They say that money makes the world go around. That’s certainly true for the federal government, where contentious debates over how to spend money – and even whether to spend what it’s legally supposed to – have taken center stage.
For the CRM industry and the broader preservation community, money is increasingly at issue, as the Trump administration has yet to provide state and Tribal historic preservation offices with the federal funding that Congress appropriated for them for fiscal 2025. A number of SHPOs are facing the prospect of layoffs, and the Ohio SHPO has already been forced to shed staff.
The impacts of the funding holdup are undeniable. Without staff and resources, SHPOs and THPOs cannot fulfill their federally mandated duties, including around Section 106 reviews, National Register listings and Historic Tax Credit projects. As NCSHPO has warned, without this funding, historic properties may be lost.
ACRA and its partners in the preservation community are working with allies in Congress – from both parties – to pressure the administration to release the funding asap.
If your firm is interested in asking your elected representative to call on the administration to release the funding, please let us know at [email protected].
House Tries to Move “Big Beautiful Bill” Forward
The other end of Pennsylvania Avenue also has money on their mind as House Republicans struggle to advance a major tax-and-spending cut bill that’s the centerpiece of President Trump’s agenda.
The plan, which Trump has dubbed a “big, beautiful” bill, is certainly big: it includes major and far-reaching provisions from multiple House committees that will affect tax rates and government programs for the next decade.
The bill will add as much as $2.5 trillion to the national debt, according to outside experts (although the figure could change as it moves through the sausage-making process). The tax and healthcare provisions approved by the Ways and Means Committee after a marathon session last week would cost the Treasury approximately $3.8 trillion over the next 10 years, offset by spending cuts elsewhere.
The tax provisions would permanently extend the individual tax cuts Congress passed in 2017, and temporarily enact some of President Trump’s 2024 campaign promises like no tax on tips or overtime. It also would end clean energy tax credits passed as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
Closer to home, the provisions would permanently extend a deduction for pass-through businesses like S corporations and partnerships – how a large number of CRM firms are organized – and increase the deduction from 20 percent to 23 percent starting in 2026. Without this provision, tax rates on pass-throughs would increase next year. The provisions do not, however, include enhancements to the federal Historic Tax Credit that preservation advocates had wanted.
The bill’s prospects are still far from certain. With just a three-seat majority in the House, and with Democrats likely to be united in opposition, virtually all Republicans need to vote “aye” to pass the bill. But there are more than enough moderate Republicans on one side, and ultra-conservatives on the other, who have major concerns. Like a tug-of-war, any attempts by leadership to satisfy one side will cause more on the other side to revolt. Although House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has pledged to pass the bill through the House by the end of next week, that schedule could easily skip.
Once it passes the House, the Senate will begin work on its version. Then the chambers will have to reconcile their versions to send a final bill to the White House. By putting a lot of their agenda into the bill, Republicans have a lot to gain – or lose – over this bill’s final fate.
HPF Reauthorization Bill Re-Introduced
Although President Trump’s budget proposal for fiscal 2026 seeks to essentially zero out the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), a bipartisan group of House members are calling on Congress to renew and enlarge it.
Reps. Mike Turner (R-OH), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM), Mike Carey (R-OH) and Sarah Elfreth (D-MD) last week introduced H.R. 3418, which would reauthorize the HPF for 10 years and increase the amount deposited into the Fund from offshore energy royalties from $150 million per year to $250 million.
In a press release, Turner said that the HPF “has been a cornerstone of protecting America’s heritage. By reinvesting offshore drilling royalties into preserving historic sites, we ensure that future generations can experience the history of our country.”
This bill, like the bigger reconciliation bill, faces an uncertain road ahead in Congress. But it’s an important first step in ensuring that, when it comes to preservation, the federal government puts its money where its mouth is.
Help Show Your Elected Officials That #HistoryMatters
As recent developments show, the need to educate policymakers about the benefits of CRM is as great as ever. One of the best ways to accomplish this is with site visits and constituent meetings in their local offices.
This summer ACRA, SAA and SHA are bringing back our joint campaign to bring senators and representatives to project sites during the upcoming August congressional recess. In representing our community before Congress, we deliver the message of how CRM preserves our shared cultural heritage for present and future generations, and how this preservation of our past enriches local communities and creates economic benefits.
To learn more about how you can join the campaign, watch a recording of our May 8 HistoryMatters webinar, read the toolkit, and don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] with any questions.