Archived Alerts

10/3/06: FEMA Funds for the Performing Arts
Congress has approved a provision to make performing arts organizations eligible for Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) assistance as part of the FY 2007 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations bill (HR 5441). This is the culmination of a five year effort on the part of the performing arts community to change a significant inequity in FEMA disaster policy. The American Arts Alliance and its member organizations have long argued that performing arts organizations are an important component of a community’s economy and cultural identity and should be rebuilt along with other nonprofit businesses. And, Congress listened! FEMA eligibility enables organizations that are located in a presidentially-declared disaster area and own their facilities to seek reimbursement for the costs to repair facilities to their pre-disaster condition, as well as for costs associated with debris removal and emergency protective measures.
ACTION: Please stay tuned for more information.

6/26/06: Senate Appropriations Committee Approves $124.4 Million Budget for NEA
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved a budget of $124.4 million or level funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Advocates had hoped that Senate appropriators would at least match the $5 million increase that was approved by the House in May. The funding will be considered by the full Senate sometime in July.
ACTION: Please write to your Senator to support the House-passed NEA budget of $129.4 million.

6/08/06: Commission on No Child Left Behind
The U.S. Department of Arts in Education program provides federal support to performing arts organizations for the development, evaluation and dissemination of model programs that integrate arts instruction into other subject areas. The 2001 No Child Left Behind Act recognizes the arts as a "core academic subject," making them eligible for inclusion in broad categories such as teacher training, school reform and technology. However, a 2005 report from the Center on Education Policy concludes that, since the enactment of NCLB, instructional time for art and music has been reduced by 22%. Congress has begun the multi-year process leading up to the reauthorization of the law which governs the federal role in education.
ACTION: Please write to your Members of Congress and make sure that they are aware of the importance of arts education to the performing arts community!

5/26/06: Tell Congress to Support Increase and Oppose Cuts to NEA Funding
The U.S. Senate approved a provision to require U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to speed up visa processing for artists as part of the comprehensive immigration bill. The amendment would reduce the current processing times for O and P arts-related visa petitions to a maximum of 45 days by requiring USCIS to treat any arts-related O and P visa petition that it fails to adjudicate within 30 days as a Premium Processing case, free of additional charge.
ACTION: Please take a moment to thank your leaders for their work in support of the performing arts.

5/22/06: Amendments in the House to Increase and Decrease NEA Funding
The U.S. House of Representatives has debated the FY 2007 Interior Appropriations bill, which includes funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The Congressional Arts Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT) offered a bipartisan amendment to increase the NEA’s budget by $5 million during the floor debate on May 18th. Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-CO) offered an amendment to cut NEA funding by $30 million. This cut would have devastated the NEA’s ability to support the performing arts in communities across the country. After defeating the anti-NEA Beauprez Amendment, the House approved a $5 million increase for the NEA on a voice vote.
ACTION: Please take a moment to thank the Representatives who supported the NEA and express your disappointment with those who voted for the anti-NEA Beauprez Amendment.

4/17/06: Tell Congress to Increase NEA Funding
Representatives Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Christopher Shays (R-CT), co-chairs of the Congressional Arts Caucus, plan to offer a bipartisan amendment to increase the NEA’s budget by $5–7 million during the floor debate.
ACTION: Please contact your member of Congress and ask him or her to support a budget increase for the NEA.

3/7/06: Disaster Relief Funding for Gulf Coast Arts Organizations
To date, Congress has approved $62.3 billion in emergency supplemental funds for hurricane-related disaster relief and none of the monies have been designated for rebuilding the arts community. The federal government continues to allocate federal funding for relief efforts. Congress is currently considering the President's newest request for $19.8 billion in hurricane relief. The national arts community is advocating for a modest appropriation of $5 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in the next supplemental hurricane relief package to provide disaster recovery assistance for the arts.
ACTION: Please email your members of Congress and ask them to support a $5 million special allocation for the NEA as part of the next supplemental hurricane relief package.

