Dear Chairman Moran and Ranking Member Simpson: On behalf of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization of 60 leading U.S. public and private research universities, I appreciate the opportunity to testify before you today on the FY2010 budget of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The Endowment is the single most important source of federal support for humanities research and humanities public education. We believe that the nation would benefit from a significant funding increase for the NEH, in part as a complement to the federal investment in science and engineering research. It is through the humanities that we can better understand and address the social, economic, and political changes associated with technological development and globalization. We also believe that as teachers and supporters of the humanities, we have an obligation and an opportunity to support through history, literature, and language a culture of tolerance and civility, which is greatly needed today. NEH strengthens and benefits the nation by promoting excellence in the humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans.