Federal Arts Funding Increase

From Americans for the Arts:

Congress passed a $12.5 million funding increase as part of the FY 2010 Interior Appropriations bill for both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). President Obama is scheduled to sign this bill into law by October 31, which concludes National Arts and Humanities Month. The nation's two federal grantmaking cultural agencies will now each have budgets of $167.5 million, their highest funding levels in 16 years. As so many state and local governments have had to cut arts budgets across the country, this well-timed federal appropriations increase for the arts is a welcome infusion of funds.

Enacted FY09
FY10 Final Interior Appropriations Bill
FY09 vs. FY10 Difference
NEA
$155 million
$167.5 million
$12.5 million increase
NEH
$155 million
$167.5 million
$12.5 million increase

The FY 2010 Interior Appropriations bill (H.R. 2996) was passed in the House by a vote of 247­­-178 and in the Senate by a vote of 72-28. Please play your part and send a quick e-mail to your members of Congress at the Americans for the Arts E-Advocacy Center and let them know how much the arts will benefit from this funding increase.

What's Next:While the NEA and NEH's budgets have now been finalized, many other federal programs such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are still operating under a continuing resolution until December 18, 2009. We will keep you posted on these legislative updates in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, please save the dates of April 12-13, 2010 for National Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, DC. With the incredible advocacy success that we had this year that included $50 million in the federal economic stimulus bill for arts jobs and now the $12.5 million increase in NEA and NEH budgets, we need to keep building on this positive momentum. Come join us.

Help us also continue this important work by becoming an official member of the Arts Action Fund. If you are not already an official member, you can join the Arts Action Fund today -- it's free and simple.