On April 19, 2007, National Humanities Alliance (NHA) President John Churchill testified before the House Interior Appropriations’ Subcommittee. NHA’s testimony calls for a $36 million increase for the National Endowment for the Humanities in fiscal year 2008, for total funding of $177 million. NHA also proposed a new program, along the lines of We the People, which would focus on global understanding in the humanities. During the hearing, Subcommittee Chairman Norm Dicks (D- WA) expressed strong interest in the proposal.

This is the first year since 2000 that the House Appropriations’ Subcommittee has held public witness hearings on NEH and other agencies funded under the Interior bill.