ArtsPolicyUpdate Americans for the Arts logo

Date:   July 5, 2006
To:       Congressional Staff
From:  Americans for the Arts

Americans for the Arts and its Arts Action Fund are pleased to send you this summer issue of Arts Policy Update.  It is designed to provide timely and relevant information to congressional staff who are working on arts and arts education issues.  The update is published six times throughout the year, as well as to convey breaking news.  Click here for archives.

This information is drawn from legislative news placed on our Congressional Resource Website, which is updated regularly with comprehensive and timely information, ranging from arts-related legislation to economic data and Congressional Arts Caucus events and activities.  We encourage you to visit the website often for updates.

CONTENTS

CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS NEWS
ARTS LEGISLATION NEWS
ARTS RESEARCH NEWS
CULTURAL AGENCIES & OTHER ARTS NEWS
ABOUT US

CONGRESSIONALARTSCAUCUSNEWS

The Senate Cultural Caucus formed last year has 29 members and is chaired by Senators Kennedy (D-MA), Enzi (R-WY), Jeffords (I-VT), and Coleman (R-MN).

The Congressional Arts Caucus has 190 members and is co-chaired by Representatives Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Chris Shays (R-CT).  Most recently, the Caucus - in conjunction with Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) and Jim Leach (R-IA) - hosted a Hill briefing on arts education. The primary speakers were Arts Education Partnership Director Dick Deasy, author of A Nation at Risk Milton Goldberg, and acclaimed actor and Americans for the Arts board member Giancarlo Esposito. A string quartet from the DC Youth Orchestra also performed at the briefing.  


Giancarlo Esposito introduces a string quartet from the DC Youth Orchestra at the arts education briefing.

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ARTSLEGISLATIONNEWS

ARTS CAUCUS AMENDMENT PASSES BY VOICE VOTE IN HOUSE
On May 18, 2006, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Congressional Arts Caucus Amendment to increase funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) by $5 million each. For the second year in a row, the amendment passed by a voice vote.

The Congressional Arts Caucus Amendment was sponsored by co-chairs Reps. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Chris Shays (R-CT), Humanities Caucus co-chairs Jim Leach (R-IA) and David Price (D-NC), and Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Democrat Norm Dicks (D-WA).  In the days leading to the vote, the grassroots membership of Americans for the Arts sent more than 5,000 messages to their respective Members of Congress calling on them to support the Arts Caucus amendment.

The House also defeated an amendment by Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-CO) to cut NEA funding by $30 million, shifting the funds to further increase the wildfire management program. The amendment failed by a vote of 112 to 306.

Last week, both the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee and the full Senate Appropriations Committee approved their version of the FY 2007 Interior appropriations bill and level-funded the NEA and the NEH at $124.4 million and $141 million respectively.

Click here for more information, or contact Andy Finch.

ARTS EDUCATION FUNDING ZEROED OUT IN HOUSE BILL
For the sixth straight year, the House Appropriations Committee has zeroed out funding for the Department of Education's Arts in Education programs. In February the Administration proposed eliminating the program, and on June 7th, the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee followed along and zeroed out the funding in the FY 2007 Labor-HHS-Education bill. It is unclear at this point when this bill will be considered on the House floor, due to several other legislative complications.

In March, a Dear Colleague was submitted to House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ralph Regula and Ranking Member David Obey, requesting $53 million for the Arts in Education programs at the U.S. Department of Education. This letter has been signed by 136 Members of Congress, representing a new level of support for arts education.

Each year, the Administration has proposed zeroing out the program and the House has followed suit, but Senators Thad Cochran (R-MS), Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) traditionally include funding for it in their Labor-HHS-Education bill and we hope they will maintain this support again this year. On March 1, Senator Cochran stated to Education Secretary Margaret Spellings- who was testifying on the Labor-HHS-Education bill - that he hopes to work with her and Senator Specter to ensure that the arts education program again receives funding. The Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to consider the bill later this month.

Click here for more information, or contact Narric Rome.

PUBLIC BROADCASTING FUNDS CUT IN HOUSE BILL
On June 13, 2006, the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2007 Labor-HHS-Education bill that would drastically cut funding for public broadcasting.  The committee cut funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the primary agency for our nation's public television and radio broadcasting.  Only one amendment to partially restore $20 million in funding back to CPB was adopted by the full committee, which would still leave the agency with a devastating cut.  We hope that when the full House debates the bill, it will consider a floor amendment to fully restore the public broadcasting funds.  A similar scenario occurred last year, when thousands of calls and emails from grassroots advocates from around the country helped convince the House to reverse the cuts by a vote of 284-140.  A bipartisan group of representatives, Reps. David Obey (D-WI), Jim Leach (R-IA), and Nita Lowey (D-NY), led the fight last year to restore the funding.

Click here for more information on public broadcast funding or contact Narric Rome.

