Washington — Ignoring a veto threatened by the White House, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to preserve federal electronic records, the Electronic Records Preservation Act (HR 5811), by a vote of 286 to 137.
Fifty-six Republicans joined 230 Democrats on Wednesday in voting for the bill, which would require the National Archives and Records Administration to set standards for the preservation of electronic messages created by federal agencies and the executive branch.
History advocates, including the National Coalition for History, have expressed strong support for the measure, which has been referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. —Jennifer Howard
