Congress Ends Year By Approving Large Increase for NEA

December 2007
Congress passed a $20.3 million increase in NEA funding for FY08. The increase is the single largest one for the agency in more than 30 years. The total for NEA is $144.7 million and reflects the years of advocacy since the NEA's budget was severely cut in 1995.

House Committee Approves $35 Million Increase for the NEA

May 23, 2007
During the May 23rd mark-up of the FY 2008 Interior Appropriations bill, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee approved a budget of $160 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) – a $35 million increase over FY 2007 funding. This is the largest increase in NEA funds proposed by the Subcommittee since the NEA was cut by 40% more than a decade ago. The bill approved by the Subcommittee includes an increase in all categories of funding.

NEA FY 2008 Budget Analysis
(in millions)	FY07 Final	FY08 Presidential Request	FY08 House Interior Subcommittee Markup
Direct Grants	$43,985	$40,996	$50,000
Challenge America	$10,496	$8,458	$15,000
American Masterpieces	$5,911	$12,311	$13,500
State and Regional Partnerships	$40,262	$41,177	$55,000
Administration	$23,752	$25,470	$26,500
TOTALS	$124,406	$128,412	$160,000

Thank you to all the performing arts advocates who sent letters to their Representatives! This is a major victory that the American Arts Alliance and all our partners in the arts community have been working towards.

Last year, Congress approved a budget of $124.4 million for the agency and this year President Bush requested a budget of $128.4 million. With no additional funding, inflation would have quickly eaten away that modest increase and cut into the NEA's ability to make grants to performing arts organizations. Interior Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA) has been a strong arts supporter and was a leader in securing this substantial increase for the NEA.

This is the first step in the appropriations process. In the coming months, the bill will be considered by the House Appropriations Committee, the full House and the Senate. We need to remain vigilant for amendments that strip the increase in funding.

Congress Goes On Record in Support of Arts Education and the NEA

April 24, 2007
Over 165 performing arts supporters sent letters to their representatives urging them to show their support for the performing arts by signing the Congressional Arts Caucus Dear Colleague letters in support of increased funding for the NEA and Arts Education. A recent crack-down on line-item requests has caused many members of Congress to adopt a policy of not signing on to any appropriations-related letters, no matter the issue or agency at stake. Despite clear direction that these letters are not line-item endorsements, this atmosphere has contributed to a lower-than normal number of signatures. 101 members signed the NEA Dear Colleague and 71 have signed the Arts Education Dear Colleague.

NEA Letter

District	Name	Party
AR-2	Snyder, Vic	D
AZ-7	Grijalva, Raul M.	D
CA-5	Matsui, Doris	D
CA-10	Tauscher, Ellen	D
CA-12	Lantos, Tom	D
CA-13	Stark, Pete	D
CA-16	Lofgren, Zoe	D
CA-17	Farr, Sam	D
CA-23	Capps, Lois	D
CA-28	Berman, Howard	D
CA-30	Waxman, Henry	D
CA-33	Watson, Diane	D
CA-38	Napolitano, Grace	D
CA-51	Filner, Bob	D
CA-53	Davis, Susan	D
CO-2	Udall, Mark	D
CT-4	Shays, Christopher	R
CT-5	Murphy, Christopher	D
DC	Norton, Eleanor Holmes	D
FL-19	Wexler, Robert	D
GA-5	Lewis, John	D
GA-13	Scott, David	D
HI-1	Abercrombie, Neil	D
HI-2	Hirono, Mazie K.	D
IA-3	Boswell, Leonard	D
IL-1	Rush, Bobby	D
IL-2	Jackson Jr., Jesse	D
IL-3	Lipinski, Daniel	D
IL-4	Gutierrez, Luis V.	D
IL-9	Schakowsky, Janice D.	D
IL-15	Johnson, Tim	R
KS-3	Moore, Dennis	D
KY-3	Yarmuth, John	D
LA-2	Jefferson, William	D
MA-2	Neal, Richard	D
MA-3	McGovern, Jim	D
MA-7	Markey, Edward	D
MA-8	Capuano, Michael E.	D
MD-7	Cummings, Elijah E.	D
MD-8	Van Hollen, Chris	D
MA-10	Delahunt, William D.	D
ME-1	Allen, Tom	D
ME-2	Michaud, Michael H.	D
MI-12	Levin, Sander	D
MI-14	Conyers, John	D
MI-15	Dingell, John D.	D
MN-1	Walz, Tim	D
MN-3	Ramstad, Jim	R
MN-5	Ellison, Keith	D
MN-7	Peterson, Collin	D
MO-3	Carnahan, Russ	D
NC-12	Watt, Mel	D
NC-13	Miller, Brad	D
NC-2	Etheridge, Bob	D
NC-4	Price, David	D
NH-1	Shea-Porter, Carol	D
NJ-2	LoBiondo, Frank	R
NJ-8	Pascrell, Bill Jr.	D
NJ-12	Holt, Rush D.	D
NV-1	Berkley, Shelly	D
NY-8	Nadler, Jerrold	D
NY-10	Towns, Edolphus	D
NY-14	Maloney, Caroline	D
NY-15	Rangel, Charles B.	D
NY-17	Engel, Elliot	D
NY-21	McNulty, Michael R.	D
NY-23	McHugh, John M.	R
NY-28	Slaughter, Louise	D
OH-6	Wilson, Charlie	D
OH-10	Kucinich, Dennis J.	D
OH-11	Tubbs Jones, Stephanie	D
OH-13	Sutton, Betty	D
OK-2	Boren, Dan	D
OR-1	Wu, David	D
OR-3	Blumenauer, Earl	D
PA-1	Brady, Robert	D
PA-4	Altmire, Jason	D
PA-14	Doyle, Michael F.	D
PA-19	Platts, Todd	R
RI-2	Langevin, Jim	D
SC-5	Spratt, John M.	D
SD	Herseth, Stephanie	D
TN-9	Cohen, Steve	D
TX-15	Hinojosa, Ruben	D
TX-16	Reyes, Silvestre	D
TX-18	Jackson Lee, Sheila	D
TX-20	Gonzalez, Charles	D
TX-25	Doggett, Lloyd	D
TX-29	Green, Gene	D
TX-30	Johnson, Eddie Bernice	D
UT-2	Matheson, Jim	D
VA-3	Scott, Bobby	D
VA-8	Moran, James P	D
VA-9	Boucher, Rick	D
VI	Christensen, Donna	D
VT	Welch, Peter	D
WA-1	Inslee, Jay	D
WA-2	Larsen, Rick	D
WA-7	McDermott, Jim	D
WI-2	Baldwin, Tammy	D
WV-3	Rahall, Nick J.	D