NCLB REAUTHORIZATION PROCESS BEGINS
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 is set to expire next year and needs to be reauthorized.  Congress has begun to transition from holding hearings on NCLB's implementation to a series of hearings to examine reauthorization. The first of these hearings was held by the House Education & the Workforce Committee on May 18, 2006 and was titled "No Child Left Behind: How Innovative Educators Are Integrating Subject Matter to Improve Student Achievement." The panel included Mr. Ray Zeigler, the co-director of the Maryland Artist/Teacher Institute at the Maryland Department of Education, who testified that, "The arts can open new pathways that correspond to individual learning styles and make it possible for the teacher to engage every child in active learning."


House Education & the Workforce hearing on NCLB Reauthorization. Mr Zeigler, testifying in support of arts education, is seated on the far right.

Related to reauthorization are efforts by the arts education community to direct the U.S. Department of Education to administer a Fast Response Survey System (FRSS) study on arts education. The FRSS report is the only research report produced by the U.S. Department of Education on the status of how arts education is delivered in America's public schools, the last report was for data collected in the 1999-2000 school year. The next round of data collection for an updated report is long overdue.

Education Committee leaders in both the House and Senate have called for implementation of the FRSS survey in the arts. A May 5 letter from Senators Michael Enzi (R-WY), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and a May 9 letter from Representatives Michael Castle (R-DE) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA06) urge the U.S. Department of Education to carry out arts research and data collection.

Click here for more information, or contact Narric Rome.

UNDER SECRETARY HUGHES TESTIFIES - PUBLIC DIPLOMACY BUDGET LEVEL-FUNDED
The House State, Science, Justice, and Commerce Appropriations Subcommittee (Chairman Frank Wolf, Ranking Member Alan Mollohan) held a hearing on May 3, 2006, on public diplomacy programs at the U.S. State Department. In her testimony before the subcommittee, Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes stated, "our exchange programs have been our single most important and most successful public diplomacy tool over the last 50 years."  

The administration's budget request for the State Department's Cultural Programs Division calls for an increase of $4.5 million to $7.4 million. On June 20, the House Appropriations Committee approved its version of the FY 2007 Science-State-Justice-Commerce Appropriations bill, which level-funds the State Department's education and cultural exchange programs.

Click here for more information, or contact Narric Rome.

IMLS GETS FUNDING BOOST IN HOUSE BILL
On June 13, 2006, the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY 2007 Labor-HHS-Education bill that would provide a funding increase for the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS). IMLS was funded at the President's request and received $41.385 million in the committee bill, an increase of about $4.18 million.

Click here for more information on museum funding or contact Narric Rome.

SENATE INSERTS NEW VISA POLICY INTO IMMIGRATION BILL
On May 25, 2006, the Senate approved a provision, as part of its comprehensive immigration bill, that will require U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to speed up visa processing for artists. If included in the final immigration reform measure still to be worked out by Congress and the White House, this provision would improve opportunities for U.S. audiences to experience international artistry and significantly reduce the anxiety, uncertainty, and financial costs currently suffered by nonprofit arts organizations pursuing artist visas.

The artist visa provision was filed by Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and was included in a larger package of amendments to the Senate immigration bill. This relief for artist visas found overwhelming bipartisan support, and key backing was provided by Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA), Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Edward Kennedy (D-MA).

Earlier this year, the House Government Reform Committee held a hearing on "The Impact of Visa Processing Delays on the Arts, Education, and American Innovation." One of the witnesses testifying was internationally known cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who spoke about the impact that delays in visa processing have had on the arts community.  Other witnesses included representatives of the business community, another sector impacted by the delays in visa processing. The Washington Post's Federal Page reported on the hearing the next day, as did the New York Times, and the State Department issued a press release describing its visa processing work.

Click here for more information, or contact Narric Rome.

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ARTSRESEARCHNEWS

NEW STUDY FINDS JAZZ AMBASSADORS SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM
The State Department's Office of Policy & Evaluation has completed a study of the Jazz Ambassador program (now called American Music Abroad) and issued a glowing report on the program:

"This evaluation, the first of a major Cultural Exchange program at the U.S. Department of State, assesses the Jazz Ambassadors Program's effectiveness in fostering mutual understanding, serving as a mechanism of public diplomacy and cultural diplomacy, targeting and reaching key audiences, extending awareness of American cultural heritage, and offering unique opportunities for musical education and training." (Office of Policy & Evaluation Jazz Ambassador Report, May 10, 2006)

Ninety-four percent of [American] Embassy staff and 98 percent of musicians reported that the program is effective in improving attitudes and beliefs about the American people and more than 90 percent of embassy staff agreed that Jazz Ambassadors Program activities are effective in extending the reach of traditional diplomacy and providing alternative venues for policy dialogue (89 percent).  

TWO NEW ECS REPORTS PROFILE ARTS EDUCATION SUPPORT
Two new reports published by the Education Commission of the States (ECS) respond to the needs of policymakers, educators, parents, and advocates to better understand the concerns of state policy makers in arts education.  The first report is titled "State Policymakers' Views on Arts in Education" and involves survey information from state officeholders.  The second report is simply titled, "State Superintendents Art Powerful Advocates for Arts in Education."

