make--before I stand up at the chart, I
would like to make three points. The first is that the
revitalization of Independence Mall is a spectacular
undertaking, and I could not say it better than the mayor did.
But when your visit is concluded this morning, I am confident
that you will agree that this effort is a win-win for the
American people, for the Federal Government, for the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the city of Philadelphia.
The second point that I wanted to make that the mayor did
is leverage. On this first phase of Independence Mall, only
$3.5 million of $65\1/2\ million is being requested from the
Federal Government. That is almost an 18-to-1 ratio of non-
Federal to Federal dollars, and I think that is just a
sensational bang for the Federal dollars that are being
requested.
The third point I wanted to make is one of partnership.
Over the years, I have helped put together a number of
partnerships involving the public and private sectors, but this
effort involving three levels of government and a range of
private sector participants is to me the quintessential true
public/private partnership.
Just a little bit of background of Independence Mall. As
the mayor said, it is three square blocks beginning just
immediately out the doorstep of Independence Hall. It is 15\1/
2\ acres, and the mall was created in the 1950's and 1960's
when the State and city demolished over 140 buildings to
create--which was thought to be an appropriate setting for
Independence Hall in a vibrant public space.
As I know that you will see as we tour the mall that these
aspirations have not been fulfilled. Independence Mall just is
not working as it currently is. The pivotal second block is a
virtual urban wasteland. The third block is lovely, parklike;
but nobody uses it. And the first block has the Liberty Bell in
a pavilion that nobody I know likes it; and if you stand on
Market Street, it blocks your view of Independence Hall.
So when over 1.6 million people every year--and that number
by the way is growing--come to visit the hallowed ground where
our democracy was created, they encounter Independence Mall. At
best, it is a lost opportunity; and at worst, it is an
embarrassment. But that is changing, and I would like to just
point out just briefly some of the things that are happening.
This is Independence Hall, and this is where the Liberty
Bell Pavilion currently exists. That is going to come down;
that is going to be demolished; and a brand new pavilion for
the Liberty Bell is going to be created here; and it is going
to have three parts. First, it is going to have a part where
people who are waiting in line can line up in a covered area.
Second, it will have an interpretive area where there will be
exhibits and memorabilia and telling the story of the Liberty
Bell. And third is a chamber for the Liberty Bell itself.
Right now, there is a compressed situation; and one is not
able to have that kind of experience; and there is no place for
visitors to wait in line. So that is all going to be done.
Various walls and barriers will be taken down that now prevent
people from in the city to easily access this block. And as the
mayor said, it will be a complete relandscaping of that block.
On the second block over here across from Market Street
will be the new Gateway Visitor Center, and I know I am a
little biased here; but this is going to be the best visitor
center in the country with friendly people, with informative
visits and interactive technology. This visitor center is going
to be a place that will inform. It will excite; and it will
tell people about the wonders of the national historic park but
also the surrounding historic district, the city, and the
region.
So we are very pumped up about the visitor center. In
addition, there is a parking garage underneath the second
block, 650 spaces. All of that will be renovated, but this is
not an ordinary parking garage--or it will not be because one
whole mall is going to be created, be connected, to the new
visitor center so that when someone gets out of their car; they
can look and be part of the whole experience.
There will be murals and other exhibits, and then there
will be a complete relandscaping with a cafe and various
kiosks. Now, that from here on down is the first phase we are
working on; and we have got of the $65.5 million we have a
little bit less than $4 million; and we are confident that we
are going to raise that from private donor sources.
There is just one more element on the second block, and
that is an Independence Park Institute, and this is going to be
developed and devoted primarily to school children and
youngsters. It is going to be an educational facility so that
when they come here to visit the park, there will be exhibits
and classrooms geared specifically to them. That does not now
exist.
And, of course, as the mayor pointed out right here on the
third block is the capstone, the anchor of this entire effort.
That would be the Constitution Center. Like I said, I think it
is a spectacular project; and it is going to happen. Thank you.
Senator Gorton. What goes beyond that? What is the one the
furthest to the right?
Mr. Pickman. This is a Park Service maintenance building.
Senator Stevens. How about above that?
prepared statement
Mr. Pickman. This--let me just say that this plan for the
third block is preliminary, but right now that is a gathering
space in a parklike setting. For now, that is what is
designated as----
Senator Stevens. And is the whole mall part of the
Independence Park? What are the outlines?
Mr. Pickman. The whole mall is part of the park, and then
the park goes down. This way, in fact, we are right about here.
Senator Gorton. Thank you.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of James Pickman
Good morning, Mr. Chairman. I thank you for the opportunity
to testify on the creation of a truly spectacular public
space--the revitalization of Independence Mall. The mall, which
forms a part of Independence National Historical Park, is the
focal point for millions of visitors to the Philadelphia
region, a unique and memorable entryway to our nation's
birthplace. For almost three years--first as a consultant to
The Pew Charitable Trusts and now as the president of the
Gateway Visitor Center Corporation--I have been honored to work
with the leadership of the National Park Service, the City of
Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and numerous
private sector partners to help transform ambitious aspirations
for a rejuvenated mall into a tangible reality. And Mr.
Chairman, we are well on our way.
background
Independence National Historical Park (INHP), the home of
the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, is one of this nation's
(indeed the world's) most important historic and cultural
assets. This jewel in our crown offers visitors a truly
profound experience, as over one and one-half million people
come to the bell each year and walk across Chestnut Street to
learn about how the world's greatest living democracy was
created at Independence Hall.
The birthplace of our nation at INHP sits at the threshold
of the most historic square mile in America--a lively urban
district with dozens of colonial buildings and other
attractions, including Congress Hall, Carpenters' Hall--the
site of this hearing, the United States Mint, the First and
Second Banks of the United States, historic churches, the Betsy
Ross House, Elfreth's Alley, the Atwater Kent, Maritime, Afro-
American and American-Jewish History Museums, colonial taverns
and much more.
This vibrant historic district is further encircled by
other destination points, including the new Convention Center,
South Street, Chinatown, Old City, the Delaware riverfront,
Avenue of the Arts and more. Additional treasures lie beyond
these: the world class Museum of Art, the largest urban park in
the country, the biggest concentration of public gardens and
arboreta in North America, and so on. Just beyond the city
limits there is the region's brand new Aquarium, Valley Forge
National Historical Park, Longwood Gardens, Chadds Ford, Lehigh
Valley, the Brandywine River and more.
Although Independence Park contains the most enduring of
historical treasures, its existing visitor center is poorly
located and is inadequate for accommodating and orienting
significant numbers of people to the park and other city and
regional attractions. There is clear consensus among the
National Park Service, city and state officials, and other
interested parties that a new visitor center needs to be
constructed right on the mall--a location more accessible to
the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall as well as to major
travel arteries.
The mall itself, which consists of over 15 acres on three
large blocks just north of Independence Hall, was created
through the demolition of over 140 buildings by the city and
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the 1950's and 1960's.
While intended as a vibrant, open urban space to accommodate a
range of special events and festive (as well as contemplative)
uses, the mall has fallen into serious disrepair in recent
years. The pivotal middle block has become an urban wasteland,
while the northernmost block, despite its restful park-like
setting, is hardly ever used. And the first block is well
regarded, but only in comparison to its two sister blocks. To
compound the problem, the 650-space parking garage under the
second block requires significant renovation.
Fortunately, the National Park Service has recently
completed a comprehensive review of the future management and
use of Independence Park. The resulting management plan, which
received loud and clear public support, calls for a complete
redoing of Independence Mall--a new and improved pavilion for
the Liberty Bell; a new Gateway Visitor Center, which promises
to be a magnificent orientation facility for the Park, the
city, and the surrounding region; a renovated and enhanced
underground parking garage; a new Independence Park Institute,
an educational facility to serve primarily school children and
senior citizens; and rejuvenation of the mall itself with a
lovely outdoor cafe, kiosks, formal and informal seating areas
and gathering spaces, and a park setting for viewing
Independence Hall or simply playing and relaxing. And last, but
certainly not least, is a new Constitution Center, the northern
anchor directly across the mall from Independence Hall.
current status
Through a planning process for the mall begun by Venturi,
Scott Brown & Associates and continued by a multi-disciplinary
team headed by the nationally renowned (and Philadelphia-based)
landscape architect Laurie Olin, a spectacular vision for a
revitalized mall has been articulated. A rendering of that plan
is contained in your briefing packet. The entire planning
process has been highly visible, generating significant media
and widespread public attention. Suffice it to say, the Olin
plan has been greeted enthusiastically by the design community
and the general public.
To begin the revitalization effort, we have defined a first
phase of work that would include most of block 2 and all of
block 1. Its major components consist of the new complex for
the Liberty Bell, the Gateway Visitor Center, a renovated and
enhanced underground parking garage, an open air cafe, and
complete re-landscaping. The latter includes pathways and
arborways, formal and informal seating areas, new lighting, and
tasteful and user friendly signage.
The total cost for the first phase is estimated at about
$65.6 million. Of this amount, we currently have $61.8 million
firmly committed or anticipated. Major funding partners to date
include the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Annenberg Foundation,
the city, and the commonwealth, which have each committed $10
million; the Philadelphia Parking Authority, and several
private foundations. The National Park Service is seeking $3.5
million in the proposed fiscal year 1999 budget, which would
bring the total to $61.8 million. Requests are pending from
private sector sources for the $3.8 million balance.
With the bulk of the funding for phase one in place,
planning and design work is moving forward, with construction
on the parking garage slated to commence this summer and all
other components to begin next year. Completion of this phase
is targeted for late 2000.
Subsequent phases of work--which we expect will be launched
imminently--include the Independence Park Institute which will
complete the work on block 2, and the Constitution Center, the
centerpiece of block 3 and the capstone for this wonderful
public space.
Thank you.
STATEMENT OF JOSEPH M. TORSELLA, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL
CONSTITUTION CENTER
Senator Gorton. Mr. Torsella.
Mr. Torsella. Good morning. Mr. Chairman, Senators, it is a
great honor for me personally in representing the National
Constitution Center to testify here today; and I thank you for
that; and we thank you for the extraordinary step you've taken
in coming to Philadelphia to hear more about this project.
You have heard from the mayor about why we believe we need
a National Constitution Center, and you have heard from Jim
Pickman about the overall context for the mall project. My job
is to tell you a little bit more about the building itself, the
National--the proposed Constitution Center. The main vehicle,
with your permission, that I am going to use to do that is an
8-minute video we have developed titled, ``Imagine a Place''
which is designed to take the viewer on a tour of this place
that exists for now, and hopefully not for long, in our
imagination.
As you will hear, it is narrated by President Bush, James
Earl Jones, and Andrea Mitchell. And I trust you will agree
with me that they can do a better job than I at articulating
what we hope to accomplish. But let me make three brief
introductory comments to this video.
First, some details about the building itself, the physical
space. As it is currently planned, the Constitution Center
would be 132,000 square foot facility. We conservatively
estimate that we will see 1 million visitors a year and hope to
do better, more on the order of 11\1/2\ million.
As the mayor said, the total budget for the project which
includes an endowment designed to defray the cost of the
mission includes all the detailed exhibit planning and so forth
is $130 million. And we plan to break ground on Constitution
Day, September 17, in the year 2000 and to open to the public 2
years later.
Second, I want to tell you a little bit about the people
behind the building. The plans that you are about to see have
been created by the very best minds in the museum business in
America. And I am not including myself in that category. Our
exhibit--our preliminary exhibit designs were done by Apple--
Ralph Applebaum Associates, the firm--the award-winning firm
that designed the exhibits for the Holocaust Museum.
Our architectural and physical space planning have been
overseen by the distinguished dean of the University of
Pennsylvania's School of Fine Arts and Architecture, Dr. Gary
Hack. And the interpretive meat of this was developed by a blue
ribbon panel of Pulitzer prize winning historians and other
scholars of the Constitution over about 1 year or so.
And third--my third and final point is that we use the
words ``building'' and ``museum,'' and we use those only
because we cannot think of the appropriate word to describe
what we are talking about. Those are inadequate words. What you
will see, and hopefully as you will see, everything about the
visitor experience at this place is designed to be different
than a typical museum, the way we typically think of a museum.
This will be true from the very beginning when the visitor
walks in and is asked not to be a passive visitor, but to
become an active delegate and is given a delegate's pass to
emphasize to them the active nature of the participation that
we are seeking from them until the very end when they are asked
literally to use a laser pen and sign a copy of the
Constitution affirming their citizenship.
All of what happens in this place is designed to reinforce
the theme that the Founders cast in the starring role in our
democracy, the citizen, the informed citizen. At the heart of
the Constitution Center, there are six different exhibits and
activity zones where delegates can explore as deeply as they
care to based on their interest or knowledge. One-half of these
relate to the Constitution as it affects individuals, but the
other half relate to the Constitution as it affects the Nation
and the national structures it creates for us, which is where
too many Americans often do not have a complete understanding.
And each of these zones communicates a core idea about the
Constitution. One example that I will give and you will see
more of the zone titled, ``The More Perfect Union States a
Nation'' tells a story of federalism. And it tells the chapters
that we may know about it that occurred in the past, like the
Civil War; but it also tells about the chapters that are
occurring even today, like the current debate over Federal
mandates in the context of the 10th amendment.
And it emphasizes to visitors that they can have a part,
and they should have a part, in writing how all these stories
turn out. But the exhibits, the visitor exhibits, are only one-
half of the story of what is happening here. The other half of
this place is devoted to reaching all Americans as best we can,
even those who cannot journey physically to Philadelphia to see
it. Through a virtual museum which will put the exhibits
online, through national broadcast program that will originate
in studios at the center, through programming like the mayor
mentioned for students and teachers and through sponsorship of
debates on all kinds of constitutional questions, we hope to
reach many more than the 1 million visitors we expect to hear.