Arts Education Letter

District	Name	Party
AZ-7	Grijalva, Raul	D
CA-5	Matsui, Doris	D
CA-10	Tauscher, Ellen	D
CA-28	Berman, Howard	D
CA-30	Waxman, Henry A.	D
CA-33	Watson, Diane	D
CA-38	Napolitano, Grace	D
CA-51	Filner, Bob	D
CA-53	Davis, Susan	D
CO-1	DeGette, Diana	D
CT-1	Larson, John B.	D
CT-4	Shays, Christopher	R
CT-5	Murphy, Christopher	D
DC	Norton, Eleanor Holmes	D
FL-19	Wexler, Robert	D
HI-1	Abercombie, Neil	D
HI-2	Hirono, Mazie K.	D
IL-1	Rush, Bobby L.	D
IL-7	Davis, Danny K	D
IL-9	Schakowsky, Jan	D
KS-2	Boyda, Nancy	D
KS-3	Moore, Dennis	D
LA-2	Jefferson, William	D
MA-2	Neal, Richard E.	D
MA-3	McGovern, Jim	D
MA-8	Capuano, Mike	D
MA-9	Lynch, Stephen	D
MD-3	Sarbanes, John P.	D
MD-8	Van Hollen, Chris	D
ME-1	Allen, Tom	D
ME-2	Michaud, Michael H.	D
MI-14	Conyers, John Jr.	D
MI-15	Dingell, John D.	D
MN-3	Ramstad, Jim	R
MN-5	Ellison, Keith	D
MN-7	Peterson, Collin	D
MO-1	Clay, Wm. Lacy	D
MO-3	Carnahan, Russ	D
MO-5	Cleaver II, Emanuel	D
NC-4	Price, David	D
NC-12	Watt, Mel	D
ND	Pomeroy, Earl	D
NH-1	Shea-Porter, Carol	D
NH-2	Hodes, Paul	D
NJ-8	Pascrell, Bill	D
NJ-10	Payne, Donald M.	D
NJ-12	Holt, Rush	D
NV-1	Berkley, Shelly	D
NY-8	Nadler, Jerrold	D
NY-10	Towns, Edolphus	D
NY-14	Maloney, Carolyn B.	D
NY-17	Engel, Eliot L.	D
NY-21	McNulty, Michael	D
NY-22	Hinchey, Maurice	D
NY-28	Slaughter, Louise	D
OH-6	Wilson, Charlie	D
OK-2	Boren, Dan	D
OR-1	Wu, David	D
PA-10	Carney, Christopher	D
PA-14	Doyle, Michael F.	D
SC-5	Spratt, John M.	D
SD	Herseth, Stephanie