National Endowment for the Arts

Action Alerts:

6/29/07: The House Approves a $35 Million Funding Increase for the NEA 
The House of Representatives has approved a $35 million increase in funding for the NEA for FY08. This is the largest single increase in NEA history and represents a significant restoration of funding for the NEA.
ACTION: Please take a moment to thank NEA champions, Reps. Dicks, Slaughter, and Shays. Please also take a moment to express disappointment in Reps. Bishop, Brown-Waite, and Lamborn who offered anti-NEA amendments. Click here to see the American Arts Alliance webpage, the Action Alert on this issue, and to access a sample letter.

6/20/07: Ask your Senator to Support a Larger Increase in NEA Funding 
Despite incremental increases in funding, the NEA has never recovered from a 40% cut in FY96. The House Appropriations Committee has approved a $35 million increase for the NEA funding for a total FY08 appropriation of $160 million. The Senate Appropriations Committee has only approved a $9 million increase.
ACTION: Click here to see the American Arts Alliance webpage, the Action Alert on this issue, and to ask your Senator to support a larger increase in NEA Funding.

6/13/07: Tell the House to Support an Increase in NEA Funding 
In partnership with other arts advocates nationwide, the American Arts Alliance is asking Congress to vote in favor of an increase in NEA funds and oppose any amendments which would decrease funding. The $35 million increase in funding for FY08, already approved by the House Appropriations Committee, would substantially restore grant dollars available to support the creation, preservation, and presentation of the arts in America.
ACTION: Please contact your Representative and ask him/her to support the $35 million funding increase for the NEA when the spending bill comes to the House floor. Click here to see the American Arts Alliance webpage, the Action Alert on this issue, and to access a sample letter.

5/23/07: House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Approves $35 Million Increase In NEA Funding 
During the May 23rd mark-up of the FY 2008 Interior Appropriations bill, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee approved a budget of $160 million for the National Endowment for the Arts – a $35 million increase over FY 2007 funding, a phenomenal show of support for the arts.
ACTION: Please take a moment to thank the members of the Interior Appropriations Committee for supporting federal funding for the arts. Click here to see the American Arts Alliance webpage, the Action Alert on this issue, and to access a sample thank you letter to your Representative.
 
5/14/07: Tell Congress to Increase NEA Funding
In February, President Bush asked for a budget of $128.4 for the NEA for FY 2008 - only a $4 million increase for FY 2007 funding. The United States House of Representatives Interior Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to begin mark-up of the FY 2008 Interior Appropriations bill, which includes funding for the NEA, as early as May 16. 
ACTION: Please contact your member of Congress and ask him or her to support increased funding for the NEA. Click here to see the American Arts Alliance webpage, the Action Alert on this issue, and to access a sample letter to your Congressperson.

4/11/07: Circulating NEA and Arts Education Letters
President Bush has asked for a $4 million increase for the NEA and zero funding for the Arts in Education programs at the US Department of Education. With no additional funding, inflation will cut into the NEA's ability to make grants to performing arts organizations and the Department of Education will be unable to make a second round of Arts in Education grants. The Congressional Arts Caucus is circulating two Dear Colleague letters in support of increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and increased funding for the Arts in Education programs at the U.S. Department of Education.
ACTION: Please take a moment to write to your Representative and ask him or her to sign the Arts Caucus Dear Colleague letters. Click here to see the American Arts Alliance webpage, the Action Alert on this issue, and to access a sample letter encouraging your Representative to sign the letters.
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3/09/07: Celebrate Arts Advocacy Day
Tuesday, March 13th is Arts Advocacy Day! Arts advocates from around the country will be descending on Capitol Hill to tell Congress to support the arts.
ACTION: Please contact your Representative and Senators and urge them to support the issues you care about in honor of Arts Advocacy Day 2007. Click here to see the American Arts Alliance webpage, the Action Alert on this issue, and to access a sample letter.
Click here to see the power of your support since this cause was posted.

9/26/06: Circulating NEA Funding Increase Letter
Senator Coleman (R-MN) has drafted a Dear Colleague letter in support of a $5-$10 million increase for the NEA. The House of Representatives has approved a $5 million increase in funding for the NEA while the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved level funding. It is likely that NEA funding will be rolled into a giant package of funding measures that Congress will consider in November.
ACTION: Please ask your Senators to sign the Senate Dear Colleague letter in support of a $5 - $10 million increase for the NEA.

6/26/06: Senate Appropriations Committee Approves $124.4 Million Budget for NEA
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved a budget of $124.4 million or level funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Advocates had hoped that Senate appropriators would at least match the $5 million increase that was approved by the House in May. The funding will be considered by the full Senate sometime in July.
ACTION: Please write to your Senator to support the House-passed NEA budget of $129.4 million.