In short, we are asking you to help create a museum; but we
are hoping to do much more than that. We are hoping to create
an institution that can have significant and positive impact on
our culture. With your permission now, I would like to show the
video. There are two televisions there for the Senators, and
there is one here for the audience.
prepared statement
Mr. Rendell. While we are setting up the video, Joe
mentioned President Bush, and you will hear him in a moment,
but President Bush, President Carter, President Ford, and
President Reagan all agreed to be the four honorary cochairmen
of the National Constitution Center.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Joseph M. Torsella
Good morning, Mr. Chairman and senators. It is an honor to
testify today before this committee, and all of us involved in
this project thank you for your interest, and for the
extraordinary step you have taken of traveling to Philadelphia
to learn more.
You have heard today of why we need a Constitution Center,
and of the larger context for this project. My job is to tell
you a bit more about the proposed center itself. With your
permission, I will do that mainly by screening for you an 8-
minute video, titled ``Imagine a Place.'' We developed this
video to take the viewer on a sort of virtual tour of a place
that exists--for now--in our imaginations. It will describe for
you, much better than my words could, what we hope to
accomplish at this place. Like all plans, ours will certainly
change and become more detailed as we get closer to our goal.
But the broad strokes of the visitor experience will ultimately
be those you are about to see.
Before we begin, a few brief comments are in order to set
the stage.
First, the building itself. The proposed Constitution
Center will be 132,000 square feet. We conservatively estimate
that 1 million visitors a year will pass through its doors. The
total capital budget for the project is $130 million, which
includes detailed planning and design, building and exhibit
construction, contingency funds, and an endowment to defray the
cost of admission and support its future operating budget. We
plan to break ground on Constitution Day--September 17--in the
year 2000, and open to the public 2 years later.
Second, you should know something about the people behind
the building. Our preliminary plans have been developed by the
best minds in the museum business in America. Ralph Applebaum,
the award-winning designer of the Holocaust Museum in
Washington, has created the preliminary exhibit designs. Dr.
Gary Hack, Dean of the Graduate School of Fine Arts at the
University of Pennsylvania, serves as our senior architectural
and planning advisor. And the interpretive themes have been
guided by a blue-ribbon panel of historians and other scholars
from around the country.
Finally, although we call this place a ``building'' or a
``museum,'' I want to emphasize that it is really much more
than either of these words suggest. As you will see, the
visitor experience will be worlds apart from a typical museum
tour. It will interactive, engaging, educational, and
entertaining. And the experience of the one million physical
visitors is only part of what will happen at the Center. What
happens behind the scenes will reach many millions more. There,
an online ``virtual museum'' will let a third grader in Alaska
visit the Constitution Center, even if he can't come to
Philadelphia. A schoolteacher in Paris--Texas or France--can
get free curricula and lesson plans on the Constitution. And a
senior citizen in Seattle can watch a televised debate on the
latest proposal for a constitutional amendment. One speaker
might be a presidential candidate. The other might be president
of her senior class.
In short, we hope that the Constitution Center will be a
sort of headquarters for spreading a message across our
culture, as great institutions can: that each of us has a vital
role to play in ensuring that the hard-won freedoms embedded in
our Constitution are passed along intact to the next
generation. Whoever our visitors are, however they arrive, we
want them to leave as citizens.
Ultimately that's what the Constitution Center is all
about. There is a wonderful story that at the end of the
Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was leaving
Independence Hall and was asked by a Philadelphia woman what
sort of government the founders had given America. Franklin
replied: ``A republic, Madam * * * if you can keep it.'' In
asking you today to support our request for federal funding to
build the Constitution Center, we are not asking you to support
a building.
We are asking you to create an institution--whose home will
be just a few steps from where Franklin spoke those words--that
will help Americans learn how to ``keep'' our precious republic
for generations to come.
Thank you.
STATEMENT OF DR. JUDITH RODIN, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF
PENNSYLVANIA
Senator Gorton. Dr. Rodin.
Dr. Rodin. Good morning. Mr. Chairman, Senators, I am
delighted to be before you on behalf of the University of
Pennsylvania, the academic partner of the National Constitution
Center. Perhaps it is important to begin by reminding us that
the Constitution is our guardian, but it is our obligation as
citizens to protect it. And certainly, we in higher education
have a responsibility to help our people understand that
responsibility; and therefore, it is our great honor and
privilege to be the academic partner of this initiative.
Perhaps I can begin with a story. I have a colleague who is
a professor of political science and law at the university, and
she participated in the drafting of the Hungarian Constitution
and has been spending a great deal of time in Hungary working
with the new constitutional court in developing their
procedures. She comes back from every visit talking about how
shopkeepers and taxi drivers and people in restaurants debate
every tenet of the Constitution, that it is the major topic of
conversation among the general populace in Hungary.
Now, perhaps those who have not had these freedoms very
long really do understand and appreciate them to a greater
extent; and perhaps those who have lived in totalitarian
societies appreciate and understand the importance and value of
a document like the Constitution. While we do not have to reach
that point, we are very fortunate in the United States to be
free and democratic; but our people do need to understand
better and appreciate the bedrock of our freedoms.
The mayor told you about the Constitution Center poll, and
the relatively limited, the dispiriting, I think, amount of
knowledge that Americans have about the Constitution. And yet,
Americans in their gut understand what the Constitution is and
what it does and what it means to them. I think we need a
little more of it in the head as well; and as an educator, I am
hoping that we can create that and create in our public the
same kind of impassioned constitutional awareness that is
characteristic in Hungary and, of course, was characteristic of
our forefathers and their fellow citizens. We need to restore
it in America today, and we believe that the National
Constitution Center can help to do that.
We are very eager to move forward in our partnership with
the National Constitution Center, and perhaps it is a great
advantage that this project did not begin 10 or 15 years ago.
10 or 15 years ago, we created very different kinds of museums;
and you have seen the reluctance here to use the word museum
on--even though that is, of course, partly what it is because
museums tend to be static enterprises. And we are talking about
an educational enterprise that is dynamic and interactive and
changing and really will captivate the American public from the
general school child to the senior citizen in a very
imaginative, and we think, new way and perhaps will help to
define new kinds of museums in America that really will lead us
into the 21st century very creatively.
What is Penn doing? We have developed American and
comparative democratic institutions as a university wide
academic priority for the next 5 years in a strategic planning
process that developed only six. Across the university
priorities, this is a major one in which the university will be
investing, course work, faculty, visitor centers, a great deal
of scholarship around the issue of American and comparative
democratic and legal institutions.
You may know that the University of Pennsylvania is
America's first university founded in the city of Philadelphia,
the birthplace of American democracy. We would like to
celebrate that collaboration from the beginning of the founding
of our country; and certainly, thinking and working on the
Constitution is a very significant way to do that.
Penn history professor, Richard Beeman who is an expert on
the American Revolution and early American history has spent
this past year as the Constitution Center first visiting
scholar and was quite instrumental in developing the initial
material that will go into the Constitution Center's displays.
Mr. Torsella mentioned that Dean Gary Hack who is the dean of
the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Fine Arts
is helping to design the center's planned interactive museum,
and he has been a consultant on much of the urban design aspect
of the laying out of these three blocks.
Penn has been working with the center on setting up an
extraordinary interactive website; and I hope that you will,
those of you who are comfortable with web technology, take a
look at it because it is very fresh; it is creative; and we
change it about once a month. And we have invested at the
university in the development and maintenance of this website.
Finally and importantly, our law school has established a
new constitutional law journal, Senator Specter's alma mater.
So I hope that we will please you with that, Senator Specter.
It will plum the depths of a variety of constitutional issues
in a very significant and meaningful way.
prepared statement
Certainly, education is Penn's mission. It is our great
strength, and we are committed to the educational component of
the National Constitution Center. We think it is critical, and
we hope you will be enthusiastic about the notion that a
leading American university will play an ongoing role in
keeping this material fresh and making it exciting and in
contributing to the educational opportunities of our great
populace in understanding the Constitution.
We are very grateful for your support of the center. Thank
you.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Dr. Judith Rodin
I am very pleased to be here today as the President of the
University of Pennsylvania, the academic partner of the National
Constitution Center. And I am pleased to be testifying about the
Center's importance as both guardian and promoter of our constitutional
awareness.
Our Constitution protects us; we must protect the Constitution.
This message of mutuality sounds almost trite, yet it is profoundly
important. And it is the mission of the National Constitution Center to
make sure we do not forget it.
Each of us, as an American citizen, must appreciate the obligation
we share to guard and protect our Constitution against any and all
threats. If we fail in this obligation, then the Constitution will
surely yield to assault and grow too weak to protect us when we may
need it most.
To protect the Constitution, we must know and understand it. We
must learn its central provisions, appreciate the specific freedoms it
guarantees, be alert to all that we must fight to defend. I believe
most Americans may have a kind of gut-level understanding that:
--We may say what we like, with very few exceptions;
--We may go to any church we like, or to no church;
--The police may not break into our homes without a very good reason;
--We have a right to a lawyer if we're accused of a crime; and
--Our property is our property.
The problem is that ``gut knowledge'' about these freedoms is
unlikely to secure their permanence. Unless we know the bedrock of our
freedoms, unless we are certain of their source, their foundation--then
we may not notice when a thief in the night tries to steal them away.
Last year the Mayor invited me to join him during Constitution Week
at a press conference publicizing a poll taken by the Constitution
Center. At the time, a colleague of mine, a professor in Penn's Law
School, had just spent a year in Hungary working with that nation's new
Constitutional Court. As I said then, I was captivated by her account
of Hungarian taxi drivers and shopkeepers debating provisions of that
country's new constitution with great knowledge and passion. They
memorized its provisions and were hungry to understand them in all
their depth--because they had seen, in their lifetimes, how freedoms
can vanish like the wind from an inattentive populace.
This is the same kind of impassioned constitutional interest that
was characteristic of our founding fathers and their fellow citizens.
We need to restore it in America today, and the National Constitution
Center will help do that.
The University of Pennsylvania is eager to do all it can in its
partnership with the National Constitution Center. Among other things:
--Penn has made the study of American and Comparative Democratic
Institutions a University-wide academic priority for the next
five years;
--Penn history professor Rick Beeman--an expert on the Revolution and
early American history--has spent the past year as the
Constitution Center's first visiting scholar;
--Dean Gary Hack of our Graduate School of Fine Arts is helping
design the Center's planned interactive museum here in
Philadelphia;
--Penn has worked with the Center in setting up its exciting new
user-friendly website; and
--At the scholarly level, our Law School has established a new
Constitutional Law Journal that will plumb the depths of a
variety of constitutional issues.
Education is Penn's mission and our great strength. Through these
and other efforts Penn will work with the National Constitution Center
to reinvigorate the education of Americans about their most valuable
national asset. We look forward to the challenge. And we will be very
grateful for your support of the Center.
partnership
Senator Gorton. Mr. Mayor, in developing this request for a
partnership from the Congress, did your group have any
precedents? Can you tell us when we have previously financed a
significant capital investment, not for the National Park
Service itself, but for a State or locally owned and operated
facility; or are you asking us to set a precedent?
Mr. Rendell. No; I think the two that I mentioned--I do not
know that Jim or Joe or Dr. Rodin would have any additional,
but certainly, and this is a very appropriate Federal spending,
but the commitment that the Federal Government made to the
Holocaust Museum, for example, was significant. Steamtown----
Senator Gorton. That is a national park.
Mr. Rendell. This will be part of a national park. It will
just be a nonprofit institution that runs the center, and one
of the things we tried to do being cognizant of the fact that
operating funds are difficult because there are so many aspects
of the national parks that are always coming to you for
operating funds and so many different requests.
I happened to testify before Congressman Regula's
committee, and it was a day when every group had 5 minutes. I
sat for about an hour listening to the Congressmen go through a
ton of groups, and it became clear to me that this was a burden
that we had to assume, the Commonwealth, the city, and the
private sector assume and not lay on the Park Service itself.
But certainly, this is a cooperative effort with the Park
Service. This is going to be a part of Independence National
Historic Park. It is not going to be a separate entity. It is
on land that will be part of, and probably sometime this year
will become formally part of the Federal Government's federally
owned property.
And so I think in that sense, it is every bit as much of a
part of a national park as anything else.
Senator Gorton. Jim, why do not you describe the conceptual
process. How was this idea arrived at, and who was involved in
it? And in its ideal, would it have been even larger? Have you
reduced it, and has it been reduced further in size and cost?
How did we get to exactly where you are?
Mr. Rendell. Let me take the first crack at that.
Obviously, from the Federal mandate that was in the 1988
legislation, the people who ran the Constitution Center at that
point always had that in the back of their mind. The reason
that it never moved to where we are today is because we were
looking for a home; and to us for the very reason of the first
question you asked, that home had to be on Independence
National Historic Park. The mandate says on or near, but we
wanted it to be on official national parkland, and so we fought
very hard to be in the GMP to be given this location.
And, in fact, as I said, it is manifested in our
cooperative effort with the Park Service that they not only
placed us in the GMP but gave us such a central part of what we
did. And as far as the museum itself, since Mr. Torsella and I
have been president and chairman, we have scaled down the idea.
We scaled down the idea dramatically, and he can comment on
exactly how much because we thought that this amount of money
was more than sufficient to do what we wanted to do. Because
this is not going to be a museum with grand exhibits in size,
hopefully, the exhibits will stimulate the through processes;
but we did not think we needed a grand museum.
Joe, why do not you comment?
Mr. Torsella. Senator, one original set of plans proposal
for the museum about 3 years ago had a significantly greater
size by fair multiple, 200,000 square feet and a more extensive
layout on the mall. And we are presenting to you today, the
sort of neat outcome of a couple years of fairly laborious and
at times contentious, but ultimately very fruitful processes.
