Leach nomination to NEH advances

Former Eastern Iowa U.S. Rep. Jim Leach has won the backing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to become chairman of the National Endowment of the Humanities.

The committee voted Tuesday morning to back President Barack Obama's nomination of Leach to a four-year terms as NEH chairman, Sen. Tom Harkin, a member of the committee, said.

Leach's nomination moves to the full Senate for confirmation.

“He is a public servant of this first order, and I'm appreciative that Iowa and our nation will continue to benefit from his leadership,” Harkin said.

Leach represented much of Eastern Iowa over 30 years in the U.S. House.

The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent grant-making agency of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. To learn more about the NEH, visit: http://www.neh.gov/