May 24, 2016

From: Isaac Brown, Legislative Counsel
Vol. 16:02

This morning, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) budget, released its draft bill for fiscal year 2017 appropriations.

Included within the bill is a proposed funding level of $149.85 million, an increase of $2 million over the agency’s current funding level. That number matches the president’s requested amount and demonstrates the bipartisan support the agency continues to receive from Congress. NASAA continues to urge Congress to increase the NEA’s budget to $155 million, but appreciates the proposed increase in funding for the agency, particularly given that Congress continues to encounter strong pressure to reduce domestic discretionary spending.

With the bill now proposed, the committee will hold a mark-up hearing on the legislationtomorrow, May 25, at 11:00 a.m.  Given the limited time before the hearing is to begin, if you are represented by a member of the Interior Subcommittee, we urge you to contact that member and express the following:

1. Urge them to support the proposed NEA funding level of $149.85 million.
2. Thank them for Congress’s continued support of the federal-state partnership that directs 40% of all grant dollars appropriated to the NEA to state arts agencies.
3. Let them know what your agency is doing and how important NEA funding is to your operations.

NASAA developed these NEA Fast Facts that may make useful talking points.

We will continue to monitor events in D.C. as this situation unfolds and will keep you up to speed.