Trump’s budget would destroy local libraries and museums. Congress is not on board.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump plans to eliminate funding in fiscal year 2027 for the agency that serves as the primary source of federal funding for libraries and museums nationwide.

But congressional advocates — who rejected similar efforts to gut the agency in fiscal year 2026 — expressed little enthusiasm for the proposed cut in interviews with States Newsroom. Groups representing museums and libraries across the country also criticized the president’s proposal.

The government is requesting $6 million in fiscal year 2027 for the agency, known as Institute of Museum and Library Services“for the costs necessary to effect (its) closure.”

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, noted that her panel did not agree to Trump’s same request in fiscal year 2026 to eliminate funding for the agency.

“I personally have always been a fan of libraries, and they bring a lot to the local community,” said Capito, a West Virginia Republican whose panel writes the annual bill to fund the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

“So that’s what he does, he suggests, and then we look at it and make our own decisions,” she said.

Last year’s application was rejected

The spending package signed into law by Trump in February provided the agency with about $292 million this fiscal year, a keen repudiation of Trump’s efforts.

Capito said that while her committee will consider the president’s request for a fiscal year 2027 budget, “if you look at what we did last year, it shows that we kind of rejected that premise.”

Rep. Robert Aderholt, an Alabama Republican and chairman of the relevant House appropriations subcommittee, was noncommittal about pursuing Trump’s request to gut the agency for fiscal 2027.

In response to States Newsroom’s request for a telephone interview, Aderholt provided a written statement.

“We are considering the administration’s request and the requests of all House members,” Aderholt said, adding, “This is a member-driven process, and we look forward to working with our colleagues to craft a strong bill for American taxpayers.”

Litigation

The agency was created by Congress in 1996 and has a mission “to advance, support, and strengthen America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grants, research, and policy development.”

The government has taken major steps to try to dismantle the agency, including through a Implementing regulation of March 2025.

However, Trump’s Justice Department reached an agreement At the beginning of April with the American Library Association – the largest library association in the country – and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees – the largest union of arts professionals in the country – which protects the agency and guarantees that it will continue to award grants and continue program operations.

In another setback for the government, the DOJ this month dropped its appeal in a case brought by 21 state attorneys general who had challenged the government’s efforts to dismantle the agency and obtained a lawsuit massive court victory in November.

“The barbarians are at the door”

Meanwhile, top Democrats on the House and Senate budget panels, which handle agency spending, were quick to criticize Trump’s proposal in interviews with States Newsroom.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, ranking member of the Senate subcommittee and a Democrat from Wisconsin, described the agency as “an incredibly valuable entity” and vowed to fight “with all our might” to protect it.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, ranking member of the full House Budget Committee and the spending subcommittee with jurisdiction over the agency, said the administration’s request was “just Neanderthal.”

The Connecticut Democrat said, “We will work to restore it, just like we try to do every time,” adding that Trump’s demand suggests that “the barbarians are at the door.”

Library and museum organizations are fighting back

Leading library and museum organizations vehemently opposed Trump’s request and called on Congress to reject the proposal.

In one opinionSam Helmick, president of the American Library Association, said Trump’s “sustained attack” on the agency in the budget request and the March 2025 order to close it “shows the extent to which the administration is deaf to the needs of millions of Americans who rely on libraries every day: older adults and veterans who utilize telehealth rooms in libraries; unemployed people who utilize library resources to find a recent job or learn recent skills; families who Reading time counts; and students and teachers who conduct research in libraries, school and academic libraries.”

John Chrastka, founder and chief executive of EveryLibrary, said in a statement that Trump’s proposal was “a direct threat to the infrastructure that millions of Americans rely on every day.”

Chrastka, whose organization is dedicated to building support for libraries, said “libraries are not optional” but instead represent “essential public resources that support literacy, workforce development and community connectivity in every state.”

The American Alliance of Museums blasted the suggestion as “misguided and out of step with the American public and Congress,” and noted that similar efforts in fiscal year 2026 and previous budget cycles to defund the agency were rejected due to “strong bipartisan, bicameral support in Congress and sustained advocacy from the museum community.”

The Institute of Museum and Library Services declined to comment on Trump’s 2027 budget request.