Advocacy Update: Congressional Support for U.S. 250th Funding

We again need your voice to ask for 250th anniversary funding to the IMLS and the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, to be invested in state and local history organizations.

A Senate Dear Colleague letter, joining the House letter last week, is now circulating. These letters are used in Congress to gain support for bills or initiatives. We need you to ask your Senators to join Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Sen. Jeane Shaheen (D-NH) in signing this letter, too. Please also ask your Representative to sign onto the House letter if you haven’t yet done so.

Rousing Congress to set aside 250th money for state and local purposes bolsters the idea that there should be federal support for history organizations. It brings lawmakers together on some much-needed common ground. It also could supply some state and local history organizations with crucial financial support in an otherwise barren federal grant environment over the next couple of years.

Please send the suggested draft email below to the staff of your Representative and Senators. If you have any questions, you can contact Christine Pellerin ([email protected]) or Phil Powell ([email protected]), the lead contacts at the government relations firm assisting us with this work. Please ask your Members of Congress to sign onto this letter by:

• Sending an email (drafts below) to the members’ staff using the Senate and House spreadsheets below to find the staff name and email address.
• Please note: the Quill Link referenced in the draft emails below are not accessible to non-Capitol Hill email addresses.  As a result, it will not work for you, but it does work for the staff members you send it to and is the easiest way for these offices to sign on.

Email Drafts

SENATE EMAIL: This spreadsheet contains the names and email addresses of Senate staff

Dear [INSERT SENATE STAFF NAME],

On behalf of the [YOUR ORGANIZATION’S NAME], I am reaching out to ask for your support of this Dear Colleague Letter  led by Senators Kevin Cramer and Jean Shaheen in support of America 250 activities.

With the U.S. Semiquincentennial (America 250) commemoration just over a year away, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to remind Americans of the ideals of our nation’s founding such as liberty and democracy, and our ongoing efforts to become a more perfect union. The FY26 appropriations process is the last opportunity before July 4, 2026, for Congress to provide funding to support America 250 activities which invest in local organizations in communities across the country that are charged with carrying out programming for this purpose.

Congress can make a lasting impact to preserve the nation’s history, share it with millions of Americans, and ensure that American ideals such as liberty and justice are passed onto future generations by prioritizing programs supporting these initiatives in the FY26 process.

I would be happy to speak with your office further on the positive impact this funding would have on local history organizations and constituents in our state.

Please use the following Quill Link  to sign on to the letter. Additionally the staff contacts for Senators Cramer and Shaheen are Chance Lott ( [email protected]) and Nora Simon ([email protected]).  Please reach out to them with questions.

Thank you for your consideration of signing this letter.

Best,

[YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION]

—————

HOUSE EMAIL: This spreadsheet contains the staff name and email address for your Member of the House.

Dear [INSERT HOUSE STAFF NAME],

On behalf of the [YOUR ORGANIZATION’S NAME], I am reaching out to ask for your support of this  Dear Colleague letter  led by Representatives Jen Kiggans and John Larson in support of America 250 activities.

With the U.S. Semiquincentennial (America 250) commemoration just over a year away, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to remind Americans of the ideals of our nation’s founding such as liberty and democracy, and our ongoing efforts to become a more perfect union. The FY26 appropriations process is the last opportunity before July 4, 2026, for Congress to provide funding to support America 250 activities which invest in local organizations in communities across the country that are charged with carrying out programming for this purpose.

Congress can make a lasting impact to preserve the nation’s history, share it with millions of Americans, and ensure that American ideals such as liberty and justice are passed onto future generations by prioritizing programs supporting these initiatives in the FY26 process.

I would be happy to speak with your office further on the positive impact this funding would have on local history organizations and constituents in the district.

Please use the following  Quill link to sign on to the letter. Additionally the staff contacts for Representatives Kiggans and Larson are Maddie Mitchell ([email protected]) and Collin Duran ([email protected]). Please reach out to them with questions.

Thank you for your consideration of signing this letter.

Best,

[YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION]

John Larson – D – CT-01
Jen Kiggans – R – VA-02
Sharice Davids – D – KS-03
Scott Peters – D – CA-50 Viewed but did not sign
Nellie Pou – D – NJ-9 Viewed but did not sign
Ayanna Pressley – D – MA-7 Viewed but did not sign
Bennie Thompson – D – MS-02
Raja Krishnamoorthi – D – IL-08
Glenn Thompson – R – PA-15
Mary Gay Scanlon – D – PA-05
Dina Titus – D – NV-01
Joe Neguse – D – CO-01
Frederica Wilson – D – FL-24
April McClain Delaney – D – MD-06
Jim Costa – D – CA-21
Eric Swalwell – D – CA-14
Nicholas Begich – R – AK-At-Large
LaMonica McIver – D – NJ-10
Mike Carey – R – OH-15
Rich McCormick – R – GA-07
Chris Pappas – D – NH-01
Sarah Elfreth – D – MD-03
Earl Carter – R – GA-01
Brian Fitzpatrick – R – PA-01
Lizzie Fletcher – D – TX-07
Jahanna Hayes – D – CT-05
Lori Trahan – D – MA-03
Seth Magaziner – D – RI-02
Frank Pallone Jr. – D – NJ-06
Hillary Scholten – D – MI-03
Eleanor Norton – D – DC-At-Large
Chris Deluzio – D – PA-17
George Whitesides – D – CA-27
Donald Norcross – D – NJ-01
Alma Adams – D – NC-12
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick – D – FL-20
Josh Gottheimer – D – NJ-05
Jimmy Panetta – D – CA-19
Joe Courtney – D – CT-02
Daniel Meuser – R – PA-09
Michael Lawler – R – NY-17
Chrissy Houlahan – D – PA-06
Lucy McBath – D – GA-06
Danny Davis – D – IL-07
Richard Neal – D – MA-01
Jennifer McClellan – D – VA-04
Gus Bilirakis – R – FL-12
Troy Carter – D – LA-02
Keith Self – R – TX-03
Mikie Sherrill – D – NJ-11
Sylvia Garcia – D – TX-29
Randy Weber – R – TX-14
Gabe Amo – D – RI-01
Shomari Figures – D – AL-02
Max Miller – R – OH-07
Thomas Suozzi – D – NY-03
Robert Wittman – R – VA-01
Seth Moulton – D – MA-6
Robert Garcia – D – CA-42
Robert Bresnahan – R – PA-8
Emanuel Cleaver – D – MO-5
Russ Fulcher – R – ID-1
Nicole Malliotakis – R – NY-11

Total: 60
R:17
D:43