Dear CivxNow Coalition Members and Friends of Civic Learning,
I’m thrilled to share that yesterday President Joe Biden proposed a $73 million allocation for civics and U.S. history as part of his 2024 fiscal year (FY24) budget. This would represent a $50 million year increase for the subjects over the 2023 enacted level.
The announcement, which arrives in the midst of our first-ever national Civic Learning Week, is an important signal from the White House that the country must invest in civic education to sustain and strengthen constitutional democracy in the United States. It also comes after Congress—in a bipartisan move—included an increase to $23 million for civics and history in its year-end 2023 omnibus spending package, a massive increase from the $7.75 million for civics and history education in 2022.
The White House’s proposal proclaims the $73 million will be used to “help students understand the U.S. Constitution and how the United States system of Government works and build the skills required to fully participate in civic life.”
The inclusion of this funding in the proposed budget comes on the heels of a massive bipartisan effort to pass the standalone Civics Secures Democracy (CSD) Act, first introduced by Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Tom Cole (R-OK), and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and John Cornyn (R-TX). We remain grateful for our congressional champions’ steadfast support for a generational investment in K–12 civic education and are hopeful CSD will be reintroduced in the current Congress.
Thanks to you—friends of civic learning and members of the CivxNow Coalition, which includes 285 member organizations from across the country and viewpoint spectrum—for leading the charge for deepened investment in civic education, including CSD.
As the Administration’s budget heads to Capitol Hill, our work begins anew in securing increased appropriations for civic learning in the FY24 budget. Contact your U.S. Senators and Representative (visit congress.gov to look up your members of Congress) and encourage them to vote in favor of the $73M of proposed appropriations for American History and Civics Academies and National Civics Programs. Tell your members of Congress how increased funding for civics and history will benefit students, teachers, schools, and districts in your state.
You can also share our press release across your networks, including on social media, using the following sample message:
Civics and U.S. history receive $50M increase in President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2024 proposed budget. Read the full press release here: civxnow.org/civics-and-u-s-history-receive-50-million-increase-in-president-bidens-fiscal-year-2024-proposed-budget/
Stay tuned for further action steps in the weeks and months ahead. Thanks again for all that you do to raise awareness for the urgency of prioritizing civic learning through stronger state and federal policies. As Civic Learning Week comes to a close, rest assured that we’re making significant progress and the best is yet to come.
Yours in civics,
Shawn Healy
Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy
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