Cuts to NEH Hurt National Interest

Pursuits of humane knowledge may seem “esoteric or inconsequential” under the current economic pressures.
Cuts to NEH Hurt National Interest
Amelia Pang
7/27/2011
Updated:
10/1/2015

<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/113821120.jpg" alt="LIVING HISTORY: Congressman John Lewis (L) and other freedom riders during the premiere of 'Freedom Riders' to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original freedom rides at the Newseum on May 6, in Washington, D.C. The NEH supported the film. (Kris Connor/Getty Images)" title="LIVING HISTORY: Congressman John Lewis (L) and other freedom riders during the premiere of 'Freedom Riders' to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original freedom rides at the Newseum on May 6, in Washington, D.C. The NEH supported the film. (Kris Connor/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1800233"/></a>
LIVING HISTORY: Congressman John Lewis (L) and other freedom riders during the premiere of 'Freedom Riders' to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original freedom rides at the Newseum on May 6, in Washington, D.C. The NEH supported the film. (Kris Connor/Getty Images)

In a world where international commerce is essential to a nation’s economic health, cultural understanding may also play a crucial role. Some legislators question whether the National Endowments for Humanities (NEH) can help the United States understand the culture and frame of mind of others around the world, or end up wasting money on television and radio programs while the country has a $14.7 trillion debt.

Pursuits of humane knowledge may seem “esoteric or inconsequential” under the current economic pressures. The question is: “Are the humanities bedrock necessities of enlightened citizenship, or are they a dismissible luxury for society?” asked Jim Leach, NEH chairman in a speech.

According to Leach, inadequate historic and cultural knowledge can pose dangers that scratch more than just the surface.

“Despite having gone to war in the Persian Gulf a decade earlier, U.S. policymakers understood little of the Sunni/Shi'a divide when 9/11 hit,” Leach said.

“The U.S. did not learn from the French’s experience in Algeria, and the British and Russian in Afghanistan, we had little comprehension of the depth of Islamic antipathy to foreign intervention,” he said.

Leach implied the U.S. government derives essential benefits from funding academic programs about the humanities.

NEH primarily focuses on research, preservation, education, and programs in the humanities. It is an independent agency that gives grants to public programs in history, literature, philosophy, and anthropology.

Not to support such programs in the long run may cost more than keeping them. “Just as we need an infrastructure of roads and bridges, we need an infrastructure of ideas,” Leach said.

“In a splintered world, bridging cultures may be our most difficult challenge,” He added.

Proposed cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities in the House fiscal year 2012 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill went to the floor on July 25. The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies spending bill (H.R. 2584), subtracts $19.7 million from the current funding.

Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.) introduced an amendment on July 25, to decrease funding in the Interior bill even further by $3 billion in various areas, which included $771 million in unauthorized EPA spending. The bill was defeated.

The Teaching American History (TAH) grants were cut this year by $73 million, or 61.4 percent. TAH continues to fund current grantees, but will not accept any new recipients in 2011.

“Frankly when you look at the humanities budget, we are not talking about billions of dollars. There are other places to make cuts that will have more of an impact,” said Damon Dozier, director of Public Affairs at the American Anthropological Association (AAA).

The spending cuts from previous years have not affected the AAA so far, but the association fears future cuts will.

Others view that the NEH spends unnecessary money on historical exhibitions, television, radio programs, and cultural workshops for teachers while the nation is under a $14.7 trillion debt ceiling—yet to be raised.

Despite the fiscal year 2012 Interior bill, the government is still supporting the humanities.

The Federal Budget for fiscal year 2012 proposes $125 million to build the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Amelia Pang is a New York-based, award-winning journalist. She covers local news and specializes in long-form, narrative writing. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and global studies from the New School. Subscribe to her newsletter: http://tinyletter.com/ameliapang
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