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On April 2, DOGE canceled what we now understand as more than 1,400 previously awarded NEH grants. These include competitive grants, operating support for all state and jurisdictional humanities councils, and cooperative agreements. On April 4, the NEH placed dozens of staff on administrative leave and issued reduction-in-force notifications to more than half of NEH staff at the end of last week. We understand that the NEH’s divisions are being reorganized.
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We have been pursuing a three-pronged strategy in response to these actions. First, we have been reaching out to our allies on Capitol Hill and facilitating the outreach of affected grantees and our growing list of advocates to their congressional delegations. Second, we have been communicating with the media, giving media interviews, and facilitating op-ed writing by grantees and others. Third, we have been pursuing potential legal challenges to grant cancellations and the administration’s efforts to gut the capacity of the NEH.
We believe that the three prongs are mutually reinforcing, and we have made progress on all of these fronts. We have had very high-level meetings with new and long-standing allies on the Hill, and we have received statements of backing from both Democratic and Republican Members of Congress in response to our efforts and the efforts of our advocates. These Members of Congress will be essential as the appropriations bills are drafted and considered. We want to ensure that Congress continues to appropriate substantial funding and designate that funding for all of the NEH divisions.
The cancellation of grants and the personnel actions at the NEH have received extensive media coverage. We have been doing print, radio, and television interviews since we issued our initial statement on the pending cuts. We have also provided research and interview contacts for reporters. Our NEH for All website has supplied examples of compelling NEH grants to op-ed writers and reporters. This has resulted in coverage in national and local outlets throughout the country, and we have heard that the administration is surprised by the extent of the coverage and reaction to their moves. NHA’s role in the coverage has also led to congressional offices reaching out to us.
Finally, we have been pursuing legal action in collaboration with organizations represented on the NHA executive committee. This work is still taking shape, and we hope to be able to say more about it soon.
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