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Methodist council approves land lease for Bush library
Mark Norris, Editor In Chief, mnorris@smu.edu
Issue date: 3/20/07 Section: News
Retired professor Bill McElvaney spoke against the lease, telling the council that "future of SMU's soul is at stake." He said that the Bush library committee should be working to accommodate its plans within SMU's mission, not the other way around. He also mentioned the online petition against the library that has now garnered approximately 10,500 signatures.
The council debated 40 minutes in private before returning with the results of their vote.
While the council was approving the lease of land to SMU, the U.S. House was voting on a bill that would drastically change the way the Bush library committee approached the library project.
The House voted 333-93 to overturn an executive order signed five years ago that allows ex-presidents and their immediate family to seal White House records and documents for as long as they deem necessary.
"Historians and scholars need access to presidential records so that there's an accurate record of a president's term in office and not an alleged version based on what the president chooses to share," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the lead sponsor of both bills.
The House also voted overwhelmingly, 390-34, to have Bush and future presidents identify donors to their library projects. The bill would require the library fundraisers to disclose four times a year donations of $200 or more. This would be mandatory for the first four years after a president leaves office.
- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The council debated 40 minutes in private before returning with the results of their vote.
While the council was approving the lease of land to SMU, the U.S. House was voting on a bill that would drastically change the way the Bush library committee approached the library project.
The House voted 333-93 to overturn an executive order signed five years ago that allows ex-presidents and their immediate family to seal White House records and documents for as long as they deem necessary.
"Historians and scholars need access to presidential records so that there's an accurate record of a president's term in office and not an alleged version based on what the president chooses to share," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., the lead sponsor of both bills.
The House also voted overwhelmingly, 390-34, to have Bush and future presidents identify donors to their library projects. The bill would require the library fundraisers to disclose four times a year donations of $200 or more. This would be mandatory for the first four years after a president leaves office.
- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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