Call to Advocacy from AASLH - History Funding in Jeopardy!

Dear Friends of History:

As I’m sure you know, President Obama released his FY 2012 budget on Monday, calling for significant cuts to history. At the same time, Congress is gearing up for funding cuts within the FY 2011 budget which is operating under a Continuing Resolution.

HISTORY NEEDS YOUR HELP! There are several agencies and programs at risk. AASLH has made it as easy for you as possible, but we need you to follow the steps below and let your Members of Congress know that you think history is essential to an educated and democratic society.

When you contact your Members, please be sure to let me know (davis@aaslh.org) so I can get a feel for how the field is responding to our request for assistance. And thank you so much for being actively involved in the fight for the future of public funding for history!

Here’s a summary of the battle. As you can see, it’s complicated and a huge hit for history. Below the summary are action steps AASLH is requesting from you!

• Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) – The President has requested $242,605,000 for FY 2012, of which $32,318,000 is for the museum side of the agency, or an 8% cut. In addition, Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) has filed an amendment to strip all funding for IMLS (both libraries and museums) for the balance of the FY 2011 funding year. His proposal may come to the House floor this week. 
• Teaching American History Grants – The President has requested the elimination of TAH grants for FY 2012, just as he did for FY 2011—a $119 million loss.
• Save America’s Treasures – The President has proposed the elimination of the SAT program.
• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) – The President has proposed a $22 million cut.  In addition, Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) has filed an amendment to strip all funding for NEH for the balance of the FY 2011 funding year.  His proposal may come to the House floor this week. Also, Rep. Francisco Canseco (R-TX) has introduced an amendment to reduce NEH funding by $12.51 million for FY 2011.
• National Publications and Records Commission – The President has proposed a 50% cut, from $10 million to $5 million in funds to grant for FY 2012.
• National Archives and Records Administration – The President has proposed funding at $422,501,000, or an 8.2% decrease from his FY 2011 proposed budget.

Action Steps Requested. These steps are focused on FY 2011. Funding requests regarding FY 2012 will be the focus of future requests, but it’s imperative that funding for history in FY 2011 remain stable.

• Please call or write your Representative now and urge them to oppose the Garrett and Canseco amendments to cut NEH and IMLS funding for FY 2011. AASLH is a proud member of the National Humanities Alliance that has provided you with the links below that make it simple for you to take immediate action against amendments that may be on the House floor this week. Act Now!
  
  Call your Representative – Click here
  Enter your contact information and follow prompts to call your Representative’s office. Talking points are provided regarding NEH, but please be sure to include IMLS in your conversation.
  
  Email your Representative – Click here
  Enter your contact information and follow prompts to send an email message to your Representative. Talking points are provided regarding NEH, but please be sure to include IMLS in your text, and you are encouraged to customize your message.
  
• Contact your Representative and Senators and let them know that history is important. Ask them to support current funding levels for FY 2011 for IMLS, the National Archives, NHPRC, and Save America’s Treasures. Tell them there is abundant evidence on the economic benefits of supporting the cultural sector. Make your own case for these programs. Let them know that history is important for an informed democratic society. AAM has provided an easy way to find your members of Congress at http://www.speakupformuseums.org/home.htm. Just type in your zip code, press go, and contact your Members of Congress.
  
• Teaching American History Grants – Contact your Senators now and ask them to save Teaching American History grants.  AASLH is a proud member of the National Coalition for History and they have provided this easy link for you to use: Save Teaching American History Grants. 

Thank your help with the urgent matter,


Terry Davis
AASLH President & CEO