Blumenthal Denounces Trump Administration's Attack on Connecticut Libraries, Museums, Arts & Humanities

[Hartford, CT] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), in separate letters, wrote to President Donald Trump and Acting Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Keith Sonderling expressing opposition to the Administration’s attack on libraries, museums, and the arts and humanities. In recent weeks, the Trump Administration has acted to functionally eliminate or undermine the ability of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities which is comprised of National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the IMLS. On Tuesday, Blumenthal met with dozens of Connecticut museums, libraries and cultural organizations to hear firsthand how these cuts are impacting and imperiling their programs.

In his letter to President Trump, Blumenthal wrote, “These organizations exist to promote the arts, to preserve our culture and history, and to increase access to critical services for communities across the country and already operate with extremely limited resources. I am extremely alarmed that your Administration is targeting and dismantling these organizations – likely in violation of the law – and I demand you immediately reinstate federal funding for these programs.”

In February 2025, under the Trump Administration, the NEA eliminated a grant program that supported projects for underserved communities, including those in rural areas, that have limited access to the arts. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) also reduced the NEH workforce by as much as 80 percent and clawed back millions of dollars of grant funding already obligated to organizations across the country.

“Withdrawing federal support for the NEA, NEH, and IMLS severely threatens the role nonprofits, museums, and libraries play in education, the economy, and the community. Your open disdain for these organizations, which aim to promote education, expression, and the preservation of knowledge among the American people, is senseless,” concluded Blumenthal. “I urge you to rescind your executive order, release the obligated funding as required by law, and reinstate employees who have been placed on administrative leave in order to preserve the federal support that America’s nonprofits, libraries, and museums deserve to thrive and serve the public.”

In a separate letter to Acting Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Keith Sonderling, Blumenthal expressed opposition to IMLS’ decision to terminate grants to libraries in Connecticut and California. On April 1st, IMLS notified the state library administrative agencies of Connecticut, California, and Washington that their federal LSTA grants were terminated effective immediately. Blumenthal was joined in his letter by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA).

The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) was passed by Congress in 1996 to provide dedicated funding for libraries to modernize and extend services to communities. LTSA grants provide critical funding for summer reading programs, early literacy, e-books, bookmobiles, accessible books such as braille books, and statewide library services. State libraries also use grant funding for targeted outreach and services to communities in need, including military families, veterans, disabled individuals, and senior citizens.

“In a notice sent from you, IMLS claimed that the grant was ‘inconsistent with IMLS’ priorities’ with no explanation for its sudden decision or an opportunity to appeal,” wrote the senators. “Through these terminations, IMLS is violating Congress’ clear intent in appropriating state grant funding for the LSTA. Moreover, based on the Administration’s clear opposition to the mission of IMLS and pattern of making decisions without a concrete legal foundation, we are concerned that IMLS’s decision to cut off these funds may have been based on political considerations with no grounding in the law.”

IMLS provides $2.2 million in federal funding to the Connecticut State Library annually, supporting the salaries of 13 Connecticut workers and programs across the state. IMLS funding supported 8,827 summer reading programs across Connecticut used by 229,470 children and teens last year alone. Additionally, more than 5,500 Connecticut residents rely on accessible audio and braille books funded through IMLS.

“In cutting off these much-needed federal grants to libraries, you are recklessly putting at risk critical digital connectivity resources, and educational programs — threatening access for rural and urban libraries and harming veterans, the disabled, and senior citizens. We demand that the IMLS reinstate the LSTA grants immediately and provide an explanation for their abrupt and baseless terminations by May 6, 2025,” concluded the senators.

The full text of the letter to President Trump can be found here and below.

The full text of the letter to IMLS can be found here and below.

April 22, 2025

The Honorable Donald J. Trump President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Trump,

I write to express my deep opposition to your Administration’s blatant attack on libraries, museums, and the arts and humanities overall. In recent weeks, you have taken actions to functionally eliminate or undermine the ability of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities which is comprised of National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). These organizations exist to promote the arts, to preserve our culture and history, and to increase access to critical services for communities across the country and already operate with extremely limited resources. I am extremely alarmed that your Administration is targeting and dismantling these organizations – likely in violation of the law – and I demand you immediately reinstate federal funding for these programs.

NEA and NEH were founded 60 years ago because Congress recognized that the arts and humanities should not only be accessible to all Americans, but also play a vital role in the overall health of our nation.¹ The NEA supports nonprofit and public arts agencies and organizations,

including Creative Forces, an initiative created in partnership with the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the health, wellbeing, and quality of life for military personnel, veterans, and their families who have been exposed to trauma.² The NEH supports grants for education, research, preservation, and public programs in all areas of humanities including history, philosophy, religion, languages, and more. The arts and humanities are essential for enriching the lives of individuals and ensuring that we have an accurate record of our history.

