National Endowment for the Humanities terminates majority of staff, union says

The National Endowment for the Humanitiesbegan terminating most of its staff Thursday, according to the union representing employees of the federal agency.

Approximately 65% of the NEH staff had received termination notices as of Thursday evening, the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403 said in an email.

NEH is a small agency with 180 employees and a $207 million budget that is dedicated to funding humanities programs such as history, law, literature, philosophy, and linguistics. The agency has awarded $6 billion in grants since 1965, funding everything from museums to historic sites, school programs and state humanities councils.

"The union is disgusted by this Administration’s callous disregard for the meaningful contributions NEH staff make to our nation’s culture," the AFGE Local 3403 said in a statement Wednesday anticipating the terminations. "The staff of the NEH are the heart of grant programs that, among others, provide funds to build humanities infrastructure in local communities, support students in rural communities in accessing national treasures, and promote the preservation of our shared history."  

In addition to the layoffs, NEH also has been terminating grants. More than 1,000 grants were ended last week, including one for the National History Day competition and grants for state humanities councils.

President Donald Trump's administration, led by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, has initiated mass layoffs across the federal government. Some federal agencies are being completely or largely dismantled, including the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Education.

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The steep cuts at NEH will make it difficult for the agency to administer program, according to the union.

"Without enough staff on-hand to administer grant programs, the Administration is essentially terminating programs that organizations rely on in all fifty states," the AFGE Local 3403 said.

The union called on Congress to act.

"Now is the time to ask why an Agency you funded and authorized is being broken down like an empty cardboard box," it said.

NEH and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.