U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) led members of Nevada’s Congressional Delegation in a letter urging the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to release and disburse all appropriated funds to State Humanities Councils across the country.
For the last six months, the NEH has not disbursed already appropriated funds for the 2026 financial year, with the excuse being that the NEH did not have an appointed chair. The National Endowment for Humanities has supported arts and humanities projects across Nevada for 55 years through direct investments and partnerships with the state’s humanities council, Nevada Humanities. NEH funding makes up approximately 75% of the Nevada Humanities budget, which amounts to roughly $1 million each year. Recently, William English was announced as the acting chair of the NEH, leaving no excuse for the lack of funding.
“NEH funding helps support community and cultural programs and events throughout the state, both through direct funding and subgrants that are offered through Nevada Humanities,” wrote the members of the delegation. “These events not only bring thousands of Nevadans together to celebrate our state’s unique cultural heritage, but they also have a significant economic impact, with arts and humanities events in Nevada helping generate tens of millions of dollars in economic activity and tax revenue for federal, state, and local governments”
You can read the full letter HERE
The Trump administration — particularly through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and directives tied to President Donald Trump — said it considered a wide range of National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grants “objectionable” because they promoted DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), “gender ideology,” environmental justice, or other causes the administration said did not align with its priorities.
Examples of programs and projects reportedly targeted or canceled included:
- Holocaust education and Jewish history projects. A federal judge later noted that some Jewish-focused grants had been swept up in the cuts.
- African American history and anti-racism projects, including a documentary project about the 1873 Colfax Massacre in Louisiana.
- Indigenous and Native American history education initiatives, such as a California State University project highlighting tribal history in the Inland Empire and Coachella Valley.
- Projects involving DEI language or themes, even indirectly. Court filings showed DOGE staff used ChatGPT prompts asking whether grant descriptions “relate at all to DEI.”
- Gender and LGBTQ-related humanities programs. Administration documents broadly criticized federal support for “gender ideology” initiatives.
- Environmental justice and climate-oriented humanities grants.
- Some museum and cultural preservation grants were flagged because descriptions contained terms associated with inclusion or accessibility. One reported example involved a museum HVAC replacement grant allegedly flagged as DEI-related.
The administration defended the cuts as an effort to stop “wasteful grantmaking” and redirect taxpayer money toward projects more aligned with “American interests” and “merit-based” priorities. White House materials also cited objections to grants tied to critical race theory, transgender programming, and similar subjects.
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