President Trump Proposes Elimination of IMLS, NEH, NEA

Posted on May 24, 2017

In his formal Fiscal Year 2018 budget proposal released yesterday, President Trump proposed the elimination of several key agencies that support museums, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The $4.1 trillion spending plan—which will now be considered by Congress—allocates a minimal amount of funding to begin the process of closing these agencies. Alliance President & CEO Laura L. Lott called the proposal appalling, and noted, “We will continue to work with our bipartisan allies in Congress to reject these destructive proposals, and I encourage everyone who believes in a thriving cultural sector to join our efforts today.”

Specifically, President Trump’s budget proposes:

$23 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services—a $208 million decrease—to begin closing the agency. No new grants would be awarded.
$42.3 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities—a $107.5 million decrease—to begin closing the agency. No new grants would be awarded.
$28.9 million for the National Endowment for the Arts—a $120.9 million decrease—to begin closing the agency. No new grants would be awarded.
$51.1 million for State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, a $7.3 million decrease.
$719 million for salaries and expenses at the Smithsonian Institution, a $10.4 million decrease. The Smithsonian facilities capital account would receive $228 million, a $94.1 million increase over current funding.
$2.225 billion for National Park Service Operations, a $200 million decrease.
$760.5 million for the National Science Foundation Education and Human Resources Directorate, a $119.5 million decrease.
$37 million for the NASA Office of Education—a $63 million decrease—to begin closing the office.

Other agencies and programs that would be eliminated in this proposal include grants to civil rights movement sites, Save America’s Treasures, the Office of Education at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and arts education and afterschool grant programs at the U.S. Department of Education.