July 26, 2023

From: Isaac Brown, NASAA Legislative Counsel

Tomorrow morning, the Senate Appropriations Committee will meet to consider the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill, which includes funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. While we don’t know the figure the Senate will propose, it is paramount that the chamber support funding for the Arts Endowment at the current figure ($207 million) or higher in order to push back against the House of Representatives, which proposed reducing the agency’s funding to $186.3 million earlier this month. Pressing for a higher figure is important, because the House and Senate will ultimately negotiate the differences between their respective bills.

Therefore, if you are represented by a member of the Senate appropriations subcommittee, we urge you to contact their office and ask that they support maintaining existing funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. In doing so:

• Remind them that 40% of the agency’s grant funding is directed to state arts agencies and regional arts organizations, supporting projects in every congressional district in the country.
• Use the opportunity to point out why a reduction in funding, as proposed in the House, would be detrimental to your state arts agency and its ability to fulfill its mission.
• Remind them that public funding for arts and creativity is a high-return investment that strengthens every city, town and rural community nationwide.