Urge Lawmakers to Support Level Funding for NEA

Isaac Brown

As the year winds down, Congress is once again focused on appropriations. Following passage of the continuing resolution last month, House and Senate negotiators have shifted to the work of finalizing full-fiscal-year 2026 spending bills for all federal agencies—including that of the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, which funds the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). While the broader process remains fluid, there is growing optimism on Capitol Hill that the Interior bill could advance this month. If that happens, the NEA would finally receive clarity on its FY2026 budget after operating under stopgap funding for several months.

The outstanding question is where that final funding level will land. Earlier this year, the Senate approved a bipartisan bill that maintains level funding for the NEA. The House, however, advanced a version that includes a significant cut. Reconciling those two positions is now the focus of appropriators as they work toward a final agreement.

For arts advocates, this moment is an important one. If you have not already reached out to your congressional delegation, now is a particularly good time—especially to Republican offices, which currently lead both chambers. A simple, clear message is most effective: support the Senate’s proposal for level funding. In today’s constrained fiscal environment, maintaining the NEA’s budget would represent a meaningful win for the arts and the communities they support.

It is also helpful to remind lawmakers that 40% of the NEA’s grant making flows directly to state and jurisdictional arts agencies and regional arts organizations through the federal-state partnership. This structure ensures that every congressional district benefits from NEA investments, thus strengthening local cultural organizations, creative-sector jobs and access to the arts nationwide. As negotiations continue, that nationwide reach remains one of the strongest arguments for sustaining federal arts funding.