2/10/06: Tell Congress to Support a Larger NEA and Arts in Education Budget
President Bush released the Administration’s budget request for FY 2007 this week, and once again he has requested no new funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the elimination of all funding for the Department of Education’s Arts in Education Programs and a cut of $53.5 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). An NEA budget of $124.4 million leaves the agency seriously under-funded and unable to fund the thousands of qualified grant applications it receives. Without Additional funds, the NEA will be unable to adequately fund the discipline programs which are so important to the theatre community.
ACTION: Please write to your Members of Congress, and ask them to support an NEA budget of $170 million in the FY07 Interior Appropriations bill and an Arts in Education budget of $53 million for FY07.

9/26/06: Circulating NEA Funding Increase Letter
Senator Coleman (R-MN) has drafted a Dear Colleague letter in support of a $5-$10 million increase for the NEA. The House of Representatives has approved a $5 million increase in funding for the NEA while the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved level funding. It is likely that NEA funding will be rolled into a giant package of funding measures that Congress will consider in November.
ACTION: Please ask your Senators to sign the Senate Dear Colleague letter in support of a $5 - $10 million increase for the NEA.

6/26/06: Senate Appropriations Committee Approves $124.4 Million Budget for NEA
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved a budget of $124.4 million or level funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Advocates had hoped that Senate appropriators would at least match the $5 million increase that was approved by the House in May. The funding will be considered by the full Senate sometime in July.
ACTION: Please write to your Senator to support the House-passed NEA budget of $129.4 million.

5/22/06: Amendments in the House to Increase and Decrease NEA Funding
The U.S. House of Representatives has debated the FY 2007 Interior Appropriations bill, which includes funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The Congressional Arts Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT) offered a bipartisan amendment to increase the NEA’s budget by $5 million during the floor debate on May 18th. Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-CO) offered an amendment to cut NEA funding by $30 million. This cut would have devastated the NEA’s ability to support the performing arts in communities across the country. After defeating the anti-NEA Beauprez Amendment, the House approved a $5 million increase for the NEA on a voice vote.
ACTION: Please take a moment to thank the Representatives who supported the NEA and express your disappointment with those who voted for the anti-NEA Beauprez Amendment.

4/17/06: Tell Congress to Increase NEA Funding
Representatives Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Christopher Shays (R-CT), co-chairs of the Congressional Arts Caucus, plan to offer a bipartisan amendment to increase the NEA’s budget by $5–7 million during the floor debate.
ACTION: Please contact your member of Congress and ask him or her to support a budget increase for the NEA.

2/10/06: Tell Congress to Support a Larger NEA and Arts in Education Budget
President Bush released the Administration’s budget request for FY 2007 this week, and once again he has requested no new funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the elimination of all funding for the Department of Education’s Arts in Education Programs and a cut of $53.5 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). An NEA budget of $124.4 million leaves the agency seriously under-funded and unable to fund the thousands of qualified grant applications it receives. Without Additional funds, the NEA will be unable to adequately fund the discipline programs which are so important to the theatre community.
ACTION: Please write to your Members of Congress, and ask them to support an NEA budget of $170 million in the FY07 Interior Appropriations bill and an Arts in Education budget of $53 million for FY07.

10/12/05: Arts Education Funding Eliminated
The U.S. House of Representatives has eliminated funding for the Arts in Education program at the U.S. Department of Education for FY 2006. The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee restored funding for the Arts in Education program at a level of $35.7 million—a $100,000 increase over last year. At stake is approximately $35 million in annual grants that support model programs in arts education.
ACTION: Please write to your Senators and ask them to support arts education funding.

9/8/05: Estate Tax Repeal Would Result in Losses in Charitable Giving
The Senate is poised to vote on a proposal to permanently repeal the estate tax. The repeal would severely hurt nonprofit performing arts organizations and the audiences we serve. Gifts from estates are an essential source of revenue for nonprofit performing arts organizations. A 2004 Congressional Budget Office study reported that eliminating the estate tax would result in an estimated 22% decline in charitable bequests, and the Brookings Institution indicates that a repeal would result in a total loss of about $10 billion in charitable giving each year.
ACTION: Please write to your Senators and urge them to support reasonable reform options instead of full repeal of the estate tax, and to protect the incentives for charitable giving.

8/16/05: Senate and House Differ in Willingness to Support NEA Funding
The U.S. House and Senate conference committee on the FY 2006 Interior Appropriations bill was convened to work out the differences between the Senate and House bills. The conference committee approved an increase of $4.4 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The NEA was granted a $5 million increase, but then an across-the-board rescission to the entire bill of .476% reduced the funding level for the agency to $125.6 million.
ACTION: Please take the time to thank your Representatives and Senators for their support of the NEA and the performing arts.

