US House Appropriations Committee Proposes $2 Million Increase for NEA

Despite another call for elimination by the President, the House Appropriations Committee released its proposal for FY2019’s budget last night (May 14) and included another $2 million bump to the agency’s budget. This news comes just a few months after Congress passed, and the President signed, the March Omnibus bill which included raising the National Endowment for the Arts’ budget to $153 million through the end of FY2018 (ending September 30th).

This $155 million appropriation is the amount our own SC advocates pushed for during National Arts Advocacy Day in Washington DC this past March. This additional increase demonstrates support for the arts by both political parties and the support for the arts by the vast majority of Americans. It also reflects the bipartisan support of the arts at the state level.

The budget now goes to a vote of the Interior Subcommittee (oversees the NEA) later today, and then to the full Appropriations Committee for a vote before making its way to the House floor.

The FY2019 budget, if adopted by both the House and Senate, and signed by the President, would take effect October 1.

Below is a chart of related federal agencies and their proposed funding levels in the House version of the budget:

Key Arts Agencies & Programs Funded in the Interior Bill for FY2019