On March 27, Society representatives visited Capitol Hill to support federal funding for the humanities. In a morning reception at the Rayburn House Office Building, representatives highlighted the Society's recent publications and font initiatives. Congressional members and their staffs attended the reception, which also included remarks from National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Chairman Bruce Cole and new Congressional Humanities Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Phil English (R-PA 03). After the morning session, the representatives visited House and Senate offices to ask members of Congress to support increased funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Since its establishment, NEH has awarded scores of grants to biblical scholars and scholars in cognate fields. Especially now, as Congress reviews the President's budget request, we urge members to write or call their Senators and Representatives in support of federal funding for the humanities. Specifically, ask your Representative to endorse an NEH appropriation of $177 for fiscal year 2008 and sign on the "Dear Colleague" letter recently circulated by Reps. Phil English (R-PA 03) and David Price (D NC-4). The letter advocates an increase of approximately $36 million over the fiscal year 2007 level and the President's request. This amount would return the agency's funding to its highest nominal level and signal that Congress is ready to make a significant investment in the nation's education and research infrastructure. Also, encourage your Representatives to join the bipartisan House Humanities Caucus, co-chaired by Reps. English and Price. Senators can show their support by joining the Cultural Caucus, co-chaired by Sens. Coleman (R-MN) and Kennedy (D-MA).

Humanities programs promote and sustain the vitality of our democracy. Please let your legislators know how much you value NEH funded projects. If you would like more information, please visit the homepage of the National Humanities Alliance or contact Joel LeMon .

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Citation: Joel LeMon, " Society Initiatives Featured on Capitol Hill," SBL Forum , n.p. [cited April 2007]. Online:http://sbl-site.org/Article.aspx?ArticleID=666