June 19, 2007
Dear Jean,
This morning, the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets the initial funding level for the NEA, approved a $9 million increase for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in its FY 2008 spending bill. Other than a $10 million increase in the first year of the Bush Administration, this is the largest increase the Senate subcommittee has provided in the last twelve years. However, the Senate figure doesn't come close to the substantial increase of $35 million provided by the House Appropriations Committee a few weeks ago. The agency, currently funded at $124.4 million has only seen increases of about 3% for the last several years.
We want to extend a special thanks to all of Americans for the Arts grassroots activists for your letters and calls to Congress. It’s working and you are helping to support the arts in South Carolina!
Next Steps:
In the Senate, the FY 2008 Interior Appropriations bill will be considered by the full Appropriations committee on Thursday and then the full Senate, probably after the July 4th recess. As the bills move closer to consideration by the full House and Senate, we are actively monitoring each of them for any attempt to weaken the funding for the NEA and National Endowment for the Humanities.
After the bills are passed in each body the Appropriations Chairmen will convene a conference committee to negotiate the differences in funding. In order to support the higher House funding level, we must continue to put pressure on the Senate to accept a substantial increase, and request the House members to stand strong. Please take two minutes to visit Americans for the Arts E-Advocacy Center to send letters to your Members of Congress. We have provided relevant talking points which can help hone your message to your Senators and Representative.
Americans for the Arts
1000 Vermont Avenue NW6th Floor
Washington DC . 20005 T 202.371.2830 F 202.371.0424
One East 53rd Street . 2nd Floor New York NY . 10022 T 212.223.2787 F 212.980.4857
info@artsusa.orghttp://www.americansforthearts.org/http://www.artsactionfund.org/
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Great news!
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