Advocacy Alert – March 4, 2021

House and Senate Appropriations Letters Now Circulating – Ask Your Legislators to Sign On Today!

Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY), David McKinley (R-WV), Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Andy Barr (R-KY), and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Susan Collins (R-ME) are now circulating letters in their respective chambers calling for robust funding for the Office of Museum Services (OMS) at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

It just takes a couple of minutes to use our template and ask your Representative and Senators to sign on today. These letters are a key measure of legislators’ support for federal funding for museums, and they are especially important now to build on our momentum from Museums Advocacy Day. The deadline for Representatives to sign this letter has yet to be determined while the deadline for Senators is Friday, March 12.

Please contact your Representative and Senators today!

Making an Impact, Virtually

Last week 631 museum advocates participated in our first virtual Museums Advocacy Day, featuring 409 virtual meetings with Congressional offices.

We made our voices heard with Congressional offices across the country and on social media. We shared critical information about key legislative priorities, including the dire impact of the pandemic on museums and the essential ways museums are continuing to serve their communities. We continued to make known the (pre-pandemic) Economic Impact of Museums and the deep public support for them. We heard from a congressional chief of staff, federal agency leaders, and partner policy experts about the unique value of museums and the importance – now more than ever – of advocating for museums and the federal programs that support them.

Thank you to all of our 2021 Supporters, partners, and advocates who helped make Museums Advocacy Day 2021 a unique and powerful event. The power of our collective voices was felt last week and we are excited to continue advocating for museums in the year ahead.

You can join the cause today by using our updated Advocate from Anywhere tools to:

• Download and share updated Museum Facts and the museum facts infographic
• Contact Congress about key issues affecting museums
• Learn about your legislators and find your legislators‘ social media information
• Engage your board in advocacy for museums
• Get the 2021 Advocate Materials
• See the 2021 Program

Visit www.aam-us.org/advocacy to access all of AAM’s advocacy resources.