One was the GMP plan for the mall where there was a great
deal of give and take between the Park Service and the
Constitution Center and all the other stakeholders about what
was the most realistic and what would work for everybody. In
terms of the interpretive side of this, we went back to the
drawing boards with the museum consultants and professionals as
well as with the scholars and did, as the mayor said, come up,
we think, a much more realistic and scaled back version,
although one that will still be meaningful.
Senator Gorton. One more question, and then I want to turn
it over to Mr. Mayor. Assuming that this takes place, do you
have any specific plans--do you have any plans for the
surrounding non Park Service area in the immediate vicinity of
this new facility or up and down the mall?
Mr. Rendell. The surrounding area to the direct west of the
mall is the Federal Courthouse and the Federal Building where
Senator Specter and Senator Santorum have an office and where
the courthouse is. And to the east of the mall, we have a
wonderful--one of the earliest training centers in the country,
the Bourse which has been rebuilt into really a center for
visitors with all sorts of food and shopping opportunities.
And to the north--I am sorry to the south of the mall
itself is a greater part of the Independence National Park.
Independence Square which is in back of Independence Hall which
is part of the park, then directly adjacent to that is
Washington Square Park which is being renovated now where over
2,000--maybe 2,500--colonial soldiers are buried, and it is a
wonderful park with an incredible flame.
And then to either side of the mall itself are Congress
Hall, Carpenter's Hall where we are. So----
Senator Gorton. So you have no further redevelopment plans
for the area surrounding the park?
Mr. Rendell. The surrounding area other than the Park
Service is maintenance requests and redevelopment, I think, is
a good area itself. We have one other project which we are not
seeking Federal funds for which is by and large funded by the
city and private sources is to develop a 3\1/2\ block walking
sound and light show with all the great--latest technology
going through IHP and the story that is told on the headset is
the story of how we became an independent nation from the time
the First Continental Congress met here in August 1774 until
July, actually, 8th of 1776 when the Declaration was read to
the people of America for the first time.
And it is truly an amazing story because as you will recall
in August 1774 the people, the men, who assembled here were the
landed gentry of the Colonies were the people that had--were
the establishment who 98 percent of had no interest in breaking
from England. In many ways, it was just an issue of tax reform
at that point. And in less than 2 years right here in
Philadelphia, they undertook an incredible metamorphosis.
I know ``Miracle of Philadelphia'' is written about the
Constitution and the Constitutional Convention, but it was a
true miracle that events that happened here and around the
Colonies took those men from part of the establishment who had
no thought of breaking with England; and in less than 2 years
on the Fourth of July, they signed their names to a document
that was their death warrant.
And we are going to tell that story through this incredible
sound and light show. But that is, again, financed by the city
and private donations.
Senator Gorton. Senator Stevens.
Senator Stevens. Well, Mr. Mayor, I think one of the
problems we have--and I have not talked to them yet myself. We
will undoubtedly have a hearing, I assume, in Washington on it;
but I am told the Park Service is not in line with this, does
not endorse this facility. The size of it they have objected
to. The Park Service opposes the 600 underground garage, I am
told. They have objections because the budget of the NCC does
not include funding for the multipurpose storage project that
they had envisioned, and that they are concerned outside of the
mall to develop hotels in the vicinity of the park.
And we are told that we can expect strong opposition from
the Park Service when we do have a hearing. I have not talked
to Chairman Regula yet, but we are told that the House
subcommittee currently is on record as opposing the project.
Now, we are all very impressed I have got to tell you, or we
would not be here. But I do think that we have to be direct in
not raising undue expectations as far as process and a timing
for congressional action on this.
This is going to be a very difficult year for us in terms
of the appropriations process. We discussed that a little bit
last night, but we currently have appropriated $48.8 million
for the Federal portion of this project since 1994. There are
currently $104 million in projects that the Park Service has
outlined it would like to consider, but we have not as yet
either authorized or appropriated any of those funds.
In other words, it is a tortuous path you are on; and I
hope that we keep in mind that. I just asked one question. You
have cited the Holocaust Museum. When we had the hearings on
the Holocaust Museum, which we all supported very strongly, we
were told there would never be any Federal funds requested for
that project. We now have a request; and as you mentioned, it
is roughly $32 million a year.
On this project, this is still going to be Federal land. I
assume there is going to be Federal employees, security guards
or otherwise. I want you to again tell me how can you make the
statement that there would be no Federal operating expenses for
the NCC.
Mr. Rendell. You raised a ton of issues there. No. 1, we
have a gentleman here from the Park Service; and I do not mean
to put him on the spot from Director Rust's office; and they
are supportive of the plan. It is included in their GMP which
has been published and as a result of 2 years worth of hearings
and research. So they are very supportive of the plan.
The plan does include the renovation of the garage. And
they knew that, and that is part of the plan. And again----
Senator Gorton. The garage exists now?
Mr. Rendell. Excuse me?
Senator Gorton. The garage exists now?
Mr. Rendell. Oh, yes; Oh, yes; And there had been some talk
about a garage underground on the third block, but that is not
part of the GMP. The garage under the second block, the
renovations and improvement of that, are very much a part of
the GMP that has been approved by the Park Service.
So I do not know where you got the first part of your
information. As to the building of the maintenance building,
Mr. Torsella informs me we have agreed to undertake that
construction cost for the Park Service. So again, whoever told
you about that is either got dated information or is just flat
out incorrect.
And as far as hotels, whether or not there are hotels in
the surrounding area--and I do not know of any current
expansion for a hotel--there are 13 new hotels under
construction in the city of Philadelphia right now. But none of
them--I think the closest to the mall is about 3 or 4, 3\1/2\
blocks away at about 9th and Arch Street. So again, there has
been talk about a hotel. The newspaper is agitated about a
hotel at the back of the third block.
Of course, if that happened, that would be a money
generator for the mall; but that is not included in the GMP and
would not be eligible to be included. You would have to go
through a whole new GMP process.
And as far as the last question that Senator Stevens asked,
as far as the maintenance question, it is our intent between
the Endowment and the admissions charge to cover all of those
costs; and whether it would be Federal employees who would do
the maintenance or whether it would be private employees who do
the maintenance, if it is Federal employees, they will be
reimbursed, plain and simple as that. They will be reimbursed
from the Endowment and the admission charge, but it may well be
private employees. We have not decided that. We have not
discussed that with the Park Service.
But again, I am stunned to hear that there is opposition
from the Park Service. Again, they made it part of the GMP; and
they have been very supportive. Again, there is a gentleman
here from Director Rust's office; and he might want to speak to
those issues.
Joe, do you want to----
Mr. Torsella. Senator, I just want to add on the operating
budget question. One of the differences that may not have been
clear going through the plan is that the Constitution Center
will be the only attraction on the block charging an admission
price. Now, we hope to keep it as modest as possible through an
Endowment; but because we are the only one charging, we feel we
are comfortable saying that we are not going to be coming back
to you for operating support.
Now, that does not mean that we are going to, as of today,
that we are done looking for funds. It means, we are not
looking for them from the Federal Government. Good museums
continually develop new programing and find support and
corporate sponsorships and national membership campaigns, in
philanthropic and foundation support. And we will continue to
do that through the life of the center, I am sure.
But our preliminary plans develop by the museum consultants
have identified between $10 and $12 million in operating
revenues at this stage from things that are integral to the
design concessions that we let out, from the admissions, from
the Endowment to income and so forth. We have set out to design
this building--and maybe this is how it is different from some
other institutions, we have set out to design this building
informed by what has been a clear concern from Congress and
from the Park Service that Congress in the past has been
disappointed when an institution has come back to it and said,
we now need you to rescue us from our operating situation.
So we have been very careful from the beginning to build
things into the design that will make our operating budget
easier. The Senator mentioned a proposed parking garage. At one
point, we had proposed, for example, in addition to the
existing garage, we had also proposed a garage under the
Constitution Center because museum consultants advised us that
was a way of generating operating revenue and securing the
future of the operating budget. And it impacted on visitorship
statistics, also in a positive way in the operating budget.
We had proposed that. The Park Service has indicated they
object to that. That is not in the plan presented as the GMP.
Mr. Rendell. In fact, in terms of--we do take the mandate
of self-sufficiency very, very seriously which is why we did
not just stop at what we need to build a center. We are looking
for an Endowment; and, in fact, I have been trying to see if
Bill Gates--and maybe Senator Gorton could help me get an
appointment--[Laughter.]
I thought this would be a great project at this time in
Microsoft's corporate history for them to become involved in.
Senator Gorton. Senator Domenici.
Senator Domenici. Maybe he can go see Senator Hatch about
Microsoft. [Laughter.]
Let me just tell you an interesting story. This is perhaps
as much for the academician, the distinguished president. In
the city of Albuquerque about 3 weeks ago, I was invited to a
nonprofit corporation headquarters and manufacturing center
called Hands On Learning. Twelve school teachers 5 years ago
decided that what was needed to teach kids in areas where they
just were not getting ahead in America was to design
educational kits, different kinds of physical hands on kits,
used as lesson plans. Now, it is an educational piece, a
document.
For instance, one of them was a big, deep tub which had a
lot of dirt and peat moss; and there were five different kinds
of worms and the like growing in it. They literally sold those
all over America. They are pretty heavy, but the teacher could
teach 2\1/2\ months of biology and other things from that, and
there were a lot of different kinds of kits.
I asked them why they had to do all this, and incidentally,
they are having great success. They have not taken a penny of
Federal money in 4 years. They are self-supporting. They sell
their product. I asked them, why do you have to do this? Two
teachers run it now. They said, well because we do not always
have teachers who are experts in the subject matter that kids
are supposed to learn; and second, children need new ways to
apply concepts to learn; and they have to be something hands on
and touchable.
I was absolutely amazed at the kinds of things they
produced. They are now going to produce an art kit to teach
fourth, fifth, and sixth grade kids art. It is all coming out
of this little nonprofit group.
Now, having said that, let me say I am not sure when I
return to Washington and study up on this to go to our Interior
meetings, I am not sure that I am going to be as impressed with
how many Americans you are going to convert to people who
understand our Constitution in the classrooms of America. I am
not sure I have heard as innovative approaches to disseminating
this information far and wide as I am hearing about people
coming here and getting exposed to the Constitution.
I think there is no question that on the letter you will
impact for that day. What I think you need to convince us of is
that you are going to have a much bigger impact than that. I am
not saying that is critical to your funding, but I think it is
very important if we are going to be saying up there that we
are now funding a project--I do not know that we will call it--
a museum--in the city of Philadelphia where our freedom comes
from, the origins of our great freedoms, that it has a broad
impact. I am not sure that we should be funding it solely on
the basis that it will do a great job in the context that
people come here.
If it has some impact beyond that, I think it would be
interesting. I would ask whether the University of Pennsylvania
might submit to us for the record through your various experts
where else within the academicians of America and teacher
training parts of America's higher education where other events
are occurring that are trying to disseminate information about
better teaching of the Constitution and our freedoms? I do not
think that we ought to be misled--and I am not saying that we
are--but there may already be some very vital and important
efforts on how we teach our kids about the Constitution. I
think we ought to know about that, if there are.
Dr. Rodin. We would be happy to do that kind of survey and
provide it. We view the website as one mechanism to bring it
outside of Philadelphia; and as we all know although that is
not classroom learning in the traditional way or in the very
innovative way actually that you characterized, it is now a
mechanism that is not only being used in a person's home, but
teachers are using the websites in the classroom as an
opportunity to find and utilize the most up to date
information.
Penn has a graduate school of education; and up to this
point, it has been our American historians, our law professors,
and our city planners who have been most involved; but I think
that our faculty would take in the graduate school of education
would take it as a wonderful opportunity to challenge the
creating of----
Senator Domenici. Might you try to supply for the record
information on some institutions around the country that might
be doing this? My last two observations are quick. Just so that
you will not think that we are overstating the case of how hard
it is to find $65 million even over 3 years, I want to state
for the record so everybody in Philadelphia will know that the
domestic budget of the United States, the entirety of the
domestic programs, will be frozen for all intents and purposes
this year versus last year.
Essentially for 2 more years after that, they will be
practically frozen. Now, that is the result of the 5-year
budget agreement that many said did not do anything--we did not
curtail the Government enough. Well, we are telling you right
now that our Congressional Budget Office says, we have ordered
a freeze for the next year and almost a freeze for the next
year
So it is not easy to find new money. The President has
canceled a lot of programs to find some of his new money, and
it might not surprise you that we do not agree with some of the
cancellations. We also agree that we ought to spend some new
money some different places than he, but that is pretty tough
and pretty binding.
My last observation is that I surely do not want to leave
the impression that because New Mexico has 400 years of history
of the Hispanic colonization of the United States that I do not
understand that our premier and most positive document
regarding freedom and the reason we are a powerful Nation is
our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. There is no question
about it. I have come to the conclusion that our prosperity is
predicated almost exclusively on the amount of freedom we
permit each individual in America to have, and the more who
have freedom the more achievement there is because achievement
comes when people are free.
The more who are free, the more achievement, and that is
probably America today. So if our kids do not know it and do
not understand it, then we ought to get busy trying to make
sure they do.
Mr. Rendell. Senator, can I just comment very briefly on
the first part of what you said? And I do appreciate the
funding problem because I deal with this on a host of other
issues, as you can imagine; but let me address the first point.
I do not know if you are--I am about 10 years too old to have
been part of the computer revolution. So it is difficult for me
to think of--when I think of hands on, I think of worms. I do
not think of sitting in front of that little box, but my son
who is 17, to him, that is all hands on is.
And one of the things that I think is going to be truly
remarkable--and we may have sloughed over it in our
presentation and on the tape--is the virtual reality center
that is going to be available on the Net. And I believe 20
years from now, hopefully, American schools at every level,
elementary, middle, secondary kids will be able to go into
classrooms where there are computers for each and every one of
them; and they will be able to visit the National Constitution
Center here in Philadelphia without leaving Des Moines, IA.
