July 31, 2023

From: Isaac Brown, Legislative Counsel

Last week, by an overwhelming majority (26-2), the Senate Appropriations Committee passed legislation that would fund the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) at its current level of $207 million for fiscal year 2024. Given the economic pressures the country is facing, maintaining level funding is a major vote of bipartisan confidence in the agency and its mission—but it is even more significant because it comes after the committee’s counterpart in the House of Representatives voted to reduce the NEA’s budget by 10% earlier this summer.

With both committees now having acted, we expect negotiations to begin soon. Please use the month of August to contact your member of Congress and urge that they support maintaining level funding for the NEA, based on the bipartisan vote of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Consider using these talking points:

• 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.

Thank you for your efforts on behalf of the NEA. I have no doubt that it has made an impact and will continue to do so moving forward.