Advocacy 2011

  

Advocacy Does Work: House Rebuffs Additional NEA Cuts

Thanks to a remarkable nationwide arts advocacy effort this week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to defeat: (1) an amendment to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and (2) an amendment to reduce the NEA budget by $10 million for a deficit reduction account. The latter action would have set federal arts funding back to the 2006 level. The vote to reduce NEA funding on Wednesday, July 27 was 181-240, which included all Democrats and 55 Republicans.

Leading the opposition to the attempted arts spending cut was Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), chair of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee and manager of the bill on the House floor. He called the Walberg amendment "excessive," and emphasized the "intent . . . of the National Endowment for the Arts . . . to get the arts out to the rest of America." He spoke about the value of public support for the arts in rural Idaho with the example of NEA funds to the Idaho Shakespeare Festival in Boyce, Idaho. Simpson was joined on the House floor in remarks opposing the amendment by Reps. Jim Moran (D-VA), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Todd Platts (R-PA), David Cicilline (D-RI), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), John Yarmuth (D-KY), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Betty McCollum (D-MN). There were no floor statements in support of the Walberg amendment.

The House still must finish debate and vote final passage on the Interior Appropriations Bill, which is scheduled to occur this weekend. Action in the Senate is expected to begin after Labor Day. It is anticipated that the Senate will consider a higher level of fuding for the NEA budget than was proposed by the House.

Congratulations to a job well done. Advocacy does work!

Stand Up for the ARTS

Please continue to Stand Up for the Arts in Nevada, by sharing the new YouTube PSA posted on the NAC website and the Stand Up for the Arts Facebook page.