March 28, 2022

Wasting no time following passage of the fiscal year 2022 budget earlier this month, the Biden administration released its FY2023 budget request to Congress this morning. Though this document is not binding, it serves as an important signal to Congress about the administration’s funding priorities for the upcoming year.

In the document, the President urges Congress to increase funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to $203.55 million, an increase of more than $23 million over the agency’s finalized FY2022 funding level. With the budget now public, the House and Senate appropriations committees will prepare their FY2023 budget recommendations for all federal agencies. The subcommittees for Interior, Environment and Related Agencies have purview over the NEA’s budget recommendation in both chambers. We expect all committees to work quickly, as the process is already well behind schedule due to the complications related to the FY2022 bill.

As Congress begins this process, I would encourage all of you to contact your U.S. senators and representatives in support of the President’s proposal. In doing so, consider the following:

• Thank Congress for supporting an increase in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, on a bipartisan basis, to $180 million this fiscal year (from $167.5 million), as well as for their continued support for the federal-state partnership that allocates 40% of all grant funding to state arts agencies and regional arts organizations.
• Urge Congress to endorse the $203.55 million request for the NEA for FY2023.
• Remind them that public funding for the arts and creativity is a high-return investment that strengthens every city, town and rural community nationwide.
• Take the opportunity to share an update about your agency and how this increase in funding would allow your work to thrive.