March 20, 2020 The Honorable Betty McCollum The Honorable David Joyce Chairwoman Ranking Member House Appropriations Subcommittee on House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment & Related Agencies Interior, Environment & Related Agencies 2007 Rayburn House Office Building 1016 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Chairwoman McCollum and Ranking Member Joyce: We are writing to thank the Subcommittee for its past support of funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and respectfully request your support of a funding level of at least $170 million in the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) Interior, Environment & Related Agencies Appropriations bill. As you know, NEH is the main source of federal support for humanities research, teaching, preservation, public programming, and related activities in the U.S., providing competitive grant funding for research and scholarship in history, literature, foreign languages, and other fields that empower individuals in every congressional district with critical perspective and knowledge. Furthermore, NEH funding allocated through state humanities councils strengthens the cultural infrastructure of local communities in every state and territory throughout the nation. Additionally, investment in the humanities advances vital national interests by fostering a globally competitive workforce, strengthening civic engagement, preserving our cultural heritage, and protecting our national security. As our world becomes increasingly more interconnected, building a solid foundation in the humanities becomes even more critical, which is why the majority of our CIA analysts, State Department officials and staff members and diplomats at embassies across the globe are graduates of the humanities – as are leaders ranging from the late Steve Jobs to former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey. NEH has been an excellent steward of its annual federal appropriation, successfully leveraging more than $4.8 billion in non-federal support (adjusted for inflation) between 1965 and 2014. Following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in 2017, the NEH awarded nearly $2 million to organizations throughout the Gulf South and Puerto Rico. Funding preserved a John Biggers mural housed by the Blue Triangle Multi- Cultural Association in Texas and salvaged water-damaged architectural features at Vizcaya, an estate and museum in Florida. Nationally, summer institutes and seminars for K–12 educators provide teachers with a deeper understanding of history and culture while helping them develop new teaching methods. In the past five years alone, these programs have reached more than 11,000 teachers, ultimately enriching the classroom experience for an estimated 2 million students. Through its Dialogues on the Experience of War programs, the NEH also brings together veterans and civilians to reflect on powerful literature and art to foster healing and discussion. We understand the many difficult choices your Subcommittee faces in constructing its FY 2021 bill, but we believe that strong federal investments in the humanities are crucial for preserving America’s place as a world leader in education and innovation as well as provide our nation's citizenry and workforce with the foundation necessary to tackle the challenges of today's globalized world. As billions of dollars are rightfully invested in research, education, science, and technology, we must continue to prioritize robust federal investment in the humanities. We appreciate your past support of NEH and strongly urge your support for this request. Sincerely, ______________________________ ______________________________ DAVID E. PRICE STEVE STIVERS Co-Chair Congressional Humanities Caucus Co-Chair Congressional Humanities Caucus National Endowment for the Humanities FY21 Funding List of Signatories • Rep. Alma S. Adams, Ph.D • Rep. André Carson • Rep. Colin Allred • Rep. Sean Casten • Rep. Cindy Axne • Rep. Kathy Castor • Rep. Don Bacon • Rep. Joaquin Castro • Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán • Rep. Judy Chu • Rep. Joyce Beatty • Rep. David N. Cicilline • Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr. • Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II • Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. • Rep. Steve Cohen • Rep. Earl Blumenauer • Rep. Gerald E. Connolly • Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester • Rep. Jim Cooper • Rep. Suzanne Bonamici • Rep. Jim Costa • Rep. Brendan F. Boyle • Rep. Joe Courtney • Rep. Anthony Brindisi • Rep. TJ Cox • Rep. Anthony G. Brown • Rep. Angie Craig • Rep. Julia Brownley • Rep. Jason Crow • Rep. G. K. Butterfield • Rep. Sharice L. Davids • Rep. Salud O. Carbajal • Rep. Rodney Davis • Rep. Tony Cárdenas • Rep. Danny K. Davis • Rep. Susan A. Davis • Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy, III • Rep. Madeleine Dean • Rep. Ro Khanna • Rep. Peter A. DeFazio • Rep. Daniel T. Kildee • Rep. Diana DeGette • Rep. Andy Kim • Rep. Suzan DelBene • Rep. Ron Kind • Rep. Antonio Delgado • Rep. Ann McLane Kuster • Rep. Mark DeSaulnier • Rep. Conor Lamb • Rep. Ted Deutch • Rep. James R. Langevin • Rep. Debbie Dingell • Rep. Rick Larsen • Rep. Lloyd Doggett • Rep. John B. Larson • Rep. Mike Doyle • Rep. Alfred Lawson • Rep. Eliot L. Engel • Rep. Barbara Lee • Rep. Veronica Escobar • Rep. Susie Lee • Rep. Anna G. Eshoo • Rep. Mike Levin • Rep. Adriano Espaillat • Rep. John Lewis • Rep. Dwight Evans • Rep. Ted Lieu • Rep. Abby Finkenauer • Rep. Dave Loebsack • Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick • Rep. Alan Lowenthal • Rep. Lizzie Fletcher • Rep. Ben Ray Luján • Rep. Bill Foster • Rep. Stephen F. Lynch • Rep. Ruben Gallego • Rep. Tom Malinowski • Rep. John Garamendi • Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney • Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia • Rep. Doris Matsui • Rep. Jesús G. “Chuy” García • Rep. Ben McAdams • Rep. Jared Golden • Rep. Lucy McBath • Rep. Vicente Gonzalez • Rep. A. Donald McEachin • Rep. Jenniffer González-Colón • Rep. James P. McGovern • Rep. Josh Gottheimer • Rep. David B. McKinley, P. E. • Rep. Deb Haaland • Rep. Jerry McNerney • Rep. Alcee Hastings • Rep. Gregory W. Meeks • Rep. Jahana Hayes • Rep. Gwen Moore • Rep. Denny Heck • Rep. Joseph D. Morelle • Rep. Brian Higgins • Rep. Seth Moulton • Rep. Jim Himes • Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell • Rep. Steven Horsford • Rep. Stephanie Murphy • Rep. Jared Huffman • Rep. Jerrold Nadler • Rep. Pramila Jayapal • Rep. Richard Neal • Rep. Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. • Rep. Joe Neguse • Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson • Rep. Donald Norcross • Rep. John Katko • Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton • Rep. William R. Keating • Rep. Ilhan Omar • Rep. Robin L. Kelly • Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. • Rep. Jimmy Panetta • Rep. Christopher H. Smith • Rep. Chris Pappas • Rep. Abigail D. Spanberger • Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. • Rep. Jackie Speier • Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. • Rep. Greg Stanton • Rep. Ed Perlmutter • Rep. Pete Stauber • Rep. Scott H. Peters • Rep. Elise M. Stefanik • Rep. Collin C. Peterson • Rep. Haley M. Stevens • Rep. Dean Phillips • Rep. Thomas R. Suozzi • Rep. Chellie Pingree • Rep. Mark Takano • Rep. Stacey E. Plaskett • Rep. Mike Thompson • Rep. Katie Porter • Rep. Bennie Thompson • Rep. Ayanna Pressley • Rep. Dina Titus • Rep. Jamie Raskin • Rep. Paul D. Tonko • Rep. Kathleen M. Rice • Rep. Lori Trahan • Rep. Cedric L. Richmond • Rep. David Trone • Rep. Max Rose • Rep. Fred Upton • Rep. Harley Rouda • Rep. Jefferson Van Drew • Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger • Rep. Juan Vargas • Rep. Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan • Rep. Marc Veasey • Rep. Linda T. Sánchez • Rep. Filemon Vela • Rep. John P. Sarbanes • Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez • Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon • Rep. Maxine Waters • Rep. Jan Schakowsky • Rep. Peter Welch • Rep. Adam Schiff • Rep. Jennifer Wexton • Rep. Bradley S. Schneider • Rep. Susan Wild • Rep. Kim Schrier • Rep. Frederica Wilson • Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott • Rep. John Yarmuth • Rep. Terri A. Sewell • Rep. Don Young • Rep. Albio Sires • Rep. Tulsi Gabbard • Rep. Elissa Slotkin • Rep. Adam Smith .