The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance has been carefully tracking the situation regarding funding and staff cuts at the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Congress is in recess until April 25 – this is a key moment to reach out to your U.S. Representative and Senators while they are back in their home districts. Hearing directly from constituents can make a powerful impact. We urge you to call, write, and visit your U.S representative and Senators over the next week. Encourage your Representatives to Sign the NEH “Dear Colleague” Letter We encourage you to call and email your representatives to urge them to support the NEH and sign the bipartisan Dear Colleague Letter, authored by Rep. Titus (D-NV-01) and Sen. Schumer (D-NY). This letter expresses concern about the future of the NEH and state humanities councils. So far, PA Reps. Deluzio, Houlihan, and Scanlon have signed on. Check out PA Humanities’ advocacy resources to find your representative’s home district phone numbers. You can also use the Federation of State Humanities Councils' action page for additional phone and email scripts. Alert Your Representative if You Have Received a Grant Termination Notice Over the past few weeks, several federal agencies, including IMLS and NEH, have continued to send large numbers of grant termination letters to awardees. The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) has several resources about how to file an appeal with the IMLS. Keep the Pressure On: Call or Email Your Federal and State Representatives It is essential to continue contacting your congressional and state lawmakers. Here are some resources from AAM to keep the pressure on our legislators and keep them informed: - Visit Your Legislators Locally: Members of Congress will be in their home districts for two weeks in April (April 13-27), periodically for extended weekends, and for all of August. Take the opportunity to invite your members of Congress to your museum, schedule a meeting with them in their district offices, or attend public forums that your members of Congress might be hosting.
- Call AND write your members of Congress about your grant terminations (Note: This link is specific to those who have a terminated grant.)
- Write AND call your members of Congress about the potential impacts of gutting IMLS and NEH (This link can be used by anyone concerned about the cuts to these agencies.)
- Write AND call your state-level elected officials and ask them to join in speaking up to members of Congress.
Stay Informed: Follow the Cultural Alliance and PA Humanities for Updates on Pending Lawsuits and other Actions Several lawsuits have been filed in response to changes in the federal guidelines, the termination of grants, and actions that will undermine the operations of federal arts agencies. According to the American Alliance of Museums, on April 4, a coalition of 21 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for attempting to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services. On April 7, ALA and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the largest union representing museum and library workers, filed a suit challenging the Trump administration’s gutting of IMLS. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of ALA and AFSCME by Democracy Forward and co-counsel Gair Gallo Eberhard LLP, asks the court to block the dismantling of the IMLS as directed by a Trump executive order. | 
