Advocacy Alert: June 1

Record Senate Support for the Office of Museum Services

After a successful push in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this spring, museum advocates have set a new benchmark in yet another arena: the U.S. Senate. Last week, a record 37 U.S. Senators joined a letter calling for robust funding in Fiscal Year 2018 for the Office of Museum Services at the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This bipartisan display of support comes at a particularly important moment, as the president’s FY 2018 budget proposal recently called for eliminating the agency altogether.

“Museum advocates have risen to the challenge this year, and it’s paying off. This increased congressional support will play a critical role in our work to protect museum funding in the months to come,” said Alliance President and CEO Laura Lott. “We appreciate the support of each of these 37 Senators, and we are especially grateful to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for her leadership and to Senator Dan Sullivan for making this a bipartisan effort.”

What You Can Do: Thank Senators on Social Media

Legislators need to know that their actions are noticed and appreciated by the people and the museums they represent. So here’s the best way to thank them:

Use our Legislator Lookup page to find your Senators (and your Representative if you didn’t thank them already!) and their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Check the list at the bottom of this alert to see if your Senators signed.
Say “Thank You!” You can use our sample posts to get started. Be sure to use #museumsadvocacy. Also tag the Alliance (@AAMers) and your legislators in your posts and tweets.

Sample Social Media Posts:

Facebook - Museums are essential! We join the American Alliance of Museums in thanking [Sen./Rep. _______________ ] for signing on to this year’s OMS letter and for your support of [your museum]. #museumsadvocacy

Facebook - [Your museum name] is essential in our community. We join the American Alliance of Museums in thanking [Sen./Rep. _______________ ] for signing this year’s OMS letter in support of funding for museums. #museumsadvocacy

Twitter - [Your museum] thanks [Sen./Rep. _______________ ] for signing on to this year’s OMS letter! Museums are essential. #museumsadvocacy

Twitter - Thank you [Sen./Rep. _______________ ] for signing on to this year’s OMS letter and supporting [your museum name]! @AAMers #museumsadvocacy

P.S. There is still considerable uncertainty about the timing of congressional action on the FY 2018 federal budget. If you’ve already thanked your legislators who signed this letter, here are some more advocacy tools to help you continue to speak up for museums.

FY 2018 Senate Office of Museum Services Letter Signers

Tammy	Baldwin	(D-WI)
Richard	Blumenthal	(D-CT)
Cory	Booker	(D-NJ)
Sherrod	Brown	(D-OH)
Ben	Cardin	(D-MD)
Tom	Carper	(D-DE)
Bob	Casey	(D-PA)
Christopher	Coons	(D-DE)
Joe	Donnelly	(D-IN)
Tammy	Duckworth	(D-IL)
Dick	Durbin	(D-IL)
Dianne	Feinstein	(D-CA)
Al	Franken	(D-MN)
Kirsten	Gillibrand	(D-NY)
Maggie	Hassan	(D-NH)
Martin	Heinrich	(D-NM)
Mazie K.	Hirono	(D-HI)
Tim	Kaine	(D-VA)
Angus	King	(I-ME)
Amy	Klobuchar	(D-MN)
Joe	Manchin	(D-WV)
Ed	Markey	(D-MA)
Bob	Menendez	(D-NJ)
Jeff	Merkley	(D-OR)
Chris	Murphy	(D-CT)
Gary	Peters	(D-MI)
Jack	Reed	(D-RI)
Bernie	Sanders	(I-VT)
Brian	Schatz	(D-HI)
Jeanne	Shaheen	(D-NH)
Debbie	Stabenow	(D-MI)
Dan	Sullivan	(R-AK)
Jon	Tester	(D-MT)
Chris	Van Hollen	(D-MD)
Elizabeth	Warren	(D-MA)
Sheldon	Whitehouse	(D-RI)
Ron	Wyden	(D-OR)