1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I need you to urge the house appropriations committee to continue to FULLY fund the IMLS. It is the only institution nationwide dedicated to libraries and museums and is shown over and over to bring in a return of at least $4.50 for every $1 invested. Fully funding the agency amounted to .005% of the federal budget this past year, so cuts to it are not the financial savings the committee needs to make. The big beautiful travesty you just passed will put a lot of Americans without jobs and health care; they’ll need library services to help with new jobs, access to resources about food and health care, as well as access to technology and reliable information they may no longer be able to afford to own outright. The Government Appropriations Office, a nonpartisan watchdog group, has already determined that the administration overstepped their legal powers in gutting the IMLS. It’s not only unconscionable to defund but possibly illegal. It is essential to reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act of 2018, by September 30. You’ve failed us as a representative thus far. Please do your part to represent us in this.