Three Maine Organizations to Receive National Endowment for Humanities Grants

Portland, Maine—Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today announced that Maine organizations in Augusta, Brunswick, and Kennebunk will receive nearly $250,000 in federal funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Pingree has regularly gone to bat for the NEH, most recently saving the agency from a proposed 15% budget cut in July. 

“The National Endowment for the Humanities is such an important resource to the Maine organizations that are working to preserve our state’s history and help the public learn more about it,” said Pingree. “Along with the National Endowment for the Arts, I’m proud to advocate for the NEH because of the big things this small agency allows our local communities to do. I’m so glad these organizations will receive funding to keep our history alive and accessible.”  

Maine State Library, Augusta
National Digital Newspaper Program
Outright Amount: $127,000
Project Title: Maine Digital Newspaper Project

Bowdoin College, Brunswick
Seminars for School Teachers
Outright Amount: $89,889
Project Title: Teaching the Holocaust through Visual Culture

Brick Store Museum, Inc., Kennebunk
Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections
Outright Amount: $29,240
Project Title: Planning the Improvement of Environmental Conditions for the Brick Store Museum

BACKGROUND ON PINGREE’S SUPPORT FOR NEA, NEH

In his first two budget requests, President Trump proposed eliminating all funding for NEA and NEH (which account for just .02% of the federal budget). 

As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies—which has oversight of funding for both agencies—Pingree worked with colleagues not only to protect funding, but to increase it. Omnibus legislation funding the current fiscal year saw a $3 million increase for both agencies, and appropriations legislation the House just passed has an additional $2 million increase for the coming year. 

During debate on that bill in July, Pingree led a successful effort to vote down an amendment that would have cut 15% from the budgets of both agencies. After she spoke on the floor in opposition—joined by two Republican colleagues—the House voted it down 114-297.