Congress concluded its legislative activities before the December 20th government funding deadline in dramatic fashion as efforts to extend funding came down to the wire.

Washington received a preview of the funding challenges to come when President-elect Trump objected to the proposed funding package negotiated by the Republican-controlled House and the Democrat-controlled Senate.

House and Senate leaders then quickly negotiated a smaller funding package to avert a government shutdown and fund the government through March 14, 2025. The funding package extends government funding at fiscal year 2025 levels, provides important aid to the nation’s farmers, and extends Farm Bill authorizations for another year.

Amid the challenging political debate around government funding, there is positive news for historic preservation.

As part of the disaster assistance package, there was bipartisan agreement about providing $50 million in supplemental disaster assistance funding through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF).

In early December, the National Trust and preservation partners led a letter to House and Senate leadership (PDF) urging funding to support historic resources damaged by natural disasters.

This supplemental HPF funding recognizes the important role historic preservation plays in strengthening community resilience and maintaining cultural heritage.

In the coming weeks, Washington will transition to a new Administration and Congress. Historic preservation advocates will have a renewed opportunity to demonstrate how historic preservation addresses critical national priorities like the ability to promote economic development, enhance national identity, advance sustainable development, and foster cultural engagement.

Ahead of the nation’s 250th Anniversary, advocates will be called to support the National Historic Preservation Act and demonstrate how historic preservation is solutions-oriented, creates jobs, and leads to community revitalization.

Educating policymakers about the ways the preservation movement recognizes and honors our diverse cultural heritage is a critical policy objective as the nation reflects on our past and charts our future.

Advocates are encouraged to share their preservation success stories which would not be possible without robust preservation policies in place. How has your community benefitted from the more than $180 million in grant funding appropriated from the Historic Preservation Fund? How are historic tax credits helping spur revitalization efforts in your community? How have legislative efforts to preserve your community’s history enhanced our learning and understanding?

The National Trust’s Government Relations team looks forward to providing the preservation community with detailed policy updates each month through our newsletter, and we will continue our collaboration with Preservation Forum to address critical issues through our webinar series and written commentary.

As we begin the new year, our focus remains on fostering collaboration and ensuring that historic preservation priorities are front and center amidst the evolving political landscape. The coming months will be pivotal, and we look forward to working with our allies to maximize these opportunities and protect our shared history