Senate Appropriations Committee Considering FY 18 Funding Bills

While the new fiscal year (FY) begins on October 1, the outlook for FY 2018 funding remains murky. In early September, Congress passed a continuing resolution to keep the federal government running until December 8, 2017. Programs remain funded at the FY 17 level minus an across-the-board 0.68 percent reduction. The bill also temporarily extends the debt ceiling to the same date.

On September 14, the House narrowly passed a $1.23 trillion omnibus FY 18 funding bill that packaged together all twelve of the appropriations bills the body had already passed individually. However, Senate leaders pronounced the bill dead on arrival, setting up yet another budget/debt limit showdown for the holiday season.

Three agencies of concern to our interests that were slated for elimination by the Trump administration (National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute of Museum and Library Sciences and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission) were either level funded or received small cuts in the House.

Thus far the Senate Appropriations Committee has passed the Legislative Branch and Labor, HHS and Education funding bills. Here is a comparison between the House and Senate bills and funding levels from FY 17:

Library of Congress

House: $648 million

Senate: $688.8 million

FY 17: $632 million

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

House: $231 million. This includes $182.9 for library programs and $31.1 million for museum programs.

Senate: $235 million. This includes $187.5 million for libraries and $31.7 million for museums.

FY 17: $231 million. This included $183.5 million for libraries and $31.7 million for museums.

International Education Programs:

House: $65 million

Senate: $72 million

FY 17 $:72 million

The House bill cut the $7 million devoted to the Fulbright-Hays overseas programs, but maintained full funding for domestic programs.

American History and Civics Education

House: $1.7 million (funding grants but not academies)

Senate: $1.8 million (funding academies but not grants)

FY 17: $3.5 million (fully funded both grants and academies)

 

For a full breakdown of the status of House and Senate appropriations for history, archival, and education programs, click here.