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In this Alliance Advocacy Alert

• Registration Now Open for Museums Advocacy Day 2021!
• Post-Election Outlook – Lame Duck Action: Contact Congress about Pandemic Relief & FY 2021 Funding

Registration Now Open for Museums Advocacy Day 2021!

What’s your plan for connecting with Congress in 2021? For more than ten years, Museums Advocacy Day has been providing the essential training and support advocates need to effectively make the case for museums. This year, following the recent elections and with so many museums still in dire situations across the country, our collective advocacy is as urgent as ever before. With the convening of the 117th Congress, we must join forces with fellow museum supporters and make our voices heard with our legislators and their staff.

To maximize our collective voices and impact, we are currently planning for a robust virtual Museums Advocacy Day in February, including virtual meetings with Congressional offices. Register today to access the full program of timely information from policy leaders, build your own advocacy skills, and get the tools you need to be a successful advocate for museums in 2021. Whether you are a new or experienced advocate, don’t miss this powerful opportunity to unite with museum supporters and colleagues from across the country as one voice to reaffirm our essential value and critical contributions to our communities.

Register Today

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Post-Election Outlook – Lame Duck Action: Contact Congress about Pandemic Relief & FY 2021 Funding

The White House: President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris are the projected winners of the 2020 presidential election, although the process of finalizing election results could drag on for some time as the Trump Administration is challenging the results in key states.

Congressional Outlook – Continued Gridlock Expected: The congressional outlook suggests Republicans are predicted to hold on to the Senate and will narrow Democrats’ control of the House, constraining a new administration’s legislative agenda, though control of the Senate ultimately remains to be determined by the results of January 5 runoff elections for the two Georgia Senate seats. The Alliance will be closely evaluating the incoming administration’s policy proposals, especially on education and infrastructure, to identify opportunities to advance museums’ interests.

In the near term, a supportive incoming White House could help advance museum requests in COVID-19 economic relief and FY 2021 appropriations negotiations. AAM is sharing our legislative agenda, including our economic relief requests and policy briefing materials, with the Biden transition team. AAM is also endorsing policy messages from coalitions representing the broader nonprofit community and the arts, humanities and cultural community. We are interested in knowing what connections new and returning members of the 117th Congress have with museums. If you have any connection with any member of Congress or the Biden transition team, please complete this Washington Connections Contact Form or email us at GovernmentRelations@aam-us.org.

What’s likely in the lame duck session? Meanwhile, Congress will return to act on still-pending legislation, including fiscal year 2021 appropriations and a COVID-19 economic relief bill. Congressional leaders have expressed support for passing all 12 government funding bills and an economic relief package before December 11, the expiration date of the current short-term extension of government funding, or Continuing Resolution (CR), at last year’s levels. That’s a heavy lift in a short period, given that the Senate just this week released its 12 draft funding bills and there continues to be substantial disagreement between the parties about the size and scope of pandemic relief.

With Congress expected to now take up the next pandemic economic relief package, and work on finalizing FY 2021 appropriations, we must continue to make our voices heard to our members of Congress in support of museums. Now is not the time to ease up on our advocacy for museums. Contact your legislators to let them know the dire challenges you and your museum are facing and urge them to provide critical support for museums in COVID-19 economic relief and FY 2021 Appropriations.

CONTACT CONGRESS ABOUT PANDEMIC RELIEF & FY 2021 FUNDING