Then they will be able to have the same hands on
experience, and they will be able to plug in questions about
what they are seeing and get answers back from the website. So
I think that is the hands on experience of the 21st century,
different than you and I had when we were growing up; but I
think that is the hands on experience. And I agree without the
academic portion of this, without the website, without--this
would be in part a great museum and a great experience, but it
would not be able to fulfill the widespread goal that all of us
would like to see it fulfill.
Senator Gorton. Senator Specter.
Senator Specter. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have to move
on so I will just take a minute or two. I compliment you, Mayor
Rendell, for organizing this program and for keeping the lines
hot between your office and Senator Santorum and me. I have a
red phone on my desk. It is Rendell calling. If it is not
Cavern and the navy yard, or housing, or education, it is
something.
But you have been the beneficiary today of an extraordinary
event, a field hearing. And the biggest advantage to you is
that you have seen in a very thoughtful way concerns raised
which you are now in a position to respond to. You do not get
that luxury very often. Ordinarily, you get a subcommittee
hearing, and the chairman is there, and Senator Domenici may
come. But they are very busy.
I would ask you to take a look at the issue raised by
Senator Gorton on the structure. You have a 501(c)(3). It may
be magnificent; but if it is unprecedented, a lot of people in
the Congress are going to raise their eyebrows and say, why.
And maybe the structure can be accommodated within the National
Park Service. I do not know now, but that is something that I
would ask for your consideration on.
The point that Senator Domenici emphasizes is one we talked
about last night at dinner. And that is, what kind of outreach
will you have? This is a great program for Pennsylvania and
Philadelphia, but there are 49 other States. And the other
Senators are going to say, why? And if you have a program of
outreach, I do not know what it would be, can send or how you
contact other States or how you contact schools and inspire
them to study away from the Constitution Center or maybe to
come here. That would be important.
And privately, I will identify for you the other members of
Senator Gorton's subcommittee and the other members of the
Appropriation Committee, people who will be helping to make the
decision.
On the locale, I think it is important to add to the plan
that Christ Church, a very old church, is in the environs; the
Mickva Israel, the second oldest synagogue right on the square
so that there are tremendous historical adjacencies so to
speak. And then there is the National Park Service, and you
want to get that cleared up and as positive as fast you can,
and there is Chairman Regula. Some of us will work on him.
But you have had a great opportunity to find the questions
here. You do not get that very often. And knowing you, you will
find the answers; and then the rest of us will help you. Thank
you.
Senator Gorton. Senator Santorum.
Senator Santorum. Senator Specter commented on all the
points I wanted to make, however, I want to reemphasize the
last point he made in regards to the National Park Service.
Having worked extensively with the National Park Service in
Gettysburg, PA, and other places, it is very important on
Capitol Hill to make sure they are in sync with the project;
and that they are seen as in sync with what is going on.
As you know, there are a lot of requests for money.
Congress only needs to identify one problem to say, well, we
will have to wait until next year for this project. So to the
extent that you can get rid of the problems and get everybody,
particularly in Washington, on board and as enthusiastic as
possible, you can then be judged on the merits of the project
and not on any problem that someone may have with the proposal.
I think you put together a terrific presentation. You have
a great group of folks working with you, and Senator Specter
and I stand ready to help you, and we will. Now, let us go see
the park.
subcommittee recess
Senator Gorton. Thank you very much. Now we will proceed to
show and tell.
Senator Stevens. We are going to have about 10 to 15
minutes with the press, and then we would like to take our
walk. That concludes our hearing, we will stand in recess
subject to the call of the Chair.
[Whereupon, at 10:30 a.m., Monday, March 9, the
subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene subject to the call of
the Chair.]
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER
----------
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1998
U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, and Related Agencies,
Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 11:11 a.m., in room SD-138, Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Hon. Arlen Specter (chairman)
presiding.
Present: Senator Specter.
NONDEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES
STATEMENT OF HON. EDWARD G. RENDELL, MAYOR, CITY OF
PHILADELPHIA, CHAIRPERSON, NATIONAL
CONSTITUTION CENTER
opening remarks of senator arlen specter
Senator Specter. The Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education will now proceed. Our hearing
this morning is on the National Constitution Center. We have
convened this hearing to further establish the record of
importance for the substantial Federal appropriation for this
very important undertaking.
The total cost of the center and the adjacent buildings
will be established in the course of today's hearing with
precision, but I understand it to be something in the
neighborhood of $210 million. The organizers are looking to a
Federal share of $65 million.
Senator Santorum and I invited the Appropriations Committee
to a special hearing in Philadelphia earlier this year,
attended by the chairman of the full committee, Senator
Stevens, and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Interior,
Senator Gorton, Senator Domenici, Senator Santorum, and myself.
Senator Gorton on the Interior Committee has put a mark in his
subcommittee bill, which is out of full committee, of $10
million, conditioned in effect on this subcommittee matching
$10 million, which we put in our mark yesterday, and we are
going to full committee tomorrow.
It was our view that we ought to strengthen the record for
this approach. The House of Representatives as I understand it,
has nothing in their bill so far. Their bills are not finished.
So that is a continuing battle. Some legislators have already
gone to the floor to identify this. I forget what neat
appellation they gave, but it was not a complimentary one to
the National Constitution Center. But what is one man's
imperative is another man's frivolity. You can quote me on
that, Bettilou.
We have a very distinguished panel today. We have America's
Mayor for America's Constitution Center. I see his biographical
resume which has been presented to me here, which omits his
greatest distinction. That was being employed in the
Philadelphia District Attorney's Office immediately after
graduation from law school. He bamboozled the then-district
attorney, was chief of homicide, prosecuted a great many cases
as an assistant, knocked down a great many walls as an
assistant, later was district attorney.
I think that his election in the primary in May 1977 was
one of my biggest thrills in the electoral process, including
many of my own races.
We have Richard Beeman, the Dean of the School of Arts and
Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania. He has been there
for some 30 years, received numerous grants and professional
honors, and is an expert on revolutionary and early American
history. The University of Pennsylvania will be a co-partner
with the operation of the Constitution Center.
We also have Mr. Joseph Torsella, who serves as President
of the National Constitution Center, a Rhodes scholar, Penn
grad, honors in economics and history, served as deputy mayor
for the city.
Mayor Rendell, we welcome you here and the floor is yours.
summary statement of mayor rendell
Mr. Rendell. Thank you, Senator. Let me begin by thanking
you and Senator Santorum for the leadership you have undertaken
in what we know was a difficult task in trying to get money for
this project here in the District of Columbia. We do not
believe it ought to be a difficult task. We believe if you look
at the history of the National Constitution Center it brings
this issue more clearly into focus.
As you know, Senator, because you were the prime proponent
of the legislation, in 1988 the Congress of the United States
adopted legislation creating the National Center for the
Constitution. That legislation was signed by President Reagan.
You gave the center two tasks: one, to continue the education
and learning and knowledge of the American public about its
Constitution, which I believe is the greatest document ever
written by man and womankind.
We have tried to do that faithfully over the last decade.
We have a budget of a little more than a million dollars a
year, which includes a $250,000 Federal matching grant, and
with that small, relatively small sum of money, I think we have
done an excellent job in trying to reach out and touch many
Americans and instill upon them not only respect, but knowledge
of the Constitution and how it works.
We have a very, very active website. The first 2 weeks that
our website was up we got over 200,000 hits. On our website you
can download, teachers can download any one of 70-plus lesson
plans on how to teach children at different grade levels the
Constitution in a way that grabs their attention and relates it
to modern life. These came from the Warren Burger Repository.
As you know, Senator, the repository recently gave those lesson
plans to us and made us the guardian and the distributor of
those plans.
We do educational programs throughout the year, run
contests on the Constitution, and of course our Constitution
Week activities, which touch many cities in each and every one
of the 50 States in the Union, and are centered around the ``I
Signed the Constitution'' campaign. We try to get Americans to
come in during Constitution Week in public offices, post
offices, representatives' offices, city halls and the like, to
come in and sign the Constitution, to affix their signature
next to Madison's or Jefferson's, and then they get in turn a
small copy of the entire U.S. Constitution.
That has been a very successful program. Over 1.7 million
Americans have participated in it. As you know, we were able to
show Senator Stevens when he was in Philadelphia the many
different towns in Alaska that had ``I Signed the
Constitution'' ceremonies. When we brought this idea to the
President, we showed him many different towns in Arkansas that
had the signing ceremony during ``Constitution Week.''
But the second task you gave us back in 1988 was to create
a museum for the Constitution. It is a task which on its face
seems very simple. In America, as I outlined in my testimony,
we have museums dedicated to everything: to the paper bag, to
the history of insects, to top hats. There are museums
literally to cover almost every element of American life, and
yet there is no museum to cover what is undoubtedly the most
important document in our country and I believe in this entire
world.
prepared statement
So we have set out on a plan to accomplish your mission, as
you know, Senator. We have laid the groundwork for a building
that will cost $130 million.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Edward G. Rendell
Good morning, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for the opportunity to
testify to this committee today regarding the National Constitution
Center (NCC). I want to thank you and the members of the committee for
taking the time to hear about our plans for this exciting project.
Mr. Chairman, we are deeply grateful to you for your leadership
both in establishing the educational mission of the NCC through the
Constitution Heritage Act of 1988, passed by Congress and signed by
President Ronald Reagan, and for your unflagging support of that
mission over the past ten years. I am here today to tell you that a
truly remarkable result of your vision is well within our reach: the
creation of the first ever institution devoted to educating the public
about the United States Constitution.
In the past 10 years, NCC has done an excellent job, with extremely
limited resources, toward its first objective: education. We have
developed award-winning radio programming, educational materials, and
school contests. We maintain a library of curricula and lesson plans on
the Constitution, the Warren E. Burger Repository, which we make
available free to teachers around the nation and, indeed, around the
world. Each September 17th, we commemorate the anniversary of the
signing of the Constitution with our trademark ``I Signed the
Constitution'' programs. Each year, participants sign a parchment
replica of the Constitution, adding their names next to Madison's or
Washington's, and receive in return new educational materials. An
estimated 1.7 million Americans have participated, and the program is
held in all 50 states of the union, at schools, senior citizen centers,
libraries, businesses, national parks, government offices, and hundreds
of other sites. Each year, we distribute hundreds of thousands of
pocket-sized copies of the Constitution. And last year, in conjunction
with our academic partner, the University of Pennsylvania, we debuted
an exciting web site about the Constitution. This web site received an
extraordinary 200,000 ``hits'' in its first two weeks of operation and
has continued to receive thousands of visitors--teachers and school
children among them--each month. We do all of this on an annual budget
of approximately $1 million, supported in part by federal aid of
approximately $230,000 each year. We are proud of our ability to
leverage federal resources on a four-to-one basis and provide such
quality outreach programming.
But our educational mission calls for much more. Frankly, given our
limited resources, we have been most successful at ``preaching to the
choir.'' We reach schools and community and civic groups that often
already have a high interest in the Constitution; we attract the
attention of visitors to our National Parks who enjoy the opportunity
to sign on to this precious document; we can count on our programs to
generate excitement and enthusiasm in presidential libraries, patriotic
societies, clubs and lodges in every corner of the nation. These,
however, are just the tip of the iceberg. Too few Americans have even a
basic working knowledge of the Constitution and its role in their
everyday lives. And, as Dr. Beeman has pointed out in his testimony,
the Constitution cannot run all by itself. The system it designs
assumes an informed and involved citizenry. Today, we are in danger as
never before of losing that invisible glue that holds the Constitution
together.
Last September, NCC commissioned a comprehensive poll of Americans'
constitutional knowledge. The results demonstrated our startling
ignorance of how our government works: more than half of those polled
do not know the number of US Senators; almost one-quarter cannot name a
single First Amendment right. Overall, just 5 percent of all adults
could correctly answer ten basic questions about the Constitution. In
fact, they were questions very much like those given on citizenship
tests every day for immigrants who seek to become citizens of our great
nation. If our poll had been a test, I am afraid our nation would have
received a failing grade.
Having obtained an indicator of the knowledge deficit among adults,
we turned our attention this year to America's youth in a national
survey of teens that compares their knowledge of popular culture with
their knowledge of the Constitution. The results are fascinating and a
full copy of this year's poll results is submitted as part of our
written testimony today. Consider this:
--Only 21 percent of American teens know how many US Senators there
are, but a full 84 percent know how many brothers there are in
the musical group ``Hanson.''
--75 percent know what city in the United States boasts the zip code
90210, while only 26 percent know that the US Constitution was
written in Philadelphia.
--Fewer than 2 percent of the teens polled could name the Chief
Justice of the United States Supreme Court, while almost 95
percent knew that Will Smith plays the Fresh Prince of Bel Air
on television.
--Around 92 percent knew who stars as the father of the house in TV's
``Home Improvement,'' while only a third polled knew the name
of the current Speaker of the House of Representatives.
--Just over a third knew the first three words of the Preamble to the
Constitution, while almost 70 percent knew the first three
letters of most web site addresses.
Statistics like those from our adult poll and this new information
on teens' knowledge reinforce how critical it is for the NCC to pursue
the second goal contemplated in the 1988 legislation: building the
first-ever museum dedicated to the document from which the soul of our
government grew and flourished. And these statistics are why, just over
a year ago, I accepted the position of Chairperson of NCC, even though
I have never before or since taken a position outside of government
during my term as Mayor. I believe that building this museum and
reversing this tide of ignorance is absolutely critical to the health
of our democracy. And I am confident that we are in a unique position
to do just that, especially because the Constitution Center and its
outreach programs will bring these ideas to life in such a way that the
stories we tell are every bit as compelling as the stories kids learn
when they turn on the TV, log onto the Internet, listen to the radio,
and absorb popular print.
