Advocacy Alert – April 12, 2021

Last Chance – Ask Your Legislators to Sign On Today!

Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY), David McKinley (R-WV), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), and Andy Barr (R-KY), and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Susan Collins (R-ME) will soon conclude circulating letters in their respective chambers calling for robust FY 2022 funding for the Office of Museum Services (OMS) at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). This is our last chance to secure additional signatures. The deadline for Senators to join this letter is Wednesday, April 14. The deadline for Representatives to sign is Friday, April 16. See the list of current signers below to determine whether your Senators or Representative have signed on. If so, be sure to thank them.

If not, take a couple of minutes to use our template and ask your Representative and Senators to sign on today. These letters are a key measure of legislators’ support for federal funding for museums. If you contacted your legislators already but have yet to hear back, please send another round of letters. Securing these signatures sometimes takes several touches, and reaching out again can help make sure your voice is heard.

Please contact your Representative and Senators today!

Current FY 2022 Senate Office of Museum Services Signers (alphabetical by state):

Letter sponsors indicated in bold. Use our Legislator Directory to identify your legislators.

• Diane Feinstein (D-CA)
• Alex Padilla (D-CA)
• Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
• Chris Murphy (D-CT)
• Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI)
• Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
• Richard J. Durbin (D-IL)
• Ed Markey (D-MA)
• Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
• Ben Cardin (D-MD)
• Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
• Susan M. Collins (R-ME)
• Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME)
• Gary C. Peters (D-MI)
• Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
• Tina Smith (D-MN)
• John Tester (D-MT)
• Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH)
• Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
• Cory A. Booker (D-NJ)
• Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
• Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
• Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
• Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
• Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
• Ron Wyden (D-OR)
• Bob Casey (D-PA)
• Jack Reed (D-RI)
• Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
• Tim Kaine (D-VA)
• Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
• Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
• Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

Current FY 2022 House Office of Museum Services Signers (alphabetical by state):

Letter sponsors indicated in bold. Use our Legislator Directory to identify your legislators.

• Don Young (R-AK-01)
• Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-07)
• Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-03)
• Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ-01)
• Karen Bass (D-CA-37)
• Julia Brownley (D-CA-26)
• Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24)
• Tony Cardenas (D-CA-29)
• Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-11)
• John Garamendi (D-CA-03)
• Ro Khanna (D-CA-17)
• Mike Levin (D-CA-49)
• Alan Lowenthal (D-CA-47)
• Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20)
• Jackie Speier (D-CA-14)
• Eric Swalwell (D-CA-15)
• Jason Crow (D-CO-06)
• Joe Courtney (D-CT-02)
• Jahana Hayes (D-CT-05)
• John Larson (D-CT-01)
• Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
• Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE-01)
• Kathy Castor (D-FL-14)
• Sanford D. Bishop (D-GA-02)
• Lucy McBath (D-GA-06)
• Michael F. Q. San Nicolas (D-Guam)
• Kaiali’i Kahele (D-HI-02)
• Cheri Bustos (D-IL-17)
• Sean Casten (D-IL-06)
• Danny K. Davis (D-IL-07)
• Rodney Davis (R-IL-13)
• Bill Foster (D-IL-11)
• Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08)
• Darin LaHood (R-IL-18)
• Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09)
• Andre Carson (D-IN-07)
• Andy Barr (R-KY-06)
• Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA-08)
• Jim McGovern (D-MA-02)
• Seth Moulton (D-MA-06)
• Richard E. Neal (D-MA-01)
• Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07)
• Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08)
• John Sarbanes (D-MD-03)
• Jared Golden (D-ME-02)
• Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01)
• Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12)
• Dan Kildee (D-MI-05)
• Andy Levin (D-MI-09)
• Haley Stevens (D-MI-11)
• Cori Bush (D-MO-01)
• Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-05)
• Billy Long (R-MO-07)
• Gregorio K.C. Sablan (D-MP-01)
• Deborah Ross (D-NC-02)
• Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH-02)
• Chris Pappas (D-NH-01)
• Tom Malinowski (D-NJ-07)
• Donald M. Payne, JR (D-NJ-10)
• Albio Sires (D-NJ-08)
• Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-02)
• Dina Titus (D-NV-01)
• Antonio Delgado (D-NY-19)
• Mondaire Jones (D-NY-17)
• Joseph Morelle (D-NY-25)
• Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10)
• Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21)
• Tom Suozzi (D-NY-03)
• Paul Tonko (D-NY-20)
• Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03)
• Anthony Gonzalez (D-OH-16)
• Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03)
• Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01)
• Peter DeFazio (D-OR-04)
• Brendan Boyle (D-PA-02)
• Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4)
• Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05)
• Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR-01)
• David N. Cicilline (D-RI-01)
• Joe Wilson (R-SC-02)
• Steve Cohen (D-TN-09)
• Jim Cooper (D-TN-05)
• Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16)
• Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-15)
• Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18)
• Marc Veasey (D-TX-33)
• Filemon Vela (D-TX-34)
• Don Beyer (D-VA-08)
• Stacey Plaskett (D-VI-01)
• Peter Welch (D-VT-01)
• Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA-01)
• Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07)
• Kim Schrier (D-WA-08)
• Ron Kind (D-WI-03)
• Gwen S. Moore (D-WI-04)
• David McKinley (R-WV-01)

SBA-SVOG Application Portal Temporarily Suspended

Due to technical difficulties, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) last week temporarily suspended the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) application portal. According to the SBA, it is working closely with the portal vendors to reopen as soon as possible. The agency will share advance notice of the time and date before the reopening so all applicants can be prepared and to ensure fair and equal access.

Applicants may continue to register for a new account. AAM has coordinated a coalition of national museum associations that has met regularly with SBA staff since January to provide guidance and insights into the workings of the museum field and will continue these efforts during the program’s implementation. The Alliance shared a letter with SBA last week expressing concerns about the delay and recent guidance issued by the agency. You can also find Frequently Asked Questions about SVOG, a preliminary application checklist, watch the recording of the 3/30/21 Application Informational Webinar, SBA local assistance offices, and the application portal (to watch for further updates from SBA) on the SBA’s SVOG site.

Thank you for your continued advocacy for museums. Visit www.aam-us.org/advocacy to access all of AAM’s advocacy resources.