President Obama’s fiscal year 2011 budget request to Congress for the Department of Education has created uncertainty about future funding for the Teaching American History grants program, at least as it is currently structured. The Obama administration has proposed consolidating 38 existing K-12 education programs into 11 new programs. As a result, Teaching American History grants is no longer listed as a separate line item in the budget calling into question whether the program will continue to receive the approximately $119 million in funding it has in recent years.
On February 1, President Obama sent to Congress a proposed Fiscal Year 2011 budget request of $460.2 million for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The requested amount for NARA is a two percent decrease of $9.6 million from the FY 2010 appropriated funding levels of $469.8 million. The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) would receive $10 million in grant funding, a $3 million cut from FY 2010.
On February 1, President Obama asked Congress for $161.3 million to fund the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for FY 2011, a $6.2 million cut from the FY 10 appropriated level of $167.5 million.
On February 1, President Obama submitted to Congress his proposed fiscal year 2011 budget for the National Park Service. History-related programs were particularly hard hit with the proposed elimination of two preservation programs (Save America’s Treasures and Preserve America) and a 50 percent cut in Heritage Partnership programs.
The President’s fiscal year 2011 budget request to Congress for the Smithsonian is $797.6 million, an increase of $36 million from the $761.4 million appropriated to the Institution in FY 2010. The Salaries and Expenses budget request for FY 2011 is $660.8 million and the Facilities Capital budget is $136.8 million.
On February 1, President Obama transmitted to Congress a fiscal year (FY) 2011 budget request of $265.8 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The president’s request is the same as the FY 2010 enacted levels for the Institute’s programs and administration.