5/22/06: Amendments in the House to Increase and Decrease NEA Funding
The U.S. House of Representatives has debated the FY 2007 Interior Appropriations bill, which includes funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The Congressional Arts Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT) offered a bipartisan amendment to increase the NEA’s budget by $5 million during the floor debate on May 18th. Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-CO) offered an amendment to cut NEA funding by $30 million. This cut would have devastated the NEA’s ability to support the performing arts in communities across the country. After defeating the anti-NEA Beauprez Amendment, the House approved a $5 million increase for the NEA on a voice vote.
ACTION: Please take a moment to thank the Representatives who supported the NEA and express your disappointment with those who voted for the anti-NEA Beauprez Amendment.

4/17/06: Tell Congress to Increase NEA Funding
Representatives Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Christopher Shays (R-CT), co-chairs of the Congressional Arts Caucus, plan to offer a bipartisan amendment to increase the NEA’s budget by $5–7 million during the floor debate.
ACTION: Please contact your member of Congress and ask him or her to support a budget increase for the NEA.

2/10/06: Tell Congress to Support a Larger NEA and Arts in Education Budget
President Bush released the Administration’s budget request for FY 2007 this week, and once again he has requested no new funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the elimination of all funding for the Department of Education’s Arts in Education Programs and a cut of $53.5 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). An NEA budget of $124.4 million leaves the agency seriously under-funded and unable to fund the thousands of qualified grant applications it receives. Without Additional funds, the NEA will be unable to adequately fund the discipline programs which are so important to the theatre community.
ACTION: Please write to your Members of Congress, and ask them to support an NEA budget of $170 million in the FY07 Interior Appropriations bill and an Arts in Education budget of $53 million for FY07.

8/16/05: Senate and House Differ in Willingness to Support NEA Funding
The U.S. House and Senate conference committee on the FY 2006 Interior Appropriations bill was convened to work out the differences between the Senate and House bills. The conference committee approved an increase of $4.4 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The NEA was granted a $5 million increase, but then an across-the-board rescission to the entire bill of .476% reduced the funding level for the agency to $125.6 million.
ACTION: Please take the time to thank your Representatives and Senators for their support of the NEA and the performing arts.

7/13/05: Reconciliation between House and Senate for Proposed NEA Budget
Selected representatives from the House and Senate will soon convene a conference committee to craft a final Interior Appropriations bill to reconcile the differences between the House passed NEA budget of $131.3 million and the Senate passed budget of $127.3 million.
ACTION: Please write and FAX your U.S. Representative and/or your U.S. Senator listed below AS SOON AS POSSIBLE but no later than July 15, and ask him or her to support the $10 million increase to the NEA during the conference committee over the 2006 Interior Appropriations bill.

6/1/05: Promote the Arts and Humanities
Beginning the week of June 6th, the Senate Appropriations Sub-committee will begin its deliberations on the FY 2006 Interior Appropriations bill, which contains NEA funding. This year, we need the Senate to match the House funding level. 2) Additionally, the United States Senate is establishing a new bipartisan caucus dedicated to promoting the arts and humanities within the Senate.
ACTION: 1) Please write, fax, email or call your U.S. Senators and ask them to support any effort to increase NEA funding to $131.3, and 2) write your Senators and urge them to join the Senate Cultural Caucus.

5/17/05: NEA and NEH Funding Debated in House
On May 18, the United States House of Representatives is expected to begin debate on the FY 2006 Interior Appropriations bill, which includes funding for the NEA and NEH. During the debate, members of the Congressional Arts Caucus and Humanities Caucus will offer a bi-partisan amendment most likely to seek an Additional $10 million for the NEA and $5 million for the NEH.
ACTION: Please CALL and/or FAX your U.S. Representative no later than 5:00 PM Wed, May 18 and ask them to vote in favor of the amendment to increase NEA and NEH fundin gduring the floor debate over the FY 2006 Interior Appropriations bill. Also, encourage your Representative to oppose any efforts to eliminate or reduce the agency’s funding.

4/27/05: FY06 Interior Appropriations Bill Includes Level Funding for the NEA
On Wednesday, May 4, the United States House of Representatives Interior Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to begin work on the FY 2006 Interior Appropriations bill, which includes funding for the NEA. In March 2005, President Bush requested $121.3 million for the NEA – level funding from the previous year. An Additional $15 million above the president's request will expand the NEA's ability to perform its core mission.
ACTION: During the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee work on the NEA, urge your U.S. Representative to appropriate $136.3 million for the NEA in FY06. This budget figure would go towards supporting the NEA's mission to bring the arts to all Americans.