It is astonishing that there is no museum devoted to this
incredible document, one of the world's finest political creations. For
two centuries, the Constitution has made the United States into the
most successful democracy the world has ever seen. It has inspired, and
been emulated by, hundreds of other nations, literally remaking the
globe. But even in Philadelphia, where the Constitution was conceived,
the Constitution's role in our world today goes uncelebrated and
unexplained. As one commentator has written, ``The United States has
museums devoted to the appreciation of peanuts, cakes, gourds, NASCAR
racing and Barbara Streisand, but it has none that concentrates on this
supple framework for history's most successful experiment in
democracy.''
Today we are on the verge of at last realizing the dream you first
laid out during the Constitution's bicentennial. With your support, the
Constitution Center can break ground on the first Constitution Day of
our third millennium, September 17, in the year 2000. Now is the moment
to turn this dream we all share into a reality, and I am here today to
ask this committee to do just that. We are asking for a total federal
appropriation of $65 million, with $20 million for fiscal year 1999 and
two future installments funding the balance. We seek support from this
committee for $10 million--half of our fiscal year 1999 request of $20
million--which will be applied directly to the key educational
components of the Center: storyline development and exhibition content
and design.
I want to emphasize that the amount we are requesting, although
one-half of the capital budget for the Constitution Center, represents
a lower percentage of the capital costs of all the improvements called
for in the National Park Service's General Management Plan (GMP) for
Independence Park. The combined cost of the other GMP projects is an
additional $75.6 million. So the total capital cost for all the
improvements to Independence Mall, including the Constitution Center,
is approximately $205.6 million, and a $65 million federal contribution
to NCC would represent less than one-third of that amount.
This is an important point, since all of the other major capital
projects--the Liberty Bell Pavilion, the Gateway Visitor Center, the
parking garage--are being built with non-federal funds. Of the total
required, we have already raised $58 million from non-federal sources--
the City of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and
generous private donors including the Pew Charitable Trusts and
Ambassador and Mrs. Walter Annenberg--and these projects will begin
construction shortly. (This $58 million is in addition to the $30
million authorized by the Commonwealth for the Constitution Center).
Further, this project has already attracted extraordinary support--
including the participation of Presidents Bush, Reagan, Carter and
Ford, all of whom serve with their wives on our Honorary Board--and the
momentum of our private fundraising will increase dramatically in
response to a strong lead from Congress.
I would like to clarify for the Committee that the funding we seek
for fiscal year 1999, 2000, and 2001 will be our full request for NCC.
The fundraising plan for NCC has never envisioned the participation of
the federal government in the continued operation and maintenance of
the NCC after construction of the Constitution Center is completed. We
expect that market demand, subscriptions, endowment income, and other
non-federal fundraising mechanisms will serve as the source for
operating and maintaining this great treasure.
Mr. Chairman, as an elected official I understand and appreciate
the many difficult decisions you and your colleagues are asked to make
on a daily basis. Like the City of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, and this country, this committee faces many challenges
that need to be addressed, and will always have more needs than
resources.
Nevertheless, I urge you to make the Constitution Center a priority
project for this committee, for Congress, and for the nation. America
and Americans deserve it and, in fact, require it, if the flame of
freedom is to continue to burn bright. Only when Americans understand
how their government works can they fully participate in its
operations. As Judge Learned Hand wrote, ``Liberty lies in the hearts
of men and women: When it dies there, no Constitution, no law, no court
can even do much to help it.''
In closing, Mr. Chairman, I want to draw your attention to some
good news from our national surveys. While the polls on constitutional
knowledge make clear that we have much to do to educate our citizens
about our constitutional heritage, there is a silver lining. Both polls
of adults and teens point to a terrific opportunity for us to carry out
our educational mission. We learned from the adult polls that even if
Americans know little about our constitutional system, they care deeply
about it and feel that the Constitution is important to their daily
lives. And from the teen poll, we have seen the potential to educate
using popular culture media and techniques. These positive responses
tell us two things: First, the opportunity is here for us to capitalize
on this heartfelt sense of the Constitution's importance; second,
people are inspired to learn when they are personally touched by
compelling, human stories and situations. So, our poll this year should
not be read as an indictment of teenage Americans for not knowing their
constitutional ABC's; it's an opportunity for us to learn something
about how to capture their interest. If teenagers understand the ``girl
power'' mantra of the Spice Girls, then creating enthusiasm to learn
about the women's suffrage movement is achievable. In the spectacular
new Constitution Center and through the Constitution Center's state-of-
the-art outreach programming, we can tap into lively and natural
curiosity of people of all ages, bringing the Constitution's ideas and
ideals to center stage in our national consciousness.
Thank you.
national constitution center's constitutional knowledge survey
questionnaire n = 600
Hello, my name is (____________________) and I'm calling from a
national public opinion research company. We are looking for teenagers
between 13 and 17 years old to participate in a survey about current
affairs and entertainment. It will only take five minutes and it will
be fun. Is there a teenager between the ages of 13 and 17 living at
your home?
[IF YES] May I speak to that person?
[IF NOT AVAILABLE] When would be a good time to call back?
[IF NO] Thank and terminate.
[INTRO FOR TEENAGER INTERVIEW]
Hello, my name is (____________________) and I'm calling from a
national public opinion research company. We are interviewing teenagers
across the country about current events and entertainment. We're just
interested in your opinions. This will only take five minutes and it
will be fun.
Percent
[DO NOT PAUSE]
TELEPHONE NUMBER
SOURCE
1. ORIGINAL CALL.............................................. 91.5
2. REDIAL OF PREVIOUS INTERVIEW............................... 8.5
1. First, what is your age, please?
1. 13......................................................... 22.0
2. 14......................................................... 18.0
3. 15......................................................... 24.2
4. 16......................................................... 18.3
5. 17......................................................... 16.5
6. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED [DO NOT READ]........................... 1.0
2. Gender [BY OBSERVATION]
1. MALE....................................................... 50.0
2. FEMALE..................................................... 50.0
3. In what city would you find the zip code 90210?
1. BEVERLY HILLS/LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA...................... 75.2
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 5.2
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 19.7
4. In what city was the US Constitution written?
1. PHILADELPHIA............................................... 25.5
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 32.3
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 42.2
5. Name the male star of the movie Titanic.
1. LEONARDO DICAPRIO/DICAPRIO/LEO DICAPRIO.................... 89.7
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 1.2
3. DK/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)................................... 9.2
6. Name the Vice President of the United States.
1. AL GORE, Jr./AL GORE/ALBERT GORE/GORE...................... 73.8
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 3.5
3. DK/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)................................... 22.7
7. How many brothers are there in the musical group ``Hanson?''
1. 3.......................................................... 81.2
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 4.5
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 14.3
8. How many U.S. Senators are there?
1. 100........................................................ 21.2
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 30.5
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 48.3
9. What are the first three letters of almost every website
address?
1. WWW........................................................ 71.2
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 11.3
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 17.5
10. What are the first three words of the Constitution?
1. WE THE PEOPLE.............................................. 35.5
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 4.3
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 60.2
11. What does the device The Club protect?
1. YOUR CAR................................................... 63.7
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 1.7
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 34.7
12. What does the fifth amendment protect?
1. DOUBLE JEOPARDY/SELF-INCRIMINATION/RIGHT TO A GRAND JURY/
DUE PROCESS/COMPENSATION FOR PRIVATE PROPERTY TAKEN FOR
PUBLIC USE.................................................. 25.0
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 22.2
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 52.8
13. Which musical band celebrates ``girl power?''
1. THE SPICE GIRLS/SPICE GIRLS................................ 92.8
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 0.8
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 6.3
14. In which century did American women obtain the right to vote?
1. THE TWENTIETH CENTURY/1900's............................... 54.3
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 18.5
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 27.2
15. Name as many of the Three Stooges as you can. (ACCEPT MULTIPLE
ANSWERS)
1. CURLY...................................................... 83.2
2. LARRY...................................................... 73.8
3. MOE........................................................ 81.7
4. SHEMP...................................................... 10.8
5. CURLY JOE.................................................. 4.3
6. DON'T KNOW ANY NAMES....................................... 12.8
15 TOTAL NUMBER OF STOOGES IDENTIFIED (Name as many of the Three
Stooges as you can.)
0. NONE....................................................... 12.8
1. ONE........................................................ 4.5
2. TWO........................................................ 12.8
3. THREE...................................................... 59.2
4. FOUR....................................................... 7.2
5. FIVE....................................................... 3.5
16. Name the three branches of the federal government.
1. EXECUTIVE (PRESIDENT)...................................... 49.2
2. LEGISLATIVE (CONGRESS)..................................... 61.5
3. JUDICIAL (COURTS).......................................... 62.0
4. ALL OTHER.................................................. 5.3
5. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 22.8
16. TOTAL NUMBER OF BRANCHES IDENTIFIED (Name the three branches
of the federal government.)
0. NONE....................................................... 25.8
1. ONE........................................................ 16.8
2. TWO........................................................ 16.2
3. THREE...................................................... 41.2
17. How old do you have to be to see an rated R movie in a theater
without a parent or guardian?
1. SEVENTEEN.................................................. 65.3
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 29.7
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 5.0
18. How old do you have to be to vote in a national election for
president?
1. EIGHTEEN................................................... 90.8
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 7.0
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED......................................... 2.2
19. Who played the Fresh Prince of Bel Air on Television?
1. WILL SMITH................................................. 94.7
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 0.5
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED......................................... 4.8
20. Who is the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court?
1. WILLIAM REHNQUIST/REHNQUIST/JUSTICE REHNQUIST.............. 2.2
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 6.0
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 91.8
21. What comedian/talkshow host is known for his nightly Top Ten
List?
1. DAVID LETTERMAN............................................ 53.0
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 14.2
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 32.8
22. What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution known
as?
1. THE BILL OF RIGHTS......................................... 44.8
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 4.7
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED......................................... 50.5
23. Who stars as the father of the house in TV's ``Home
Improvement?''
1. TIM TAYLOR/TIM ALLEN/TIM ``THE TOOLMAN''................... 89.8
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 1.3
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 8.8
24. Who is currently the Speaker of the House in the United States
Congress?
1. NEWT GINGRICH.............................................. 32.7
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 5.5
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 61.8
25. Who is considered the father of the computer company
Microsoft?
1. BILL GATES/GATES/WILLIAM GATES............................. 58.3
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 3.5
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 38.2
26. Who is considered the father of the U.S. Constitution?
1. JAMES MADISON/MADISON...................................... 1.8
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 54.2
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 44.0
27. What famous football player was found not guilty of murdering
his ex-wife in 1995?
1. OJ SIMPSON/OJ/SIMPSON...................................... 87.5
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 1.2
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 11.3
28. What landmark Supreme court case found that separate but equal
treatment for blacks and whites in public schools was
unconstitutional?
1. BROWN VERSUS BOARD OF EDUCATION............................ 9.2
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 5.5
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 85.3
29. What's the name of the town where Bart Simpson lives?
1. SPRINGFIELD................................................ 74.3
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 1.0
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 24.7
30. What's the name of the town where Abraham Lincoln lived for
most of his adult life and which he represented when in
Congress?
1. SPRINGFIELD................................................ 12.2
2. ALL OTHER.................................................. 16.7
3. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 71.2
PARENTS AND TEACHERS
31. How often do you talk about politics and government with your
parents or guardians?
1. DAILY...................................................... 8.3
2. A FEW TIMES A WEEK......................................... 14.2
3. ONCE A WEEK................................................ 10.0
4. A FEW TIMES A MONTH........................................ 7.7
5. ONCE A MONTH............................................... 5.5
6. RARELY..................................................... 30.7
7. NEVER...................................................... 22.7
8. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 1.0
32. How often do your teachers talk about politics and government
with you?
1. DAILY...................................................... 38.0
2. A FEW TIMES A WEEK......................................... 23.5
3. ONCE A WEEK................................................ 9.0
4. A FEW TIMES A MONTH........................................ 9.0
5. ONCE A MONTH............................................... 4.0
6. RARELY..................................................... 10.0
7. NEVER...................................................... 3.7
8. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 2.8
DEMOGRAPHICS
33. In an average weekday--how many hours a day do you watch TV?
0. NEVER...................................................... 2.3
1. ONE........................................................ 14.3
2. TWO........................................................ 23.0
3. THREE...................................................... 20.7
4. FOUR....................................................... 11.7
5. FIVE....................................................... 9.7
6 to 10. SIX-TEN.............................................. 11.8
11 +. ELEVEN-TWENTY-FOUR...................................... 5.3
25. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED........................................ 1.2
34. How many days in the typical week do you read or listen to the
news for at least 15 minutes a day?
1. DAILY...................................................... 51.5
2. A FEW TIMES A WEEK......................................... 32.0
3. ONCE A WEEK................................................ 6.5
4. A FEW TIMES A MONTH........................................ 0.8
5. ONCE A MONTH............................................... 0.8
6. RARELY..................................................... 3.0
7. NEVER...................................................... 4.8
8. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 0.5
35. In an average weekday how many hours a day do you do homework?
0. NEVER...................................................... 4.8
1. ONE........................................................ 35.8
2. TWO........................................................ 26.8
3. THREE...................................................... 14.3
4. FOUR....................................................... 6.7
5. FIVE....................................................... 4.2
6 to 10. SIX-TEN.............................................. 3.8
11 +. ELEVEN-TWENTY-FOUR...................................... 0.8
25. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED........................................ 2.7
36. What kind of grades do you get in school: Just stop me when I
read the right category:
1. MOSTLY Ds AND Fs........................................... 1.7
2. MOSTLY Cs AND Ds........................................... 5.0
3. MOSTLY Bs AND Cs........................................... 26.0
4. MOSTLY As AND Bs........................................... 49.0
5. MOSTLY As.................................................. 17.7
6. DON'T KNOW/REFUSED (DO NOT READ)........................... 0.7
independence mall
Senator Specter. Where does the figure of $210 million come
in here?
