Congressperson John Larson (D-CT) in the House of Representatives seeks support for President Biden's request for adequate funding for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) in FY24. Larson has circulated a "Dear Colleague" letter to fellow representatives urging them to show their support.
The letter asks that Congress appropriate the President's full funding request of $443.2 million for NARA's operating expenses and that NHPRC be funded at $10 million. This is an essentially flat budget that covers the cost of the 5.2 percent increase in federal salaries and inflationary increases to facility operations and other non-labor costs. NARA's core function is to preserve and make accessible federal government and historical records; the agency has more than 40 facilities nationwide, including its main facilities, and 14 Presidential Libraries. NARA is also responsible for the Federal Register and the NHPRC, which provides grants for the creation of documentary collections of the papers of nationally significant individuals and institutions.
If your Representative is not yet listed as a co-signer, please call your Representative's Office today and ask them to sign on to the "Dear Colleague" letter in support of this budget request for NARA and NHPRC. Members of Congress can be reached at (202) 224-3121 or via the directory on the House of Representatives' website. (If you are uncertain who represents your Congressional district, enter your ZIP code in the "Look Up" box at the top of the page.)
The message is simple: Ask the staff person you speak with to have the Representative sign onto the National Archives "Dear Colleague" letter. They do so through an internal House email system, so you do not need to forward the letter.
The deadline for Members of Congress to sign on is March 21, so please don't delay in making your contact!
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