By Alexandra Klein
After an extended delay and four continuing resolutions, Congress passed funding bills for FY 24 in March–more than five months after the fiscal year began. Congress passed the first six FY 24 appropriations bills on March 8, including the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill, which included $207 million for the NEH. Though this represents level funding with FY 23, it is a real win for humanities advocates: the initial version of the House’s FY 24 bill proposed a $20 million cut to the agency and there was an effort to completely defund the agency when the bill came to the House floor in November.
Congress passed the final six FY 24 appropriations bills on March 23. These bills included funding for multiple humanities programs, including the Department of Education’s international education programs, Title VI and Fulbright-Hays, which received level funding ($86 million in total). This too was a tremendous win as the original House version of the bill cut Title VI by over 50 percent and zeroed out Fulbright-Hays.
Unfortunately, the National Archives’ budget received a small cut of $270,000 in the final bill, bringing the agency’s funding to $427.25 million. The NHPRC received $10 million, representing a larger $2 million cut. However, 39 NARA projects totaling $55.9 million were funded via Congressionally Directed Spending, otherwise known as earmarks.
Even as Congress was finishing up FY 2024 appropriations, President Biden kicked off the FY 25 appropriations process on March 11 with the release of his budget request. The budget request included $200 million for the NEH, which is a $7 million decrease from the FY 24 funding level. We are disappointed in the President’s proposal to cut the NEH’s funding even while he proposed to increase the NEA’s funding by $3 million to $210. Despite the President’s violation of the long tradition of parity between the two agencies, we are confident that the allies on Capitol Hill that the advocacy community has worked to cultivate are committed to parity between the two agencies.
The budget request also included a significant and much needed increase for the National Archives and Records Administration. Unfortunately, it also included a substantial cut for the Archives’ grant-giving arm, the National Historical Publications and Records Administration. The request also included small cuts for the Department of Education’s international education programs, Title VI and Fulbright-Hays.
Congress will now turn its attention to the FY 25 appropriations process. More details about the final FY 24 numbers and the FY 25 President’s Budget Request numbers can be found in our funding chart.
In the midst of all this legislative and administrative activity, we held the NHA Annual Meeting and Humanities Advocacy Day on March 10th through 12th. On Humanities Advocacy Day, 170 advocates from 45 states met with Members of Congress and their staff to advocate for increased funding for the NEH, National Archives, and Title VI and Fulbright-Hays. This year, 98 advocates were participating for the first time, and we were joined by 25 students.
Monday evening, advocates gathered at a reception on Capitol Hill where they had the chance to hear encouraging words from Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01) and NEH Chair Shelly Lowe, Navajo. We also awarded the Sidney R. Yates Award for Distinguished Public Service to the Humanities to Congresswoman Pingree. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), the second recipient of this year’s award, was unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict but was given the award the next day by advocates joining us from Maine.
Humanities Advocacy Day is an opportunity to thank our congressional allies and lay the groundwork for the coming year. Since then, we have been rallying advocates to sign on to congressional Dear Colleague letters urging increased funding for all of our priorities. If last year is any indication, this advocacy is absolutely essential to ensuring that humanities funding remains robust in the midst of a difficult budget climate.
Posted on: May 8, 2024
Photo Credit
Thumbnail image: Photo by Morrison Photography.