Republican Indiana Sen. Jim Banks sent a letter to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) on Wednesday expressing support for the agency providing grants that help fund America’s 250th anniversary celebration in 2026.
Banks encouraged the NEH, an independent federal agency, to maintain its current funding commitments ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, according to a copy of the letter first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Indiana Republican also emphasized that the commemoration of the anniversary “is an important moment in the life of our nation.”
“I would like to express my support for the [NEH] grants to state humanities councils that fund next year’s America 250 celebration,” Banks wrote in the letter. “Citizens, patriotic organizations, local governments, and states have already been organizing America 250 for over a year, and it is important to maintain funding commitments that have already been made.”
“I strongly support reforming NEH and believe this can be accomplished while maintaining these grants,” Banks wrote further. “One way to reduce staffing and administrative overhead at NEH is by converting individual, competitive grants to larger block grants to states. I commend you for reviewing ongoing and prospective grants to eliminate woke, divisive, anti-American programming.”
Banks’ letter comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Jan. 29 establishing a White House task force to help plan a celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary for 2026.
“Patriotism is vital to protecting our national security and preserving American culture,” Banks told the DCNF. “I’m excited for America’s upcoming 250th birthday and there’s no one better than President Trump to lead the celebrations.”
“These measures are consistent with supporting state humanities councils and America 250, and I urge you to review their implementation to make sure they bolster rather than undermine the celebration,” Banks wrote in the letter. “Even if it is necessary to pause or restructure existing funding commitments, they should be fully disbursed as soon as possible. Organizing America 250 is a monumental effort, and close coordination between the Semiquincentennial Commission, the White House’s Task Force 250, NEH, and other federal agencies is crucial.”
The NEH announced on April 15 that it was requesting proposals for “Celebrate America!,” a new program to honor the nation’s semiquincentennial. The NEH said it will award 250 grants of up to $25,000 each for “projects that focus on the founding of the American nation, key historical figures, and milestones that reflect the exceptional achievements of the U.S.,” according to the announcement.
A Gallup poll released in July 2024 found that just 41% of Americans said they were “extremely proud” to be American, while another 26% of respondents said they were “very proud.”
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