AAM Museum Advocacy Team®
Action Alert – February 5, 2008
President Releases FY 2009 Budget Proposal

President’s Budget …What’s in it for Museums?

On Monday February 4, President Bush released his proposal for the FY 2009 funding of the federal government - the final budget request of his administration. Overall the proposal provides strong financial support for defense-related items while freezing discretionary spending on many domestic programs and making severe cuts to healthcare accounts such as Medicare and Medicaid. Congressional Democrats are already expressing concern over the priorities outlined in the President’s budget, specifically the proposed cuts in health care and medical research.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) budget proposal is once again requesting from Congress an increase for their museum programs of nearly 27 percent or $8.6 million from its current FY 2008 budget of $31.3 million. The bulk of the requested increase would provide additional funds for the Museums for America program.

IMLS suffered from an across the board cut in FY 2008 and since FY 2006 the museum budget has remained level. The agency is asking Congress for funds to address critical issues in the care of collections, enhance learning and innovation, and support professional development.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) proposed $6.85 billion in its FY 2009 budget request to Congress, which reflects a 14 percent increase or $822 million above its FY 2008 budget. NSF is seeking to build on the support it has received from both the Administration and Congress to increase investments in research and education. Within the Education and Resources program, NSF requested $66 million for the Informal Science Education program, a $1 million increase over FY 2008.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) FY 2009 budget request of $128.4 million represents exactly level funding to the President’s FY 2008 request. The request does not reflect the historic $20.3 million increase in NEA funding for FY 2008 that was enacted by Congress during the 2007 appropriations process. This request also includes resources to expand the Arts and Artifact Indemnity Program, amended in the FY 2008 appropriations bill, which now gives the agency the authority to cover exhibition loans of American-owned works of art on exhibit in the United States.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) budget request of $144.355 million represents a modest $3 million increase over the FY 2008 request but falls short of the $147 million funding level ($144.7 after the across-the-board 1.56% cut) enacted by Congress in 2007. FY 2009 funds will support the agency’s We the People and Digital Humanities Initiative, ongoing partnerships with state humanities councils, museum exhibitions, documentary films and radio programming. In 2008 the agency also continues to promote its new Picturing America program, providing artworks that tell the stories of the nation’s history to public and private schools and libraries.

Visit Federal Funding for Museums on AAM’s web site for more information and continuing updates on FY 2009 funding for museums.

Outlook Ahead

Congress, state and local officials, and advocacy groups of all stripes, including AAM, are currently analyzing the federal budget to assess how the President’s proposal affects their programs. Throughout the process, lawmakers will be listening with interest to the views of their constituents to inform their decision-making. AAM will need support from Museum Advocacy Team® and the entire museum field to make the case to Congress.

We need our community to speak up for IMLS funding or we risk losing an opportunity to secure significant additional new grant funds for museums, especially as the media focuses attention on the cuts proposed for a number of health, education, and other domestic programs – many of which are a part of the same appropriations bill that funds IMLS.

The Democratic leadership in Congress will be using the annual budget process to articulate their own policy priorities. In the months ahead, administration officials will be testifying before Congress on the President’s budget. House and Senate Budget Committees will work into the spring to assemble a budget resolution that will set an overall spending limit for appropriators. The Appropriations Committees in the House and Senate will also hearing testimony from members of the administration and from outside witnesses on how funding should be spent. AAM actively participates in this process by submitting testimony with the views of the museum community to lawmakers.

AAM continues its work in Washington with other cultural and museum service organizations to promote funding for museums. Here are two specific steps you could take to help:

Write a letter to the editor or op-ed for your local paper. As the budget debates begin in Congress, use the local newspaper as a venue to let people know how federal grant programs can help your museum serve the community. Send a copy to your representatives in Congress.

Organize a meeting between your member of Congress and museum and other local cultural leaders. Hosting a meeting with representatives of multiple organizations gives you an opportunity to share the common concerns about the challenges you face in securing federal funding for your institutions and highlights your institution’s role as a community leader.

If you would like additional ideas or would like assistance from AAM, please contact Ember Farber at efarber@aam-us.org.

Contact Your Representatives in Congress

Legislators rely on the opinions and positions of their constituents to inform their views and their votes. Visit www.speakupformuseums.org to get contact information for your legislators and advocacy tips today!

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The Museum Advocacy Team® alerts and updates are a regular publication of AAM Government Relations. Alerts and updates are distributed to a network of museum professionals, volunteers and supporters who educate policymakers and advocate for federal policies favorable museums. As a Museum Advocacy Team® member, you are among the first to be informed of breaking news and can express your views and make museum-related policies better. To join the network and receive Museum Advocacy Team® publications, please contact AAM Government Relations at mat@aam-us.org.

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