7/13/05: Reconciliation between House and Senate for Proposed NEA Budget
Selected representatives from the House and Senate will soon convene a conference committee to craft a final Interior Appropriations bill to reconcile the differences between the House passed NEA budget of $131.3 million and the Senate passed budget of $127.3 million.
ACTION: Please write and FAX your U.S. Representative and/or your U.S. Senator listed below AS SOON AS POSSIBLE but no later than July 15, and ask him or her to support the $10 million increase to the NEA during the conference committee over the 2006 Interior Appropriations bill.

6/23/05: Possible Restoration of Funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
On June 16, the Appropriations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives approved deep cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports public television and radio through PBS and NPR. Today, Thursday, June 23, the House of Representatives will consider a floor amendment to restore $100 million to CPB that had been previously cut in subcommittee.
ACTION: Please CALL and/or FAX your U.S. Representative by 3 pm EDT today, Thursday, June 23, to urge your Representative to restore funding for both CPB and arts education.

6/8/05: Encourage USCIS to Make Visas Accessible to International Artists
Delays by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are making it increasingly difficult for international artists to appear in the United States. USCIS drafted a rule to allow applications for O and P visas to be filed one year before the proposed employment will begin. Currently the rule is in a public comment period, after which the agency examines the comments and issues its final regulations and the timetable for their implementation.
ACTION: Please submit comments on behalf of your organization by June 27th. A sample letter is provided to help you in submitting comments.

6/1/05: Promote the Arts and Humanities
1) Beginning the week of June 6th, the Senate Appropriations Sub-committee will begin its deliberations on the FY 2006 Interior Appropriations bill, which contains NEA funding. This year, we need the Senate to match the House funding level. 2) Additionally, the United States Senate is establishing a new bipartisan caucus dedicated to promoting the arts and humanities within the Senate.
ACTION: 1) Please write, fax, email or call your U.S. Senators and ask them to support any effort to increase NEA funding to $131.3, and 2) write your Senators and urge them to join the Senate Cultural Caucus.

5/17/05: NEA and NEH Funding Debated in House
On May 18, the United States House of Representatives is expected to begin debate on the FY 2006 Interior Appropriations bill, which includes funding for the NEA and NEH. During the debate, members of the Congressional Arts Caucus and Humanities Caucus will offer a bi-partisan amendment most likely to seek an Additional $10 million for the NEA and $5 million for the NEH.
ACTION: Please CALL and/or FAX your U.S. Representative no later than 5:00 PM Wed, May 18 and ask them to vote in favor of the amendment to increase NEA and NEH fundin gduring the floor debate over the FY 2006 Interior Appropriations bill. Also, encourage your Representative to oppose any efforts to eliminate or reduce the agency’s funding.

5/4/05: Another Attempt to Eliminate Arts Education Funding
For the fifth consecutive year, President Bush has called for the elimination of funding for Arts in Education programs at the U.S. Department of Education. This program provides support for the development of arts education programs, professional development for arts educators and ongoing arts education initiatives at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and VSA arts. Traditionally, funds for Arts Education have been restored with the help of congressional leaders in the U.S. House and Senate.
ACTION: Please fax or e-mail a letter on your organization's letterhead to your U.S. Representative today. Urge your Representative to sign-on to the "Dear Colleague" letter. To sign-on, your member of Congress should contact Daniel Penchina in Rep. Nadler's office or Sarah Moore in Rep. Shays' office.

4/27/05: FY06 Interior Appropriations Bill Includes Level Funding for the NEA
On Wednesday, May 4, the United States House of Representatives Interior Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to begin work on the FY 2006 Interior Appropriations bill, which includes funding for the NEA. In March 2005, President Bush requested $121.3 million for the NEA – level funding from the previous year. An Additional $15 million above the President's request will expand the NEA's ability to perform its core mission.
ACTION: During the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee work on the NEA, urge your U.S. Representative to appropriate $136.3 million for the NEA in FY06. This budget figure would go towards supporting the NEA's mission to bring the arts to all Americans.