Backbencher of the Week

As a history buff and someone whose political beliefs fall on the good government liberal side of the spectrum I am proud to award the Backbencher of the Week to Rep. Maurice Hinchley (D-NY-22).  Hinchley and fellow New Yorker Rep. John McHugh (R-NY-22) introduced H.R. 2171 The Preserving the American Historical Record Act.  The bill would provide 50 million dollars to help state and local governments preserve historical records.

The story of American history is built on the framework of government records like birth, marriage, and death certificates.  This bill will help local governments preserve their records to aid the future work of historians.

For this little bit of good government Rep. Maurice Hinchley is this week's Backbencher of the Week.  Congratulations.

P.S. Rep. John McHugh is the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee and therefore not a backbencher.