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MASSCreative Fights Trump’s Proposal to Eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts & National Endowment for the Humanities
In his first budget proposal, President Trump called for the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). MASSCreative proudly stood with arts advocacy groups across the country, as well as the national arts advocacy group Americans for the Arts (AFTA), in opposition to any cuts in NEA and NEH funding. This broad-based coalition sent out a call to reverse the cuts and instead is asking Congress to increase funding to the NEA and NEH at $155 million each.
Joining more than 700 arts advocates from across the country in the nation’s capital, on March 20th MASSCreative led a delegation of arts leaders from Massachusetts to meet with the Commonwealth’s Congressional delegation on the importance of supporting the NEA. Meeting with staff of both Senators Markey and Warren and eight of the nine Massachusetts Representatives, local advocates urged the delegation to continue to support increased NEA and NEH funding, and be more vocal champions of arts and culture. “Historically, federal arts funding has had consistent support from the Senators and Congresspeople from Massachusetts,” Andre Green, MASSCreative’s Political Director said. “But in the face of this unprecedented challenge from the White House, we are calling on them to step forward in a new way to champion the importance of public investment in the arts and humanities in order to build healthy, vibrant, and equitable communities.”
This show of force is already paying off as last week Congress voted to increase the FY17 NEA’s budget by $2 million.
The President’s proposed budget should be seen as a starting point for next year’s FY18 budget process, and Congress has not yet publicly begun its planning. MASSCreative anticipates opportunities to work with its colleagues in other states as well as for arts and cultural supporters to directly encourage their Representatives and Senators to champion the arts. On Capitol Hill, as on Beacon Hill, we are working to prove that arts matter.