In the first report, ECS conducted telephone interviews with 21 policymakers. Six state senators, eight state representatives, one state board of education member, two deputy commissioners of education, three current state superintendents and one former state superintendent were interviewed. All of the legislators serve on their respective education committees, and most chair these committees. Political affiliation among these policymakers is approximately equal, with nine Republicans, 10 Democrats and two unidentified. The report found that, "Virtually all of the policymakers interviewed, regardless of political orientation, agree that arts can contribute to a quality education, and that students should have some exposure to the arts in school."

The second report involves state school superintendents Elizabeth Burmaster of Wisconsin, Sandy Garrett of Oklahoma and Tom Horne of Arizona in a conversation with Doug Herbert - special assistant and acting chief of staff, Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education - about their efforts on behalf of the arts in education in their states.

AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS PUBLISHES FEDERAL RESOURCE GUIDES
Americans for the Arts has published a series of federal resource guides, designed to assist local arts organizations in exploring nontraditional avenues of federal funding. While primary grant programs for federal funding of the arts are available through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museums & Library Service (IMLS), these resource guides provide ideas and recommendations on other possible sources of funding.  


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CULTURALAGENCIES&OTHERARTSNEWS

NEA
Arts Caucus Co-Chair Chris Shays Hosts NEA for Grants Workshop
 Congressional Arts Caucus Co-Chair Chris Shays hosted the National Endowment for the Arts, at a grants workshop for the district's nonprofit arts organizations.  The workshop was part of the agency's outreach to Connecticut arts organizations to inform them about federal funding opportunities and to encourage them to apply for Arts Endowment grants.  A similar grant workshop was also held in Elmira, NY, hosted by Rep. Randy Kuhl.

NEA Holds Two-Day Symposium to Celebrate 40 Year Anniversary
On May 18-19, 2006, the NEA held a symposium to celebrate its 40-year history.  The first day of the symposium consisted of a series of panels conducted by NEA discipline directors and arts experts and explored NEA support in the development of each discipline and what issues and challenges those fields currently face. The second day included panels on international cultural exchange and arts philanthropy.  

Click here for recent NEA grants.


STATE DEPARTMENT
 State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary Speaks on Benefits of Cultural Exchange
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Professional and Cultural Exchanges Alina L. Romanowski participated in the panel discussion titled, "Arabian Tales: Walking the Winds - Can theatre and music build bridges and cross divides others cannot?" hosted by the Center for American Progress. She outlined the strong abilities of the arts to contribute to the State Department's public diplomacy goals abroad. Her comments can be viewed via webcast.

NEH
NEH Makes Additional $750,000 Disaster Recovery Grant, Making Total of $2 Million to Gulf Coast Region
On June 2, 2006, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) designated $750,000 for grants to stabilize humanities collections at libraries, museums, colleges, universities, and other cultural and historical institutions in Gulf Coast areas affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. With this new funding for regional stabilization grants, the total funding for hurricane-related recovery efforts offered by the NEH has risen to $2 million. As reported previously, the NEA provided $700,000 in disaster grants in February.

Click here for recent NEH grants.

IMLS
Vice President Cheney & Laura Bush Swear-In Dr. Anne Radice as New Director
On May 19, 2006, Vice President Cheney and First Lady Laura Bush attended a ceremonial swearing-in of Dr. Anne-Imelda M. Radice as the new Director of Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Dr. Radice was most recently acting Assistant Chairman for Programs at the NEH. Before joining the NEH, she served as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

Click here for recent IMLS grants.

Education Department
U.S. Department of Education Announces New Arts Education Grants
The U.S. Department of Education recently announced its new slate of Professional Development for Arts Educators grant awards.  This program supports the implementation of high-quality professional development model programs in elementary and secondary education for music, dance, drama, media arts, and visual arts, including folk arts, educators and other instructional staff working in high-poverty schools.  Five awards were made through this program to recipients in Florida, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Arizona and California.  

The 2006 slate of Arts in Education Model Development & Dissemination Grant awards are expected to be announced this week. This program provides grants that focus on the development, documentation, evaluation, and dissemination of innovative, cohesive models that demonstrate effectiveness in integrating and strengthening arts into the core elementary and middle school curricula.

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ABOUTUS

For more information about Americans for the Arts or the Arts Action Fund, please visit our websites. For further inquiries about arts policy or the information in this newsletter, please contact our Federal Government Affairs staff:

Andy Finch
Senior Director, Government Affairs
T 202.712.2059

Narric Rome
Director, Federal Affairs
T 202.712.2060

Nina Ozlu
Chief Counsel for Government & Public Affairs
Executive Director, Arts Action Fund
T 202.371.2830

This update will be published six times throughout the year and for breaking news.  
If you would like to be removed from our mailing list, please e-mail Narric Rome.