Last week was another busy week of federal challenges to museums and history organizations.
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and the eight other national museum associations, including AASLH, along with the regional and state museum associations, have been collaborating to rally responses from museums and related organizations across the country to defend the work of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). AAM reported 35,000 letters to Members of Congress had been sent through their online system last week.
Keith Sonderling was sworn in as the new Acting Director of IMLS on Thursday, March 20. The American Library Association (ALA) sent him a letter warning him not to cut library programs required by federal law. (ALA also published this helpful FAQ about the Executive Order targeting IMLS.) The national museum associations are seeking a meeting with the new acting director. Allies on Capitol Hill encourage continued public engagement with Congressional offices and messages of support about the value of museums and the leadership of IMLS.
It is also important for state and local organizations to contact state officials, who are among the best proponents of federal support for agencies like IMLS. State leaders, aware of the critical significance of federal funding to museums and libraries in their state, can make the case directly to their Congressional counterparts.
Meanwhile, advocacy organizations are analyzing the Impoundment Act and how it might affect the administration’s efforts to dismantle or downsize agencies such as IMLS. Museum associations will draw on this work for their advocacy efforts and will track the legal challenges made to prevent the blocking of mandated services at other agencies.
AASLH continues to support AAM’s lead in creating a bipartisan Congressional Museum Caucus. We encourage everyone in the museum community to ask their Representative and Senators to join the newly formed caucus led by Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH). This will be important in the long-term strategy of building relationships to support museums.
AASLH participates in all of these efforts while also using the 250th anniversary of the United States as crucial means of gathering support for museums and other history organizations. This anniversary presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to share the whole history of our nation and make progress in becoming a more perfect union. It also offers a chance to transform and strengthen the history field, preparing it to thrive for decades to come.
The upcoming 250th anniversary also reminds us of important principles our country was founded on: representative democracy, the separation of powers, and the principle of government by law. As we continue to advocate for IMLS, we also advocate for our democracy. As our elected representatives, we must expect that Congress will continue to respond to the 96% of Americans who support funding for museums and to the tens of thousands of letters they have received in support of IMLS. We must also expect that the president will respect and follow the laws that govern IMLS, including the distribution of funds Congress has allocated to it.
AASLH will continue to keep you updated on this situation. In the meantime, please take action if you haven’t already:
