House Considers Cuts in PBS and Arts Education Budgets
June 13, 2006
Washington, D.C. - Earlier today the Committee on Appropriations of the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation that would cut funding for public broadcasting and arts education programs. Americans for the Arts (AFTA), the nation's largest nonprofit organization for advancing the arts, is urging all concerned citizens to visit their E-Advocacy Center (http://capwiz.com/artsusa/issues/alert/?alertid=8055376) and urge their Representatives to vote to restore the funding to these vital programs when the bill comes to the floor late in June.
Background:
Today’s House Committee activity approved action taken last week by the House Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations that cut $115 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the primary agency for our nation’s public television and radio broadcasting, and zeroed-out a $36 million funding pool for arts education programs through the U.S. Department of Education. Both of these cuts had been requested in the President’s FY 2007 budget.
Only one amendment to partially restore $20 million in funding back to CPB was adopted in full committee today, which would still leave the agency with a devastating cut.
Americans for the Arts expects 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 to convince the House to reverse the cuts. A bipartisan group of representatives led the fight last year, and they are expected to do so again this year, including Reps. David Obey (D-WI), Jim Leach (R-IA), and Nita Lowey (D-NY).
For the sixth straight year, the House Appropriations Committee has also eliminated funding for the Department of Education's arts education programs.
Next Steps
In the next few weeks the full House of Representatives will consider the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill on the floor. AFTA hopes that you will make your voices heard by visiting their E-Advocacy Center to send a message to your Members of Congress protesting the proposed funding cuts to public broadcasting and arts education.
UPDATE:
June 29, 2006
Washington - The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee today approved level funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) at $124.4 million and $141 million, respectively. An amendment was not offered in committee this year to increase funding for these agencies, though there may still be opportunities to influence the outcome of the final appropriations.
The full Senate will still need to vote on this spending bill after they return from the July 4th recess. All members of Congress will be back home during this week-long recess, which provides arts supporters with an opportunity to meet with their elected officials or attend one of their public forums. Concerned citizens are encouraged to visit the Americans for the Arts E-Advocacy Center and learn more about how they can communicate their opinions on funding PBS to their representatives.