May 17, 2005
Take Action to increase NEA funding by $10 million
Take 2 minutes to help increase NEA funding.
Contact your Congressperson and ask them to vote for a bipartisan Congressional Arts Caucus floor amendment to increase NEA funding by $10 million for 2006.
The House of Representatives is tentatively scheduled to begin consideration of the FY 2006 Interior Appropriations bill Wednesday, May 18. Funding for the NEA and NEH is provided through this Interior Appropriations bill.
Without this amendment there will be no increase over the NEA's current funding level of $121 million. The increase proposed by the Congressional Arts Caucus would restore the Challenge America funding which targets underserved communities, especially in inner cities and rural areas (and NYS has received a number of those grants), and would also support the American Masterpieces program. If there is no increase to the NEA, more than $6 million of the Challenge America funding will be re-allocated to the American Masterpieces program.
The Congressional Arts Caucus has offered a similar amendment each of the past five years. Those amendments were successfully passed – by increasing margins each year. Contact your Representative by 5 p.m. Wednesday because Members of Congress will not vote for this amendment unless they hear directly from their constituents.
The Alliance of New York State Arts Organizations has a 28-year history as New York's primary service association for community based arts and cultural organizations. The Alliance provides leadership and vision, and delivers services, resources and tools that strengthen community cultural organizations. The Alliance monitors, informs and mobilizes the field on statewide and national issues affecting the arts and assists local arts agencies in building community support and developing effective grassroots public policy.ing community support and developing effective grassroots public policy.
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