February 9, 2016

From: Isaac Brown, Legislative Counsel
Vol. 16:01

This morning, President Obama released his fiscal year 2017 budget proposal to Congress. This document, which is not binding, expresses the Obama administration’s policy priorities for the coming fiscal year and makes recommendations for agency funding levels.

In his FY2017 budget proposal, the president is urging Congress to fund the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) at $149.8 million, an increase of nearly $2 million over current funding. While we are disappointed that the administration did not seek a higher level of funding, we are pleased that for the second year in a row an increase in funding for the agency was proposed. This will serve as an excellent starting point when arts advocates from throughout the country come to Washington, D.C., next month for Arts Advocacy Day.

With the budget now proposed, Congress will begin the process of writing and considering appropriations for all federal agencies and the NEA, with the goal of having a budget passed and signed into law before current funding expires on September 30.