Mr. Rendell. That comes if you look at Independence Mall,
the three blocks that make up the mall of Independence National
Historic Park. If you look at the three blocks in the mall,
they are all undergoing reconstruction. The third block has the
Constitution Center. The first two blocks will house a new
pavilion for the Liberty Bell, a new interpretive center to the
Liberty Bell, a new Independence Institute, which will also be
a teaching vehicle, and on the second block a new visitors
center for INHP.
That part of the project will cost $70 million-plus and
there is less than $2 million of Federal money in that part of
the project. The other money comes from the State of
Pennsylvania, the city of Philadelphia, the Pugh charitable
trusts, and Ambassador and Mrs. Annenberg, who gave a $10
million personal gift from their foundation.
So the total public funding, Federal public funding, in
this project will be less than one-third of the overall cost of
the reconstruction.
Senator Specter. Mayor Rendell, if you project $67 million,
$65 million plus $2 million, out of $210 million, it has an
easier ring on a sale in Washington than $65 million on $130
million.
Mr. Rendell. I understand. I was getting to that.
Senator Specter. OK.
Mr. Rendell. But you are right, Senator, and that is one of
the points that you had made in your opening statement, and I
wanted to reiterate that. That is absolutely the case. In fact,
I know of no work being done in any part of the National Park
Service, as in the first two blocks, where 95 percent of the
work is being done without Federal dollars. I think it is an
extraordinary effort by the city, the State, and the private
sector to do that.
We believe that this museum will be extraordinarily
important to Americans, Senator, not just for Philadelphia. If
this was just a Philadelphia issue, I do not think we would be
here. But we believe the museum will have great importance to
America.
Last year, as you know, Senator, we took a poll, a national
poll about what adults knew and felt about the Constitution.
There was good news and bad news in the poll. The good news was
that nearly 90 percent of Americans polled said they had a
great sense, a real sense of reverence about the Constitution
and thought it was a great document. 85 percent said that for
the Constitution to work at its greatest capacity American
citizens should be knowledgeable about the Constitution.
But then the poll revealed that American citizens in fact
were not knowledgeable, adult American citizens were not
knowledgeable at all. Only 6 percent of American adults
questioned could name the four freedoms guaranteed in the First
Amendment. Less than two-thirds, about a third of all American
adults questioned, could not name the three branches of the
Federal Government. 52 percent of adults could not name the
number of United States Senators that the Constitution
requires.
On and on. There were other misconceptions. One out of six
Americans believed that the Constitution established the United
States as a Christian nation. There were all sorts of glaring
misconceptions. On a rudimentary poll of 10 basic questions,
only 5 percent of Americans could get that rudimentary poll
correct.
We released those statistics last year and I think they
were an eye-opener for people, both the reverence that
Americans have for the Constitution, but also their lack of
knowledge.
This year, and actually today, although it got out
yesterday a little bit, we also want to highlight a poll that
we took this year, Senator, involving teenagers in America,
where we juxtaposed teenagers' knowledge of the Constitution to
their knowledge of basic pop culture. The poll is highlighted
in that chart to the left, but if I can touch on some of the
more interesting results.
Only 1.8 percent of American teenagers knew that James
Madison was the father of the United States Constitution, but
almost 60 percent of American teenagers knew that Bill Gates
was the father of Microsoft.
Only 2.2 percent of American teenagers knew that the Chief
Justice of the United States was William Rehnquist, but 95
percent of American teenagers knew that the Fresh Prince of
Belair was Philadelphia's own Will Smith.
Only 21 percent of American teenagers knew how many U.S.
Senators there were, but 81 percent of American teenagers knew
how many brothers made up the singing group the Hansens.
25 percent of American teenagers knew what the Fifth
Amendment protected, but 64 percent of American teenagers knew
what The Club protects, the device The Club.
25 percent of American teenagers knew that the Constitution
was written in Philadelphia, but 75 percent of American
teenagers knew that you would find the ZIP Code 90210 in
Beverly Hills, CA.
Only 41 percent of American teenagers could name the three
branches of the Federal Government, but 60 percent of American
teenagers could give you the names of the Three Stooges.
The good new for the Vice President: Almost 74 percent of
American teenagers could name Al Gore as the Vice President,
but that pales in comparison to the 90 percent of American
teenagers who could tell you that the male star of the movie
Titanic was Leonardo DiCaprio.
So there is a huge gap both in adults and teenagers in the
knowledge about this great instrument and this great document.
We believe that our center, our museum, can in fact change a
lot of that. We believe our average attendance will be
somewhere between 1 million and 2 million people a year, and we
believe most of them will be American families. It is our
mission to correct what is obviously the failings of our basic
education system that educates our teenagers about things like
the Constitution, because our museum will be exciting,
interesting, it will grab their attention, and it will be
informative by showing America's young people as well as
America's adults how the Constitution relates to their lives,
how it affects them in modern 1998 America.
We think that that type of approach, coupled with the
educational functions that you will hear that the University of
Pennsylvania and Dr. Beeman are going to talk about, that type
of approach will in fact have a dramatic effect in changing
what Americans know and feel about this great document.
We also believe that as high school teachers and other
teachers come to the Constitution Center they will learn about
our website, they will learn about the availability of the
lesson plans, and they will bring those lesson plans back to
their kids.
So we believe that this is an enormously important project
for the United States of America, not just for Philadelphia.
Last, and I do not want to take any of Dr. Beeman's area,
but I do want to say that, in addition to the exhibits and the
wonderful things that will be in the museums, one of the things
I think Joe is going to touch on is the museum will create--as
you go into the museum you will get a delegate's pass and,
among other things, we will have a room where the delegate
visitor will pass through and will hear a debate on
Constitutional issues of the time.
For example, were the center up right now we would have
you, Senator, talking about whether in fact campaign financing
legislation violated the Constitution, and we would have
someone else----
Senator Specter. Would you have Senator McCain doing that,
too?
Mr. Rendell. We would have someone else on the other side.
Senator Specter. No; he is on the same side.
Mr. Rendell. Well, then someone on the other side. And we
would ask----
Senator Specter. You ought to have Senator McCain doing
that.
Mr. Rendell. All right, we will have Senator McCain doing
it. It may not be relevant in 2002, hopefully, but just to give
you an idea.
Then we would ask the delegates to cast their vote, so we
could almost have a contemporary running poll on the hottest
constitutional issues of the day.
So in any event, we believe this is a great for
Philadelphia, but, even more importantly, a great idea for
America, and we would again ask that this committee add the $10
million into its budget, and we will fight on the House side to
make sure that in conference committee there are
Representatives there who are receptive to this.
Again, Senator, we want to thank you. Had you not brought
the Interior Committee to Philadelphia for the field hearing, I
do not think we would have progressed to the level that we have
progressed today, and we are very appreciative of all your
efforts.
Senator Specter. Mayor Rendell, thank you for your
testimony. As you know, I have been pushing hard since I
introduced the legislation for the National Constitution Center
way back on April 21, 1987. It was a spectacular celebration
when the 200th anniversary was celebrated on September 17,
1987. President Reagan was in town. In front of Independence
Hall we have those markings, one where President Lincoln spoke
in 1862 and one where President John Kennedy spoke in 1963. It
is truly historic.
I refer to Senator McCain only because he was the author of
the ``pork'' comment. How anybody could call the National
Constitution Center pork is a little beyond my personal
comprehension. It is about the same thing as calling Dirksen
Room 138 pork, where we are having our hearing today, or the
Senate chamber, or the House chamber or the Rotunda.
It is as magnificent a Federal institution as you can find.
We have talked about this before. I think we need to find as
many ways as we can to publicize the Constitution Center so
that people across America know about it even if they cannot
get there.
Mr. Rendell. That is right. On our web site, once the
center is built, Senator, we intend--and Joe can tell you more
about that, but we intend to basically have a virtual reality
center, so you can be sitting at home in Spokane, Washington,
and literally traverse, go through the center, the way a
delegate who is physically present in Philadelphia could do so.
I think that will bring the center and its reality and what
it teaches to a much wider scope than even the one to two
million people a year who go through it.
Senator Specter. The aspect of the Constitution as a
living, expanding document is one which is not really
understood. There are many people who articulate the intent of
the Founding Fathers, which is a little hard to figure out
sometimes. The one case which stops everybody cold is Brown
versus Board of Education. Nobody is going to disagree with
integration in America and that does not square with the
Constitution in 1787 or with the post-Civil War amendments, the
13th, 14th, and 15th amendments.
We have had some testy and incisive debates on the Supreme
Court confirmation hearings on that precise point. I will not
specify which ones since this is an election year. But those
are concepts which really need to be articulated.
Were you in the college or the Wharton School?
Mr. Rendell. I was in the college, and my son starts in the
college on Saturday.
Senator Specter. Well, they will have an easier time with
Jesse Rendell than with Edward G. Rendell.
STATEMENT OF RICHARD R. BEEMAN, DEAN, COLLEGE OF ARTS
AND SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
Senator Specter. With that, we will turn to Dean Beeman of
the School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania. He
came there a little after I graduated.
Dean Beeman, the floor is yours.
Mr. Beeman. Thank you very much, Senator. I am going to be
delighted--I am the new dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences. I am going to be delighted to welcome the mayor's son
to Penn.
Mr. Chairman, thank you so much for this opportunity to
testify about the important purposes of the proposed National
Constitution Center. I and my colleagues at Penn join Mayor
Rendell in our gratitude to you for your support for the
Constitution Center, but also we are enormously grateful for
your support for so many other initiatives in research and
higher education, in biomedical research, in the National
Institutes for Health, on undergraduate and graduate student
financial assistance. All of that support is greatly
appropriated.
Mr. Chairman, we Americans are indeed blessed to live under
the protection of the Constitution. It has allowed an
extraordinary measure of individual liberty for our citizens
and at the same time it has provided our Nation a remarkable
measure of public order and stability. Liberty and order, those
are the essential aims of any government.
Such is our confidence in the durability of the government
created by the Founding Fathers that it is easy to take those
blessings of liberty and stable government for granted. But the
Founding Fathers themselves as they prepared to leave
Philadelphia after the adjournment of the Constitutional
Convention in September 1787, they were far less sanguine about
the prospects for their new government.
On September 17th, the final day of the convention,
Benjamin Franklin, the founder of my and our university, rose
to give what would be the last major speech of his life. Ever
the optimist, even at the age of 81, he nevertheless gave what
was for him a remarkably restrained assessment of the
government he and his colleagues had labored to create:
``When you assemble a number of men to have the advantage
of their joint wisdom,'' he noted, ``you inevitably assemble
with those men all their prejudices, their passions, their
errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish
views.''
Franklin thought it impossible to expect a perfect
production from such a gathering, but he believed that the
Constitution they had just drafted, with all its faults, was
better than any alternative that was likely to emerge.
Nearly all of the delegates harbored objections to the
document. They too believed that much of it was still
imperfect. But, persuaded by Franklin's logic, they put their
misgivings aside and affixed their signatures to it.
More important, following adoption of the Constitution,
Franklin and his fellow delegates worked tirelessly to make
certain that America's experiment in liberty would be a
success. They and their successors, men like John Marshall and
Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun and Abraham Lincoln,
realized that the Federal edifice so recently created was not a
self-actuating or a self-sustaining one. It could only be
sustained, they knew, by renewed dedication and constant
commitment to the principles of American government.
Our Founding Fathers understood that our system of
democratic government came with no guarantees. They knew that
the new republic would require active, informed citizen
involvement to preserve, protect, and defend it. This, Mr.
Chairman, as you know, is the basic, if daunting mission of the
National Constitution Center--to make sure that the citizens of
our Nation live up to their obligation to understand and to
nurture the Constitution and our system of government.
The University of Pennsylvania is proud, therefore, to
commit resources to the establishment of a National
Constitution Center. It is a commitment that includes our
excellent history department and law school, which together are
working to lay a foundation for renewed scholarship and public
discussion about the origins and purpose of American
government.
Dean Gary Hack of our Graduate School of Fine Arts is
actively involved on a pro bono basis in the design of the
museum, and the faculty of Penn's Graduate School of Education
are actively engaged in the creation and dissemination of
teaching materials on the Constitution for use by students in
our Nation's schools. As the Mayor has already mentioned, Penn
has also worked with the center in setting up its new user-
friendly web site, and we will continue to provide support to
help refine that website.
These and other examples of Penn's support for the National
Constitution Center are an outgrowth of our commitment to
higher education, to the higher purposes of education, to
educate an informed citizenry, a citizenry aware not only of
the rights provided by our Constitution, but also of our
responsibilities to keep America's experiment in liberty a
viable and vibrant one.
As an historian of the Revolution and the Constitution who
has taught in Philadelphia for the past 30 years, I am aware of
how the historic buildings on Independence Mall and its
environs--Independence Hall itself, Congress Hall--they provide
an exciting opportunity to teach Americans, as well as tens of
thousands of foreign visitors, about these critical moments in
our Nation's past.
The National Park Service is doing an outstanding job both
of preserving Philadelphia's physical heritage and in
interpreting the events that transpired in those historic
buildings. The National Constitution Center's new mission will
be to build intellectual bridges between that important
eighteenth century history and the twenty-first century, so
that we might better appreciate where we have come from and
where we might be headed.
I really do believe that it will be the synergy created
between the efforts of the Park Service and those of the
Constitution Center that will make the educational experience
on Independence Mall such a powerful one.
I see that red light in front of me, but if I might have 30
seconds to express--to end on a personal note. I serve on a
National Advisory Board of Scholars which helps guide the
center's public outreach efforts. That board includes scholars
from all over the country and it is a very distinguished bunch,
including several Pulitzer Price winners. Each of us is
privileged to teach in our respective universities a few
hundred students each year about the Constitution and the birth
of democracy.
prepared statement
Our experience as teachers has been enormously rewarding to
us. It is I think the most rewarding thing we do. But our
ambition--and I hope I use that word in a public-spirited and
not a self-interested sense--our ambition is to extend teaching
and learning well beyond our classrooms. If the ambitions of
the National Constitution Center are realized, we will be able
to reach millions of American citizens to inform them, as we do
the students in our classrooms, about the priceless heritage
Franklin and the other framers bequeathed us.
