House Appropriations Committee Approves FY 20 Funding for Key History Programs

On May 8, the House Appropriations Committee marked up the fiscal year (FY) 2020 Labor, HHS and Education appropriations bill. It includes good news for programs and agencies of importance to the historical community. The Committee rejected efforts by the Trump administration to eliminate three programs. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) would see its FY 20 budget increased by $15 million to $257 million. To read NCH’s testimony on the bill that was submitted to the committee, click here.

Title VI and Fulbright-Hays International Education programs received a $17 million, or 24% increase over FY 2019 funding.  This is the first significant proposed increases for Title VI and Fulbright-Hays since major cuts in FY 11.

Title VI
FY19:  $65.1M
FY20 House: $80.4M, a $15.3M or 24% increase

Fulbright-Hays
FY19:  $7M
FY20 House: $8.73M, a $1.7M or 19% increase

Totals
FY19: $72.14M
FY20 House: $89.1M, a $17M or 24% increase

The American History and Civics Grants and Academies programs at the Department of Education would be level funded at $3 million and $1.815 million respectively.

The House Appropriations Committee also approved the FY 20 Legislative Branch appropriations bill this week. For the Library of Congress, including the Copyright Office, Congressional Research Service, and National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the Committee recommended a total of $720,290,000 in fiscal year 2020, an increase of $24,178,000 over the prior year. NCH’s testimony on the proposed FY 20 Library of Congress budget can be seen by clicking here.