July 20 marked the six-month mark of the second Trump administration, putting us exactly one-eighth of the way through the nation’s 47th Presidency.
While opinions about Donald Trump’s performance vary widely, nobody can argue that it’s been uneventful. The constant deluge of executive orders, mass layoffs, court cases, congressional drama and norm-busting behavior from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has been enough to exhaust supporters and opponents alike.
One trend that’s clear is that President Trump has mostly – but not entirely – gotten his way. A compliant Congress confirmed nearly all of his nominees, enacted his One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), and offered little pushback to his actions, even when his constitutional right to do so was in question. The Supreme Court has allowed many of his actions, particularly on cutting staff, to move forward even when lower courts objected. And a wide range of institutions like universities, law firms and media powerhouses have fallen in line with his demands. Even when he has retreated in the face of opposition, as with his on-again, off-again, on-again tariffs and his short-lived bromance with Elon Musk, the core elements of his big plans have remained.
What that means for the next six months, much less for the next three and a half years, is unclear. His approval ratings are not robust, even on issues widely seen as strengths, like immigration. His legislative agenda post-OBBB is vague, and the likelihood of a government shutdown in the fall is higher than anyone would like. The widescale cutbacks in government personnel could start to bite (for instance, it’s unknown how a depleted FEMA will react if there is a major hurricane). And we are a little more than a year away from a midterm congressional election, which, if history is any guide, should be bad for Republicans.
In other words, this moment might be peak-Trump, with a long downhill slide from here on. On the other hand, Trump always finds a way to turn his fortunes around. The only thing we can safely predict is that more eventful months lie ahead of us.
Congress Provides Consistent Funding for Historic Preservation Fund
In one area, at least, Congress has rejected President Trump’s proposals. Although the White House suggested eliminating nearly all Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) monies in the upcoming fiscal year, both the House and Senate appropriations committees have recommended $168 million for the HPF next year, keeping funding level with the past two years.
Both bills also extend the authorization for the HPF for another year, enabling $150 million in Outer Continental Shelf drilling royalties to be placed into the Fund.
In its report accompanying the bill, the Senate Appropriations Committee notes the importance of providing appropriated funds to SHPOs and THPOs in a timely manner, reflecting the long delay in getting FY2025 funds out the door, “to avoid any undue impacts on [SHPOs and THPOs] that could slow survey, evaluation, and nomination processes for the National Register and create unnecessary delays for infrastructure and other projects by hindering the Section 106 process under the National Historic Preservation Act.”
The House and Senate bills also provide level funding for NAGPRA grants at $3.4 million.
Both bills still face a long road to enactment. Both chambers need to pass their bills, which will not happen until September, and then the two versions must be reconciled with one another – at the same time that Congress needs to complete the other 11 appropriations bills.
For the current fiscal year, Congress did not even complete the appropriations bills, finally passing a continuing resolution that maintained previous year’s funding levels. And that didn’t happen until the year was nearly half done. ACRA and its preservation allies will continue advocating for sufficient funding levels.
ACHP Staff, Funding in Flux
Amidst reports that the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) is shedding a large chunk of its staff, House and Senate appropriators have taken divergent approaches to funding the Agency in the next fiscal year.
The House Interior appropriations bill would reduce ACHP funding from $8.5 million in the current fiscal year to $5.7 million in fiscal year 2026.
But the Senate bill would maintain ACHP’s funding at $8.5 million. In its report the Senate Appropriations Committee cites the increased workload on SHPOs and THPOs as a rationale for fully funding the ACHP, using language that tracks closely to ACRA’s written testimony to the Committee last spring:
The Committee notes that recent major Federal investments in transportation, energy, telecommunications, water, and other infrastructure have resulted in a sharp increase in Section 106 reviews, which are required under the National Historic Preservation Act. As a result, State Historic Preservation Offices [SHPOs], Tribal Historic Preservation Offices [THPOs], and Indian Tribes have seen their workloads increase significantly over the past several years. . . . The Committee directs the Council to report to the Committee within 90 days of enactment of this act describing, with examples, the magnitude of the increased workloads and the impacts on SHPOs and THPOs.
Agencies Plan Changes to NEPA Regulations
A host of federal agencies are amending their NEPA regulations, following the rescinding of the White House Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) NEPA rules.
Among the agencies that have announced interim final rules or notices that change their regulations are the Departments of Interior, Energy, Agriculture, Transportation, and Commerce, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, both for Army Permits and Civil Works programs.
While each agency’s deadline for public comments differs, most are due by the end of July. ACRA is reviewing the proposals to assess their impacts on Section 106.
U.S. Withdraws from UNESCO, Again
The Trump administration has announced that it is once again withdrawing the U.S. from UNESCO, effective at the end of 2026. Trump previously pulled the U.S. from UNESCO in his first term, only to be reversed by former President Biden.
UNESCO was founded after World War II to promote international cooperation in education, science, and culture. Among UNESCO’s programs is the World Heritage program, which protects historic and cultural sites.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said UNESCO “supports woke, divisive cultural and social causes that are totally out-of-step with the commonsense policies that Americans voted for in November.”
Get in the Know at the 2025 ACRA Conference
As the White House and Congress continue debating far-reaching policies that affect CRM, attending the ACRA 2024 Annual Conference in Raleigh, NC, Sept. 11-14 is an essential way to stay on top of developments.
This year’s conference theme — Policy and Protecting Cultural Resources — will explore how policy intersects with the protection of cultural resources. This includes Federal policy, state policies, and the involvement of communities and other stakeholders.
Registration for the 2025 ACRA Conference is now open! Click here to register now.