Federal judge rules cuts to humanities grants were 'unlawful'

Source: NPR

August 7, 2025 11:20 AM ET


A federal judge has ruled that the government's abrupt elimination of humanities grants previously approved by Congress was "unlawful" and that a lawsuit brought by humanities groups can move forward.

In April, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), terminated grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities to thousands of groups across the country including humanities councils, museums, historic sites, archives, libraries, educators and media outlets.

In May, Oregon Humanities and the Federation of State Humanities Councils sued the endowment and DOGE, alleging the sudden grant cuts were an "attempted destruction, spearheaded by DOGE, of the congressionally established federal-state partnership."

In his decision, U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon wrote that the councils were "likely to succeed on their claim that the withholding of the funds at issue in this case is unconstitutional." He added, "The United States Constitution exclusively grants the power of the purse to Congress, not the President."

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2025/08/07/nx-s1-5495365/neh-national-endowment-for-the-humanities-lawsuit

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Link to RULING (PDF) - https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/humanities-order.pdf

There were several Humanities grant cuts suits filed. A related one had was filed in and was decided in NY the week before last - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143502476