congressional resource website

Legislative News

6-26-09: By a vote of 254-173, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2996, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010. Included in this $32.3 billion measure was $170 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as well as funding for other cultural institutions like the Smithsonian and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The funding represents a $15 million increase for the endowments over FY 2009 and $8.7 million more than President Obama's FY 2010 request. The Senate has approved $161.3 million for the NEA and the NEH, same as the president's request, at the committee stage for their Interior appropriations bill.

6-15-09: For the first time in 11 years, the federal government released a national report card on achievement in the arts among eighth graders. This long-awaited report finds that since 1997, our nation's students have not made significant progress in developing their skills and knowledge in the arts. The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) in the Arts report is the only continuing, national measure of academic achievement in America's schools. A nationally representative sample of over 7,900 eighth grade students from public and private schools participated in the NAEP Arts Assessment in 2008. Students were measured on their ability to create and respond to the visual arts; whereas, the study scaled back on music questions and only measured a student's ability to respond and identify music. Please read reaction by arts education professionals and public officials in The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, and USA TODAY.

6-10-09: The House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee approves a proposed $15 million increase to $170 million for the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities for FY 2010, respectively. This initial funding level represents a $9 million increase over the Obama administration's request of $161 million which had seen a $6 million increase over the recently passed FY 2009. In his statement, Subcommittee Chairman Norm Dicks (D-WA) referenced the Arts Advocacy Day Hearings saying that they demonstrated "the endowments are vital for preserving and encouraging America's arts and cultural heritage."

5-13-09: President Obama nominates Rocco Landesman, president of Jujamcyn Theaters, to serve as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. The White House’s official statement on his nomination noted that Landesman’s career “has been a hybrid of commercial, philanthropic, and purely artistic engagements.”  Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert Lynch noted in a press statement, “I am excited to see that President Obama has made a bold choice in selecting Rocco Landesman as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. His nomination represents an important opportunity to advance the mission of the NEA to provide access to the arts for all. As evidenced in his work as a theatrical producer, Landesman has an entrepreneurial spirit that will allow the NEA to spotlight the broad spectrum of the arts in America to the nation and to the world.” Read the White House press release here.

5-08-09: The first federal budget of the Obama administration was released with his proposed discretionary rspending equests for FY 2010. The NEA and NEH both saw increases from FY 2009 funding levels of $155 million to $161 million. And for first time in eight years, Arts in Education programs at the United States Department of Education saw their appropriation included in the presidential request after being zeroed out by the Bush administration. Relatively level funding or modest increases for the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and other national cultural institutions as the Holocaust Museum and the Kennedy Center were also included. You can read the relevant budgetary language for NEA, NEH, Smithsonian, and national cultural institutions in the "Other Independent Agencies" section here. IMLS and Arts Education (pg.364) at U.S. Department of Education can be found here.

4-21-09: President Obama signs The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (H.R. 1388), which reauthorizes the federal volunteer programs as administered through the Corporation for National Service. In addition to greatly expanding the number of service members, the legislation creates an “Education Corps…that identifies and meets unmet educational goals.” Among the eligible activities outlined in the legislation is a program that calls for artists and/or musicians to promote community unity in low-income communities with citizens of all ages. This would be the most significant inclusion of the arts into national service to date.

3-31-2009: For the third consecutive year, House Subcommittee Interior Appropriations Chairman Norm Dicks (D-WA) asked Americans for the Arts to organize witnesses in support of the cultural funding on Arts Advocacy Day. Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch was joined by multiple Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, legendary vocalist Linda Ronstadt, Reinvestment Fund President Jeremy Nowak, and internationally renowned singer-songwriter Josh Groban. Congressional Arts Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Todd Platts (R-PA) also gave testimony as part of the member's panel portion of the hearing. You can watch the hearing here.

3-26-2009: For the first time in 15 years, the House Education and Labor Committee holds a hearing on the arts. Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert L. Lynch were invited by Chairman George Miller (D-CA) to testify at this monumental hearing on how the nation’s economic downturn is having a rippling effect on the nonprofit arts sector and its workforce as well as the arts community’s response to the current crisis. You can learn about the hearing and the read the witness testimony here and watch video here.

3-10-2009: The U.S. Senate passes H.R. 1105, the FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, and the president signs it the next day.

2-25-2009: The U.S. House passes H.R. 1105, the FY2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, providing an increase of $10 million ($144.7 to $155 million) to the budgets of both the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education was increased from $37.5 million to $38.1 million and the Office of Museum Services went from $31.27 million to $35 million. 

2-13-2009: The U.S. House and Senate both pass the $787 billion conference report to HR 1, 246-183 and 60-38, respectively. During conference negotiations, $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. As the conference report states, appropriations for the NEA will "fund arts projects and activities which preserve jobs in the nonprofit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn." You can read House Appropriations Chairman David Obey's (D-WI) floor statement on the important role of the creative workforce in the economy here. Also, the so-called "Coburn Amendment" restricting funds for museums, theaters, and art centers was stricken from the final conference report.

2-10-2009: The U.S. Senate passes their version of HR 1 without the $50 million appropriation for the NEA, 61-37. Included in this version is an amendment by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) which passed by a vote of 73-24 that states "None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, art center, and highway beautification project."

1-30-2009: The U.S. Senate committees with jurisdiction over the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009 (ARRP) report out the legislation without funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. Consideration of the bill begins the week of February 2, 2009. The Senate summary can be found here.

1-28-2009: The U.S. House of Representatives passes HR 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009, an $819 economic recovery bill that includes $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts to support states and nonprofit cultural programs and organizations during a decline in philanthropic giving. A summary of the House passed version can be found here.

1-16-2009: House Appropriations Chairman David Obey releases the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009, an $835 billion outline for the nation's economic stimulus. Included in the proposed package is $50 million to the National Endowment for the Arts to assist the state and local arts organizations in supporting critical local programming in light of reductions in governmental and philanthropic support due to the recession. Many of the Americans for the Arts proposals for helping the arts and artists in the Economic Recovery and the Arts document are reflected in the this stimulus framework.

1-06-2009: In response to anticipated congressional action on an economic stimulus plan, Americans for the Arts assembled Economic Recovery and the Arts, highlighting proposals that would aid the nonprofit arts sector and artists of all disciplines. Nonprofit arts organizations employ people locally and are integral in promoting cities and municipalities as part of the the business community which positions them to be part of the recovery.