Action Alert: Funding for the Arts

Funding for the arts faces two serious threats.

First, the U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill to eliminate FY 2006 funding for federal Arts in Education programs at the U.S. Departmernt of Education. The Senate, however, is poised to approve a slight increase. You can help ensure that the Senate position prevails by taking two minutes to write your Member of Congress urging support for arts education funding. At stake is approximately $35 million in annual grants that support model programs in arts education.

Second, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Republican Study Committee (RSC) has called for eliminating all funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The RSC is a policy body that advises conservative Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Needless to say, cutting this funding would not even make a dent in the need for hurricane relief, and at the same time it would deprive the affected areas of much-needed help in rebuilding their vital cultural sectors. The Americans for the Arts E-Advocacy Center has “talking points” on this threat that you can include in the message you send to Congress.

Thank you for your interest and advocacy for the arts!