URGENT Call to Action

Dear Friend of National History Day:

We need your help urgently. We received word this morning that Senator
Coburn (R-OK) is going to offer an amendment for the Senate to vote on next Monday the 29th that will eliminate ALL funding for earmark programs for the next three fiscal years. Within this definition of earmark are authorized, directed-funded programs like NHD.

As you likely are aware, we are in the midst of an anti-earmark climate. Even though NHD is an authorized program, Congress must include NHD in an appropriations bill each and every fiscal year. The Coburn amendment is likely to pass. This will result in a loss of $500,000 of critically-needed support for National History Day. Over half of this annual funding supports our states/affiliates, many of which need their portion of $5000 to provide the NHD programs that directly benefit teachers and students. The remaining funds provide for the national contest and other critical programs such as the summer teacher institutes.

CALL TO ACTION:

1. The only chance we have is to bombard every senator with requests to vote NO on the Coburn amendment. Please, without delay, make these calls. You can send an email as well but with a short time to make your case, a phone call will have greater impact. Please do not send a postal letter as those do not reach their destinations in Washington, D.C. for weeks due to off-site irradiation procedures. To find telephone numbers for your senators, please go to www.senate.gov.

2. And, please forward this to every supporter of NHD in your state,
asking them to do the same.

Thank you for your support.

Kim


Kim Fortney
Deputy Director
National History Day
0119 Cecil Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Direct Phone: (301) 314-9542
Fax: (301) 314-9767
Email: kim@nhd.org





Ann Claunch, Ph.D.
Director of Curriculum
National History Day
0119 Cecil Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD
505-459-1179
Debate and Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences