A lawsuit seeking to restore millions of dollars in grant funding that was stripped from humanities councils across the country will move forward after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in the case earlier this month.
In his ruling, Oregon Judge Michael Simon found the termination of operating grants by the National Endowment for the Humanities to be unlawful, and he went on to quote U.S. Representative William Ford in 1968, who said, “the arts and the humanities are not frills, but are crucial to our Nation’s survival and continued freedom.”
The suit was brought by The Federation of State Humanities Councils and Oregon Humanities earlier this year. President of the federation, Phoebe Stein, said the injunction is a big win, but that there is still plenty of work to get done before the funding would be restored.
“The Federation does believe this is an excellent result, but humanities councils are still operating without their congressionally appropriated funds for this year, many have laid off staff and cut programs and canceled vital programs in their communities.”
In April, Stein said, humanities councils across the country received emails signed by the acting director of the NEH, saying 4 years of operating grants were cancelled – essentially all the grants issued under the Biden Administration. That’s when the federation sprung into action to start work on the lawsuit, which was filed in May. The lawsuit names the NEH and the Department of Government Efficiency, which Stein said she thinks was directing the NEH to make the cuts.
The total amount cut from this fiscal year was 65 million dollars, which Stein said has had a huge impact on councils around the country. Earlier this year, the director of the New Mexico Humanities Council told KUNM they might have to shut their doors altogether because of the cuts, and this summer the NMHC announced it is selling its building.
Stein said while a favorable ruling in the lawsuit could potentially return the lost funds, it could take months, if not longer.
“Any kind of waiting means immediate impact,” she said. “And it’s immediate impact to delivery of services, of grants of programs to local communities throughout the entire nation.”
The money was supposed to support arts, literature and cultural projects across the U.S. at a cost of less than 50 cents per American.
“It’s modest and at the same time, it’s crucial,” she said.
Stein said donations and contributions have been helpful for some councils, and the Mellon Foundation has offered a matching donation challenge grant that has provided some breathing room, but that the fiscal situation remains dire.
Support for this coverage comes from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
