If your Senator is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee: Please call or fax the Senator's office--before the close of business on Friday, June 8, 2012--to ask for support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), the "grant-making" arm of the National Archives and Records Administration. The Senate Appropriations Committee will be acting on the bill to fund NHPRC on Tuesday, June 12; all comments must be received tomorrow, Friday, June 8. (See the list of Senate Appropriations Committee members below.)
 
The Issue: President Obama's FY13 appropriations budget request proposes only $3 million for NHPRC, a $2 million reduction from the current level of $5 million. This amount is not sufficient to support the ongoing programs and mission of the NHPRC at even a minimal level. It is up to Congress to preserve this program, which has already been cut substantially in previous fiscal years. For FY 2013 we urge the Senate to provide at least $5 million (level funding) for the NHPRC grants program.
 
Take Action! Call, e-mail, or fax your member on the Senate Appropriations Committee (below) to express your support for restoration of $5 million for NHPRC funding as part of the National Archives budget. In your call, e-mail, or fax, speak to the specific benefits of NHPRC for your state/organization/users. The more your senator understands the benefits to his or her constituents, the more convincing your message will be. Your message need not be extensive--a brief phone call, e-mail, or a one-page fax that speaks directly to the positive benefits that NHPRC brings to your state or organization can have a significant impact!    
 
Please encourage archives, libraries, and other historical organizations to call or fax on behalf of their organization and users, too.
 
More detailed contact information for your Senator can be found on the Senate website at: www.senate.gov.
 
Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee are:
 
Democratic Members
Daniel Inouye, Hawaii: 202-224-3934 (fax: 202-224-6747)
Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont: 202-224-4242 (f: 202-224-3479)
Tom Harkin, Iowa: 202-224-3254 (f: 202-224-9369)
Barbara Mikulski, Maryland: 202-224-4654 (f: 202-224-8858)
Herb Kohl, Wisconsin: 202-224-5653 (f: 202-224-9787)
Patty Murray, Washington: 202-224-2621 (f: 202-224-0238)
Dianne Feinstein, California: 202-224-3841 (f: 202-228-3954)
Richard J. Durbin, Illinois: 202-224-2152 (f: 202-228-0400)
Tim Johnson, South Dakota: 202-224-5842 (f: 202-228-5765)
Mary Landrieu, Louisiana: 202-224-5824 (f: 202-224-9735)
Jack Reed, Rhode Island: 202-224-4642 (f: 202-224-4680)
Frank Lautenberg, New Jersey: 202-224-3224 (f: 202-228-4054)
Ben Nelson, Nebraska: 202-224-6551 (f: 202-228-0012)
Mark Pryor, Arkansas: 202-224-2353 (f: 202-228-0908)
Jon Tester, Montana: 202-224-2644 (f: 202-224-8594)
Sherrod Brown, Ohio: 202-224-2315 (f: 202-228-6321)
 
Republican Members
Thad Cochran, Mississippi: 202-224-5054 (fax: 202-224-9450)
Mitch McConnell, Kentucky: 202-224-2541 (f: 202-224-2499)
Richard Shelby, Alabama: 202-224-5744 (f: 202-224-3416)
Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas: 202-224-5922 (f: 202-224-0776)
Lamar Alexander, Tennessee: 202-224-4944 (f: 202-228-3398)
Susan Collins, Maine: 202-224-2523 (f: 202-224-2693)
Lisa Murkowski, Alaska: 202-224-6665 (f: 202-224-5301)
Lindsey Graham, South Carolina: 202-224-5972 (f: 202-228-4611)
Mark Kirk, Illinois: 202-224-2854 (f: 202-228-4611)
Dan Coats, Indiana: 202-224-5623 (f: 202-228-1820)
Roy Blunt, Missouri: 202-224-5721  (f: 202-224-8149)
Jerry Moran, Kansas: 202-224-6521 (f: 202-228-6966)
John Hoeven, North Dakota: 202-224-2551 (f: 202-224-7999)
Ron Johnson, Wisconsin: 202-224-5323 (f: 202-228-6965)
 
Thank you for taking action to support the needs of NHPRC!