April 6, 2026
From: Isaac Brown, Legislative Counsel

Last Friday, the President released his fiscal year 2027 budget request. It proposes reducing funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) from $207 million to $29 million, with the stated intent of winding down the agency. This mirrors last year’s proposal, as well as similar efforts during the President’s first term. While we are disappointed, we are not surprised.

Congress will ultimately determine funding levels, and it has consistently shown bipartisan support for the NEA. With Congress returning next week, we encourage you to reach out to your senators and representatives to thank them for their past support and urge them to continue supporting the agency.

Find useful advocacy tools on NASAA’s Return on Investment: Public Arts Funding page—especially Strategic Arts Messaging, which helps you customize your message for the current policy environment. For further background and advocacy tips, see Encourage Legislators to Increase Arts Funding.