Speak Up as Congress Acts on Funding

July 28, 2025

In This Issue

• News! Congress Acts on Federal Funding for Arts and Culture
• Action to Restore Public Media Funding
• Advancing Arts Education for All

News! Congress Acts on Federal Funding for Arts and Culture

The House and Senate Appropriations Committees have each advanced recommendations for FY26 funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in response to the Administration’s request to completely eliminate both agencies.  

The Senate Appropriations Committee has, with notable bipartisan support, advanced a recommendation that calls for protecting funding at the current level of $207 million each for the NEA and NEH. The House Committee voted to cut the budgets of each agency from $207 million to $135 million. Interior Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) introduced an amendment to restore funding for the “small but mighty agencies” to their current levels of $207 million, pointing out that “in many communities this is the only source of outside funding.” The next steps are for the bills to go to the floor of their respective chambers for a full vote, after which an agreed amount would need to be negotiated and approved by another full vote by the House and Senate. 

Your advocacy is making a difference! Please continue speaking up with elected officials, reminding them of the strong public support for the federal investment in arts and culture in communities throughout the country! 

The House Committee’s majority’s press release contains links to its version of the Interior bill and details, such as a summary of amendments, including a proposal to rename the Opera House of the Kennedy Center after the First Lady. In both chambers, Committee consideration included discussion of the funding levels for both agencies, as well as the focus and purpose of the spending, which is directed by Congress. Your continued engagement with elected officials is essential!

Action to Restore Public Media Funding

Congress has very narrowly passed the Administration’s request to rescind already-approved funds for international aid and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Rescissions are somewhat rare budget control measures that withdraw approved funding, and this is the first time a rescission has been enacted since 2013.

While the bulk of this rescission package was for foreign aid, its passage means $1.1 billion is now cut from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is future-funded. This means all federal funding for public broadcasting is cut for the next two years, and the loss is expected to be especially detrimental in rural areas. The FY26 appropriations process is an opportunity to restore funding, and our partners in the Protect My Public Media Coalition provide advocacy tools to help you speak up.

Advancing Arts Education for All

The arts are essential to a complete education and federal education funding (such as for Title I, teacher training, and afterschool programs) is directed to support all aspects of a well-rounded education, including the arts.  

In light of the executive order to effectively dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, it is critical for arts education advocates to continue to speak up. Advocates are urging Congress to affirm arts education as essential for learners nationwide and for federal leadership to encourage state and local education authorities to use supplemental federal funding to increase access to arts education for all students. The Senate may start to take up education funding decisions as early as this week, and the House will take action soon after returning from the summer recess. 

Whether your orchestra is advocating at the national, state, or local level, make use of the latest talking points in support of a complete arts education for all students, prepared in partnership with our colleagues in the national Arts Education Policy Working Group!