For FY26, the House Appropriations Committee has advanced a recommendation of $135 million for the NEA -- a nearly 35% cut of $72 million. If passed, this would be the agency's lowest allocation since 2007 without even accounting for inflation. Already, the agency has undergone severe cuts to its staff, and such a drastic slashing of its budget would result in severe losses of public access to the arts and critical employment that sustains artists and administrators in communities throughout the country. 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." Reps. De Lauro (CT), Kaptur (OH), Hoyer (MD), Frankel (FL), and Dean (PA) gave remarks in support of the amendment and the importance of arts and humanities, but it was not adopted. This funding recommendation is especially disappointing on the heels of termination letters the NEA issued in May to many grant recipients of FY24 and FY25 awards, specifying that the agency would not support costs for those projects incurred after May 31, 2025. The NEA also informed many applicants that were awaiting final confirmation of their FY25 grant awards that their projects would not be supported. According to the termination notices, this action was taken to realign agency resources with the new priorities of this Administration. This is an unprecedented reversal of approved federal support for the arts nationwide.
The Senate Appropriations Committee passed, on a bipartisan basis, an FY26 recommendation of level funding, $207 million, for the NEA. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) offered an amendment concerning how NEA and NEH funding would be spent but withdrew it and expressed appreciation that the manager’s amendment includes language calling for oversight over the use of funds for initiatives that lack Congressional approval. The next step is for each chamber to hold a vote on their respective bills. After that, a compromise version will be created and taken up by each chamber. If both House and Senate agree on compromise legislation, the bill goes to the desk of the President either to be signed into law or vetoed.
While arts advocates are encouraged to see Congress propose continued support for the NEA and NEH despite the President's preliminary budget outline proposing FY26 elimination, we remind Congress that it has steadily maintained and grown NEA resources over time for good reason--the arts have strong bipartisan support among the American public, and the NEA's work is valuable to all parts of the country. Advocates urge Congress to protect the NEA from proposed cuts so that communities throughout the United States can receive much-needed resources that bring people together for the experience of live music.
Talking Points
- Grants awarded to orchestras by the NEA, and support provided to orchestras through NEA funds administered by state and regional arts agencies, provide critical funding for projects that increase access to music in communities nationwide.
- NEA funding directly supports local projects and also spurs giving from other sources like private foundations, corporations, and individual contributors. The NEA is a critical component in the network of public, private, corporate, and philanthropic support that makes the work of America's orchestras possible.
- The NEA contributes to the prosperity and economic health of communities nationwide: a strong arts sector is an economic asset that stimulates business activity and tourism, improves lifelong learning opportunities, and sparks community pride and vitality.
- Every congressional district receives NEA support, and 40% of NEA funding supports the work of our nation's state arts agencies. Sustaining the federal investment in the agency's budget ensures this grant distribution continues and that more communities thrive with the benefits of the arts.
- The Administration's sudden disruption to FY2025 grants in progress poses significant harm to arts organizations across the country that were using approved federal resources in service to their communities.