Policy Updates
COVID-19 Relief Funding Update
Posted OnFebruary 16, 2021 byBy Alexandra Klein Last week, the House released a draft of the next COVID-19 relief bill that included $135 million in funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to distribute to humanities organizations facing dire impacts due to the COVID-19 crisis. This builds on the $75 million the NEH received in the CARES…Read More…
Senate Releases FY 2021 Appropriations Bills
Posted OnNovember 16, 2020 byBy Beatrice Gurwitz Last week, the Senate released all 12 of its FY 2021 draft appropriations bills. The bills included level funding for many of our priorities, with a few key exceptions. The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill included level funding ($162.25 million) for the NEH. The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and…Read More…
House Appropriations Bills Include Increases for the Humanities
Posted OnJuly 14, 2020 byBy Beatrice Gurwitz The House appropriations subcommittees have been releasing their FY 2021 draft bills over the past week and several have now passed out of the full appropriations committee. We have been pleased to see proposed increases for all of our priorities in these bills. The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill included $170…Read More…
Take Action to Reverse ICE’s Decision on International Students!
Posted OnJuly 8, 2020 byBy Stephen Kidd This past spring, when universities were shutting down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, ICE issued a temporary exemption, which allowed nonimmigrant international students to stay in the U.S. while their classes went virtual. On July 6, ICE issued a decision that would end temporary visa exemptions for immigrant students whose upcoming coursework…Read More…
FY 2021 Dear Colleague Letter Successes
Posted OnJune 18, 2020 byBy Alexandra Klein Each year, a key part of the appropriations process is Dear Colleague Letters. These letters, circulated each March, are written to request a certain amount of appropriations funding for agencies and policy priorities. The letters then receive sign ons from Members of Congress who wish to add their support to specific funding…Read More…
Virtual Briefing: Local Cultural Organizations and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Posted OnJune 18, 2020 byBy Beatrice Gurwitz In early April, we launched a survey that asked humanities organizations to share the challenges they are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Museums, historic sites, and historical societies told us that closing their doors and canceling major events has led to major financial stress, leading them to face lay-offs and the…Read More…
Urge Continued Support for the Humanities Community During the COVID-19 Crisis
Posted OnMay 5, 2020 byBy Alexandra Klein As Congress begins to consider additional COVID-19 relief funding packages, we are calling on humanities advocates to contact their Members of Congress this week to urge additional relief funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities. While we are very grateful for $75 million awarded to the NEH in the CARES Act,…Read More…
Update on COVID-19 Stimulus Funding
Posted OnMarch 26, 2020 byBy Beatrice Gurwitz Update, March 27, 2020: The House passed the supplemental funding bill today on a voice vote. The bill will now go to the president who is expected to sign it. The supplemental funding bill that the Senate passed late last night provides $75 million to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and…Read More…
Urge Support for the Humanities Community During the COVID-19 Crisis
Posted OnMarch 20, 2020 byBy Alexandra Klein Update, March 23, 2020: Yesterday afternoon, Republican leadership in the Senate released a draft stimulus bill that included only $100 million in spending for the NEH (and an equal amount for the NEA). Later that afternoon, negotiations on that draft bill broke down due to a range of bigger differences, and a vote…Read More…