Smithsonian To See $52M Increase From Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Smithsonian Institution is receiving a $52 million increase in funding from Congress for 2012, with the increase primarily devoted to building a museum on the National Mall devoted to black history.

Figures released Tuesday show the Smithsonian stands to receive $811.5 million in federal funding for the 2012 fiscal year.

President Barack Obama is expected to sign the appropriations bill this week.

The budget includes $75 million to begin building the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

There is also $100 million for facilities improvements. That includes $11 million to renovate a wing of the National Museum of American History, $17 million for the National Zoo, $8 million to revitalize the National Museum of Natural History, and $17.4 million for the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Maryland.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)