Thank you very much for your time, and of course I would be
pleased to answer any questions you might have.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Richard Beeman
My name is Richard Beeman. I am a Professor of History and
Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of
Pennsylvania. I also have the privilege and honor of serving as
the National Constitution Center's first Senior Visiting
Scholar.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to testify
before you this morning on the proposed new National
Constitution Center .
Let me say at the outset, I and my colleagues at Penn
salute the vision you have shown in seeking to secure federal
funding to build the Constitution Center. Your leadership on
this and other matters of critical importance to the University
of Pennsylvania and the nation--in biomedical research at the
National Institutes of Health and on undergraduate and graduate
student financial assistance--is greatly appreciated.
Mr. Chairman, we Americans are fortunate to live under the
protection of the United States Constitution. It has
established an extraordinary measure of individual liberty for
the citizens of our nation. At the same time, the Constitution
has also provided our nation a remarkable measure of public
order and stability.
Such is our confidence in the durability of the government
created by the Founding Fathers that it is easy to take the
blessings of liberty and of stable, just government for
granted.
The Founding Fathers themselves, as they prepared to leave
Philadelphia after the adjournment of the Constitutional
Convention in September 1787, were wisely more modest about
their accomplishments. And they were far less sanguine about
the prospects for the new government.
On September 17, 1787, the final day of the Constitutional
Convention, Benjamin Franklin, who also was the founder of the
University of Pennsylvania, rose to give what would be the last
major speech of his life. Ever the optimist, even at the age of
81, he nevertheless gave what was for him a remarkably
restrained assessment of the government he and his colleagues
had labored to create.
``When you assemble a number of men to have the advantage
of their joint wisdom,'' he noted, ``you inevitably assemble
with those men all their prejudices, their passions, their
errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish
views.'' Franklin thought it impossible to expect a ``perfect
production'' from such a gathering, but he believed that the
Constitution they had just drafted, ``with all its faults,''
was better than any alternative that was likely to emerge.
Nearly all of the delegates harbored objections to a document
that they believed to be still imperfect, but, persuaded by
Franklin's logic, they put aside their misgivings and affixed
their signatures to it.
More important, following adoption of the Constitution by
the individual states, Franklin and his fellow delegates worked
tirelessly to make certain that America's experiment in liberty
was a success. They, and their successors--men like John
Marshall, Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay, and
Abraham Lincoln--realized that the federal edifice so recently
created was not a self-actuating or a self-sustaining one. It
could only be sustained, they knew, by renewed dedication and
constant commitment to the principles of American government.
These would require the attention and devotion of all citizens.
Our Founding Fathers understood that our system of
democratic government came with no guarantees. Not in 1787, or
today. They knew that the new republic would require active,
informed citizen involvement to preserve, protect, and defend
it.
This, Mr. Chairman, as you know, is the basic, if rather
daunting, mission of the National Constitution Center. To make
sure that we as a nation understand that each of our citizens
has an obligation to understand, to guard, and to protect the
Constitution and our system of government.
The National Constitution Center is designed to be a living
national museum devoted to advancing public understanding of
the principles, rights, and responsibilities of American
citizenship, past and present.
The United States currently does not have a facility that
performs this critical function at a time when we know that the
public's understanding of the American experiment in democratic
government has unfortunately eroded. We cannot afford the
luxury of ignorance or apathy today, any more than we could at
any other critical time in the nation's past.
The University of Pennsylvania is proud, therefore, to
commit resources to the establishment of a National
Constitution Center. It is a commitment that includes the
History Department and Law School, which together are working
to lay a foundation for renewed scholarship and discussion
about the origins and purpose of American government. In
addition, Dean Gary Hack of our Graduate School of Fine Arts is
helping design the museum, and the faculty of Penn's Graduate
School of Education are actively engaged the creation and
dissemination of teaching materials on the Constitution for use
by students in our nation's schools. Penn has also worked with
the Center in setting up its new user-friendly web site, which
we will continue to support and refine.
These and other examples of Penn's support for the National
Constitution Center are an outgrowth of our commitment, really
since the Revolutionary Era, to educate an informed citizenry--
a citizenry aware, not only of its rights protected by our
Constitution, but also of its responsibility to keep America's
experiment in liberty a viable and vibrant one.
As an historian of the Revolution and the Constitution, who
has taught in Philadelphia for the past thirty years, I am
aware of how the historic buildings on Independence Mall and
its environs--Independence Hall, Congress Hall, the American
Philosophical Society, Carpenters Hall--provide an exciting
opportunity to teach Americans, as well as tens of thousands of
foreign visitors, about this critical moment in our nation's
past.
The National Park Service is doing an outstanding job of
both preserving Philadelphia's physical heritage and in
interpreting the events that transpired in those historic
buildings. The National Constitution Center's new mission, on
the other hand, will be to build intellectual bridges, if you
will, between that important eighteenth century history and the
twenty-first century--so that we might better appreciate where
we have come from and where the nation might be headed.
Mr. Chairman, allow me to conclude on a personal note. I
serve on a National Advisory Board of Scholars which helps
guide the Center's public outreach efforts. That board includes
scholars from all over the country--from Rhode Island, New
Jersey, Ohio, and California. It includes several Pulitzer
Prize winners. Each of us is privileged to teach a few hundred
students each year about the Constitution and the birth of
democracy.
Our experience as teachers has been enormously rewarding,
but our ``ambition''--a word I use in its disinterested
eighteenth century sense--is to extend teaching--and learning--
well beyond the classrooms of our respective universities. If
the ambitions of the National Constitution Center are realized,
we will be able to reach millions of American citizens to
inform them--as we do the students in our classrooms--about the
priceless heritage Franklin and the other Framers bequeathed
us.
Thank you very much.
debating team
Senator Specter. Well, thank you very much, Dean Beeman.
You are a successor to Dean Glenn R. Morrow, who was Dean of
the College of Arts and Sciences? You know Dean Morrow's work,
or is that too old for you?
Mr. Beeman. I think yes, it is past my time, although I
have been at Penn a long time.
Senator Specter. Well, he was the Dean when I was in
school. The Oxford debating team came to debate the University
of Pennsylvania and Penn did not do too well one year. Dean
Morrow insisted upon having a split team debate the next year.
The Oxford and the British people would travel around, charge
$100 for each school, and they drew very sizable crowds. In
those days they had a lot of people from World War II.
My colleague and I wanted to debate them together. The year
before they had had a split team where one Oxford fellow was on
with one Penn fellow, so that there was no Oxford against Penn.
Marvin Katz, who is now a Federal judge, and I went to talk to
Dean Morrow, your predecessor, to try to persuade him to let us
debate as a team.
He was totally opposed to the idea until he saw the force
of our argument, and then he agreed. We won the second debate
with Oxford as well.
When I see the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, I
feel like reminiscing on the record for up to a minute and a
half.
Mr. Beeman. I congratulate you for that victory in the name
of the college.
Senator Specter. Well, since you have made a response I
will tell you what the subject was. It was: Resolved, that the
British Empire is decadent. We debated two Britishers: a man
named Robin Day, who later became the British equivalent of
Walter Cronkite, and a man named Jeffrey Johnson-Smith. Both
were later knighted, and Jeffrey Johnson-Smith is in the
Parliament and I see him from time to time on the North
Atlantic Assembly.
After the debate was over and the judges had voted in favor
of Penn that the British Empire was decadent, my father walked
onto the stage and said: Arlen, you are not a very good host.
You brought these fellows all the way from Great Britain and
now you prove that their empire is decadent. What kind of a way
is that to treat these fellows? And I said: Dad, they got their
100 bucks. [Laughter.]
STATEMENT OF JOSEPH M. TORSELLA, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL
CONSTITUTION CENTER
Senator Specter. Back to business. Mr. Torsella, president
of the National Constitution Center, we welcome you here and
look forward to your testimony.
Mr. Torsella. Good morning, Mr. Chairman, and thank you.
The mayor whispered to me that I should disclose to you that I
am also an alumni of Oxford as well as Penn, although, having
heard that story, I am not sure that is a wise idea, but in the
interest of full disclosure.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today and to echo
what the mayor and Dr. Beeman said. Thank you for your
longstanding leadership, not just in the past few days and
weeks, but over many, many years, in support of the cause of
constitutional education and the National Constitution Center.
In the poll the Mayor discussed there is a lot of bad news,
as you can see, but there are also glimmers of good news. One
of the pieces of good news is that kids, like adults, are
capable of taking information on board and remembering it when
they think it is relevant and interesting to their lives. You
see some scores up there in the 90's and high 80's when it is a
fact that kids think has meaning for them in their daily life.
Now, the Constitution Center with our ongoing educational
outreach, we do a good job of reaching kids who already think
that this information is relevant to them. I will just briefly
share a letter we recently received from a student in
Greenwood, SC. He wrote to us recently:
``Hi: My name is Terence Pea and I have to study for my
test. Can I have a copy of the Constitution of the United
States? I need to make an A-plus.''
Now, that is sort of my definition of relevant and
important to one's daily life. Terence is a very practical
young man.
The trouble is, as you can tell from the poll, for every
Terence out there there are 20, 30, 40, maybe even 50 other
kids who do not think the information is relevant and who we
need to do more to get to them. That is why we have to
rededicate ourselves to the goal articulated first in the
legislation of building a physical place that can reach an
audience vastly greater than the tens of thousands that we now
reach.
We are ready to do that. We have developed preliminary
plans for the world's first museum devoted to what is truly the
most remarkable document in political history, the United
States Constitution. These plans have been developed, by the
way, by some fairly remarkable minds of our day and age. You
heard from Dr. Beeman how Dean Gary Hack of the University of
Pennsylvania has been our senior design consultant on space and
architectural issues. We will be announcing within the next 2
weeks our official architect and exhibit designer and I am
confident that those choices will be of the same caliber. Ralph
Applebaum, who designed the noted Holocaust Museum and the
Newseum, also nearby here, was the preliminary exhibit designer
for the Constitution Center. And as Dr. Beeman mentioned, we
have a number of Pulitzer Price-winning historians who are
involved in the thematic content of it.
The particulars of the building are that it would be
132,000 square feet, it would be located on Independence Mall,
we would reach more than a million visitors a year, and the
total cost, as you know, of the entire mall project is over
$200 million, with $130 million of that to the Constitution
Center.
I am going to give you a brief tour of the building from
the visitor perspective, not from the architectural facts. As
you enter the building, you become a delegate. You are asked
not to take a passive approach, but an active approach to
citizenship, just the way the people who signed the
Constitution did.
Your first stop is something called ``The Founding Story,''
and that is a brief film that gives all visitors the same basic
set of knowledge about the origins of the Constitution and its
historical perspective. From there you can go on to one, two,
or all six of six different thematic zones that deal with the
important themes of the Constitution. Each takes its title from
words in our founding document.
The first is called ``This Constitution'' and that relates
to the basic structure of government. The second is called
``Promoting the General Welfare,'' and that is the way that
government and society interact. The third, called ``A More
Perfect Union,'' deals with issues of Federalism. The fourth,
``Created Equal,'' addresses equality in America and how we
have struggled toward a more perfect approximation of that. The
fifth, ``Blessings of Liberty,'' is related to rights and
responsibilities of citizens. And the last, ``To Our
Posterity,'' looks at democracy in the future.
In each of these levels you can explore as much or as
little as you like, and there will be attractions geared not
just for people who know a lot, but for people who know very
little.
Finally, your last stop is something called ``Signer's
Hall,'' and there you will see an original copy of the
Constitution, but you will be given the opportunity, using a
laser pen, to sign your name and to receive a parchment
replica, which includes your name as well as those of the
original signers, affirming your citizenship and taking the
same leap of faith that the founders did.
All of these things, though, are just half of what happens
there. Behind the scenes, there are activities that are going
to reach more than the million visitors who come, many millions
more, hopefully tens of millions. There will be a virtual
museum where all of the museum's activities will be paralleled
on line, so that a student in Alaska can come to the museum
even if she cannot come to Philadelphia. There will be
curricula and lesson plans for teachers.
Senator Specter. Tell us a little bit more about how the
student from Alaska participates even though she does not come
to Philadelphia?
Mr. Torsella. Well, there is technology available now so
that when the physical museum is constructed that reality can
be mirrored on-line on the Internet, so that someone can, using
virtual reality, walk through a room and see exhibits. If she
sees an exhibit related to the Civil War and Union, she can
click on a picture of Abraham Lincoln and learn more about
that.
Senator Specter. That could be done at the center, but also
on Internet?
Mr. Torsella. Absolutely. Further, that person can also
engage in actual ongoing discussions through the Internet with
other people, both at the center and elsewhere, who are
interested in the same topics. That kind of discourse and
discussion is an important part of what we hope to accomplish.
Mr. Rendell. Just for another example, Senator, if I can
cut in, the room where the visitors will actually hear the 3-
to 5-minute presentations on each side of a current
constitutional issue, assume it was Senator McCain, you could
press a button and hear and see Senator McCain's 3- to 5-minute
presentation on one side of the issue, someone else on the
other side of the issue. You can actually see that and hear
that on your computer at home.
Mr. Torsella. A third behind the scenes function of the
center will be to be a center for production of broadcast
content, television and radio debates on constitutional issues
in current events, where you could have debates between
presidential candidates, but, more importantly, you could have
debates between presidents of high school classes or even maybe
the University of Pennsylvania and Oxford rematch.
Last, there would be a center for scholars and residents.
An important distinction: This would not be a center where
scholars speak only to other scholars, but where scholars speak
to ordinary citizens and help make this knowledge available to
all of us.
Now, in this description there are two important points
that I would like to emphasize and then I will close. The first
is that this is a museum with an agenda, with a purpose. We
want people, however they come in, whether they come in
electronically or physically, they come in as tourists, but we
want them to leave as citizens. We want them to leave with a
new level of information and, most importantly, an
understanding that it is their individual participation in
democracy that keeps it healthy.
Second, we call this a museum because we have not thought
of the right word. This is meant to be much more than a museum.
It is meant to be interactive, engaging, dynamic, entertaining,
and even fun, because if it is those things we can reach people
and communicate important educational content that might not be
reached by more traditional means and who clearly are not being
reached by more traditional means.
We are now entering the most important phase of the work
and this is the work for which we have requested the
committee's support over the next year. The detailed exhibit
planning and design and content development and story
development that has to take place over the next 12 months is
what we determine whether we succeed in this or fail in this
mission and how effective we are.
prepared statement
With your support, we can make this a place as remarkable
as the document that it commemorates. If we do that, we can
make all American kids and adults A-plus students and not just
Terence Pea.
Thank you.
Senator Specter. Thank you very much, Mr. Torsella.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Joseph M. Torsella
Good morning, Mr. Chairman. It is an honor to testify today before
this committee. All of us involved in the National Constitution Center
thank you for your interest and for your time, and commend you for your
longstanding leadership in making constitutional education a national
priority.
As you know, the National Constitution Center (NCC) was created as
an independent, non-profit and non-partisan organization by Congress in
the Constitution Heritage Act of 1988. At the heart of this legislation
was a recognition by Congress of the need for ongoing education of all
of our citizens on the U.S. Constitution. In the words of the Act,
``educational programs for the Constitution should continue after the
bicentennial to document its profound impact on the political,
economic, and social development of this Nation.'' Most ambitiously,
the Act contemplated that someday NCC would establish a physical site
devoted to explaining the Constitution to visitors at the place of its
birth: Independence National Historical Park, in Philadelphia.
Mr. Chairman, that someday is today. NCC has finalized plans to
create the Constitution Center--the first-ever museum honoring and
explaining the world's most important political document. As you know,
we are seeking federal support of this important project in the fiscal
year 1999 budget in the total amount of $20 million, with equal
portions coming from both Interior and Education related budgets. You
will hear this morning from my colleague Dr. Richard Beeman, a
distinguished professor of early American history and a visiting
scholar at NCC, about why constitutional education is so important to a
healthy democracy. You will also hear from Philadelphia's Mayor, Edward
G. Rendell, who is chairman of NCC's Board of Directors. Mayor Rendell
will discuss our funding request in the context of local and
philanthropic efforts related to the entire Independence Mall project,
and will also share the disturbing results of a new national poll of
American youth recently conducted by NCC. But first, I would like to
tell you a bit more about plans for the Constitution Center museum and
why this project represents the ultimate fulfillment of the educational
mission charted by Congress 10 years ago.
The Constitution Center will appropriately be located on
Independence Mall, just steps from where the Constitution itself was
written. It will dramatically tell the story of the United States
Constitution to the one million visitors expected to enter its doors
each year. The facility will be 132,000 square feet, and is scheduled
to break ground on Constitution Day (September 17) in the year 2000,
and to open its doors to the public two years later. The total capital
budget for the project is $130 million. As the first institution
dedicated to telling the story of this extraordinary document, the
Center will be one of the most important educational resources in the
21st century for Americans, and indeed for all people around the world
struggling to adopt constitutional governments and functioning
democracies.
When they enter the Constitution Center, visitors will register as
delegates, just as Washington, Madison, and Franklin were at the
Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787. By becoming delegates,
visitors discover how important they are as individuals and as members
of communities to the ongoing American democratic experience. This act
will be the first of many devices throughout the Center that will
transform visitors from passive observers into active participants--a
transformation the Constitution itself demands that we adopt to
preserve our freedoms.
The visitor experience will begin with ``The Founding Story,'' a
dynamic cinematic introduction to the Constitution Center through which
visitors will experience the heady excitement of a nation experiencing
its newfound independence, the difficult days of forging the new
nation, the wrenching debates over slavery and representation, and the
cautious hope that dawned with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
From there, visitors will move through six themed areas whose titles
take their inspiration from words in the Constitution and the
Declaration of Independence.
``This Constitution'' explores the structure of government while
``Promoting the General Welfare'' asks visitors to consider the
relationship between government and society. In ``A More Perfect
Union,'' our attention centers on federalism and states rights, and in
``Created Equal,'' we explore the changing meanings of equality in our
society. Journeying through ``The Blessings of Liberty,'' visitors
learn about rights and responsibilities, and in ``To Our Posterity,''
we see visions of our future, with interactive galleries delving into
``on-line democracy.''
As we leave these six themed areas, we enter the final of the
Center's permanent exhibition spaces, Signer's Hall, a dramatic and
reverent conclusion to our journey. Here, a copy of the Constitution is
on display. And just like the original delegates, we are asked to judge
whether or not to adopt it. Using a laser pen and our Delegate's Pass,
we can sign the Constitution, adding our names to those of the millions
of visitors stored in a permanent electronic data bank. And as we
leave, we receive a signed parchment replica of the Constitution.
The experience of the one million physical visitors is only part of
what will happen at the Center. What happens behind the scenes will
reach many millions more. A third grader in Alaska can visit the
Constitution Center's virtual museum--even if she can't come to
Philadelphia. A schoolteacher in Paris--Texas or France--can get free
curricula and lesson plans on the Constitution. And a senior citizen in
Seattle can watch a televised debate on the latest proposal for a
constitutional amendment. One speaker might be a presidential
candidate. The other might be president of her senior class. There will
be nationally-televised debates from an in-house production studio, a
major internet presence, using ``virtual museum'' technology,
newsletters and publications, polling, and off-site school programs.
The Center will also boast a study and resource center for teachers,
scholars, and students.
I hope that from this description several facts will be apparent to
you. First, although we call this place a ``building'' or a ``museum,''
it will really be much more than either of these words suggest. The
visitor experience will be worlds apart from the typical museum tour.
It will be interactive, engaging, educational, and entertaining.
Everywhere visitors turn they will find activities, films, shows, and
interactive exhibits to engage their interest. In this way, we hope to
capture the hearts and minds of both adults and children who previously
had little understanding of the Constitution's role in their daily
lives, and who might not be reached by more typical educational
methods.
In short, we expect that the Constitution Center will be a sort of
headquarters for spreading a message across our culture that each of us
has a vital role to play in ensuring that the hard-won freedoms
embedded in our Constitution are passed along intact to the next
generation. Whoever our visitors are, however they arrive, we want them
to leave as informed citizens.
We stand ready to undertake this challenge. In the past 18 months,
a number of important developments have set the stage for the next
phase of our work:
--The National Park Service (NPS) completed its General Management
Plan (GMP) which will guide the Park's development for the next
several decades. The GMP endorsed the inclusion of the
Constitution Center on Independence Mall, federal parkland.
--NPS also completed a master design plan for the Mall. This design,
by noted landscape architect Laurie Olin, situates the
Constitution Center prominently on the third block of the Mall,
facing Independence Hall, making the Center the vital northern
anchor of the Mall.
--The interpretative vision for the Center was developed and
articulated with assistance from an extraordinary group of
scholars from around the country, and by Ralph Appelbaum, the
award-winning designer of the Holocaust Museum in Washington.
This vision--which sees the Constitution both as the creator of
a nation, and a protector of individuals--was elaborated in an
8-minute video, ``Imagine a Place,'' produced by NCC to
describe the visitor experience.
--The Pennsylvania General Assembly authorized a $30 million capital
contribution towards the construction of the Constitution
Center, and NCC will shortly announce major developments in its
private fundraising efforts.
--Using the GSA's Design Excellence Program, NCC engaged in a
national search for the nation's best architectural and
exhibition designers. NCC will announce its design team, both
architect and exhibit designer, later this month. The
Constitution Center will truly come to life with preliminary
sketches and plans as early as the spring and summer of 1999.
Because of these developments, we are now ready to tackle the most
critical phase of creating the Constitution Center: the detailed
planning that is required for a project of this magnitude. It is for
this work that we seek this committee's support. In the next year, we
will intensively study, develop, and design the educational core of the
Constitution Center, working with the nation's leading educators and
scholars. We will now lay the educational groundwork that will ensure
that future generations have the resources they deserve to grasp the
role the Constitution plays in their government.
In the Constitution Heritage Act ten years ago, Congress first
articulated an ambitious and worthwhile goal: that there would
eventually be established within Independence National Historical Park
a center dedicated to the Constitution, from which would emanate
nothing less than a ``national program of public education on the
Constitution.'' Today, we are poised to achieve that worthwhile goal,
and with the support of this committee, we shall.
Thank you.
country symbols
Mr. Rendell. Can I add one last thing that Joe's recitation
reminded me of. I think for Americans to feel good about
themselves and their country symbols are important, too. I know
one of my police officers drove me down last night to
Washington, and he had never been to Washington, D.C., before.
We came down North Capitol Street off New York Avenue because I
was staying at the Capitol Hyatt, and he looked at the Capitol
Building, as you can see it when you turn onto North Capitol,
lit up and gleaming. He is an Hispanic officer, born in Puerto
Rico and lived in Philadelphia for the last 30 years, and this
is a fairly hardened Philadelphia policeman. He was touched by
what he saw, I mean truly touched by what he saw. It is a
beautiful site.
I want to close our presentation by just asking you to
think about being an American citizen, never been in
Philadelphia before, read a little bit about the Declaration
and the Constitution, et cetera, and you are touring
Independence Hall and you come out of Independence Hall and you
look down the mall, and at the other end of the mall, two
blocks away, you will see the Constitution Center.
As you come out of Independence Hall or the Liberty Bell
Pavilion and you look down at the Constitution Center, whatever
the building will look like--and we do not know that yet
because we have not picked the architect--but above the
entranceway in very graphic form will be three words: ``We the
People.''
I submit to you that that can be as moving a site to
Americans as what my detective saw last night seeing the
Capitol for the first time.
Senator Specter. Well, that is very impressive, and thank
you for the presentation.
Let me ask for an enumeration as to how the Constitution
Center will be applicable or of advantage to the other 49
States or distant parts of Pennsylvania? Specifically identify
that so that I may repeat them to the House members and my
colleagues in the Senate.
Mr. Torsella. First of all, I would point out that our
current educational offerings, we are of advantage to all 50
States. The signings program that the Mayor mentioned takes
place in all 50 States and this September is also going to take
place in all 50 States. Our files are filled with letters from
all these States and from communities large and small about the
meaning of this program.
Those same people, by the way, write to us.
Senator Specter. You say the signing, where somebody signs
the Constitution?
Mr. Torsella. Yes.
Senator Specter. That can be done in other States?
Mr. Torsella. That can be done. We currently do that in
other States and we archive the scrolls for the future
Constitution Center.
Now, those people, by the way, when they write back to us,
not only do they tell us how effective the signing us, but when
we let them know what our plans are related to the Constitution
Center there is an enormous amount of interest from these
people in visiting the Constitution Center. If I can, I
actually have some examples of some letters.
Nita Skoagland in Rome, New York: ``My grandson is very
interested in history. I would bring him with me.''
Hazel Park, Missouri: ``The Constitution Center sounds fun
and educational. I would really love to go.''
Senator Specter. Tell me now, the signing can be done now.
What will be unique after the Constitution Center is put up
that cannot be done now?
Mr. Torsella. Well, the difference is that when people
partake in our signings, either offsite or on the Constitution
Center, their names will become part of a permanent record that
we hope will become an enormous percentage of all Americans who
have ``signed the Constitution'' and affirmed their
citizenship, so that in the center will be a vast permanent
record of millions upon millions of signatures.
The first point I want to make is that we expect
visitation, which is currently, at Independence Mall,
visitation is very national and international, we expect that
to be true for the Constitution Center.
Second, the behind the scenes things that I talked about
are not trivial. They represent about half of the space in the
center. It is our intent that things like television
broadcasts, things like Internet debates and national
electronic town meetings be half of the center's priority, not
just for the physical visitor, so that those people who are
lucky enough to come, we would certainly like to see them.
Those people that cannot come, we would like to see them
electronically, or perhaps those people who are planning to
come we would like to see before they get there.
Senator Specter. Of course, the Constitution Center has to
be in existence and you have to have all these programs so they
can be tapped into electronically.
Mr. Beeman. You know, Senator Specter, my view of this may
be biased by the fact that I have chosen to be a historian of
18th century America. But whenever I walk into Independence
Hall I am filled with emotion at the achievement of the people
who gathered there first in 1776 and in 1787. It is not just an
educational experience. It is a profoundly emotional one, and I
think it is for millions of visitors as well.
I think all of our hopes is that when people come to the
National Constitution Center some time early in the 21st
century that they are going to have that same kind of
experience, not just an educational experience, but an
emotional one. It really is an experience which, as you look
down the mall, which links that wonderful eighteenth century
history to the promise of the future.
Mr. Torsella. Senator, one final point on this subject. You
here in Washington can see from the experience of the Holocaust
Museum how an institution can cast a shadow that is much larger
than its physical presence. Kids and adults all around the
country have a new understanding of that subject because of the
place that that museum has taken in our culture.
We hope to be, similarly, not just a museum, but much more
broadly a presence in the American culture.
conclusion of hearings
Senator Specter. Well, it is enormously impressive and we
will work hard to help you with the funding. That is obviously
indispensable. We have our work cut out in the Senate, but more
specifically in the House.
We told you we would get you out of here by noontime and it
is 2 minutes to 12. So we thank you very much for being here,
that concludes our hearing. The subcommittee will stand in
recess subject to the call of the Chair.
[Whereupon, at 11:58 a.m., Wednesday, September 2, the
hearings were concluded, and the subcommittee was recessed, to
reconvene subject to the call of the Chair.]
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