July 14, 2025
From: Isaac Brown, Legislative Counsel
Vol. 25:01

Legislative Alert: House Appropriations Committee Proposes Deep Cut to NEA Funding

Ahead of tomorrow’s markup, the House Interior Appropriations Committee has released its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The legislation recommends funding the NEA at $135 million—a 35% cut from its current appropriation and a reduction of $75 million.

While this recommendation counters the administration’s proposal to eliminate the agency, it nonetheless represents a serious threat to public support for the arts nationwide.

If your state is represented on the committee, we strongly encourage you to reach out immediately to underscore the local impact of this proposal. Emphasize that public funding for arts and creativity is a high-return investment that benefits every American in every city, town and rural community nationwide. Through the federal-state partnership, 40% of NEA grant funding flows directly to state and jurisdictional arts agencies and regional arts organizations, so the consequences of this cut will be significant and deeply felt.

Additionally, if you can articulate how a reduction of this magnitude would affect your agency or organization’s operations, programs or workforce, it would be important to share that perspective with your federal representatives now.