You have continually devalued and disregarded the importance of the arts and humanities, consistently taking actions to undermine the ability of these organizations to serve the American people. In February 2025, at your direction, the NEA eliminated a grant program that supported projects for underserved communities, including those in rural areas, that have limited access to the arts.3 You also directed Elon Musk’s so called Department of Government Efficiency to reduce the NEH workforce by as much as 80 percent and claw-back millions of dollars of grant funding already obligated to organizations across the country.45 Rescinding dollars that these organizations have won through lengthy and competitive grant processes is likely illegal and certainly harmful, damaging the trust the American people have in the federal government and the communities who rely on these taxpayer dollars.

You have also targeted the IMLS, which supports libraries and museums across the country. IMLS is the largest source of federal funding for museums and libraries, assisting them in providing a range of services to their communities. Despite the demonstrable public good of investing in museums and libraries, on March 14, 2025, you issued an executive order that proposes the elimination of IMLS.6 Currently, IMLS makes up less than .01% of the federal budget7, yet the American Alliance of Museums reports that museums and other nonprofit cultural organizations return more than $5 in tax revenue for every $1 they receive.8 Museums alone contribute more than $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year and support over 726,000 jobs.9 They also play a vital role in cultural preservation by collecting, safeguarding, and

interpreting artifacts, artworks, and historical documents, ensuring that these tangible and intangible aspects of our past are accessible and understood by future generations.

Further, libraries offer essential services that help make communities stronger. This includes providing early literacy development and grade-level reading programs, free high-speed internet access, employment assistance for job seekers, veterans’ telehealth spaces equipped with technology and staff support, training for workforce development, and small business support for budding entrepreneurs. Many libraries also maintain online databases and partner with school districts to ensure that students have access to materials necessary to be successful in their coursework as they prepare to enter the workforce or pursue higher education. Gutting funding for libraries directly impedes the ability to millions of students across the country to get a quality education.

Withdrawing federal support for the NEA, NEH, and IMLS severely threatens the role nonprofits, museums, and libraries play in education, the economy, and the community. Your open disdain for these organizations, which aim to promote education, expression, and the preservation of knowledge among the American people, is senseless. I urge you to rescind your executive order, release the obligated funding as required by law, and reinstate employees who have been placed on administrative leave in order to preserve the federal support that America’s nonprofits, libraries, and museums deserve to thrive and serve the public.¹⁰

Sincerely,

April 22, 2025

The Honorable Keith Sonderling Acting Director

Institute of Museum and Library Services 955 L’Enfant Plaza, North, SW, Suite 4000 Washington, D.C. 20024

Dear Mr. Sonderling,

We write to express our opposition to the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) senseless and indefensible decision to terminate grants to libraries in Connecticut and California.

Congress passed the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) in 1996 to provide dedicated funding for libraries to modernize and extend services to communities, providing states with the flexibility to subgrant and design programs to address their local needs. Grants under the LTSA provide critical funding for summer reading programs, early literacy, e-books, bookmobiles, accessible books such as braille books, and statewide library services. State libraries also use grant funding for targeted outreach and services to communities in need, including military families, veterans, disabled individuals, and senior citizens. The LSTA is also used in determining eligibility for and supporting the Federal Communications Commission and Universal Service Fund’s E-Rate program, which provides discounts for important internet access and connectivity services for over 100,000 schools and over 12,500 libraries impacting nearly 54 million students nationwide.¹

On April 1, 2025, IMLS notified the state library administrative agencies of Connecticut, California, and Washington that their federal LSTA grants were terminated effective immediately.² In a notice sent from you, IMLS claimed that the grant was “inconsistent with IMLS’ priorities” with no explanation for its sudden decision or an opportunity to appeal. Through these terminations, IMLS is violating Congress’ clear intent in appropriating state grant funding for the LSTA. Moreover, based on the Administration’s clear opposition to the mission of IMLS and pattern of making decisions without a concrete legal foundation, we are concerned that IMLS’s decision to cut off these funds may have been based on political considerations with no grounding in the law.

In cutting off these much-needed federal grants to libraries, you are recklessly putting at risk critical digital connectivity resources, and educational programs — threatening access for rural and urban libraries and harming veterans, the disabled, and senior citizens. We demand that the IMLS reinstate the LSTA grants immediately and provide an explanation for their abrupt and baseless terminations by May 6, 2025.

Sincerely,

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