Udall Fights for Funding Increase for Arts and Humanities in Budget Agreement

Strengthened budgets show support for NEA, NEH despite Trump’s proposal to eliminate them

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall, the lead Democrat on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee overseeing funding for arts and culture programs, announced that the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities each are on track to receive an additional $1.9 million in funding over last year as part of a bipartisan agreement to fund the government through September 2017. Udall and other supporters on the subcommittee secured the funding despite President Trump’s proposal to eliminate both agencies. The agreement — also called an omnibus appropriations bill — provides a total of $149.8 million each for the NEA and NEH to support critical arts and education programs, museums and cultural centers and thousands of jobs. The omnibus bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives today by a vote of 309-118, and is expected to be approved by the U.S. Senate later this week.

Udall is a strong champion for arts and the cultural economy. Arts, culture and cultural tourism account for one in 10 jobs in New Mexico, and many artists and cultural institutions receive important support from the NEA and NEH.

“President Trump’s proposal to de-fund the NEA and NEH would be a blow to New Mexico’s creative economy and a huge loss, especially for the low-income and rural communities throughout New Mexico and our nation that benefit from the support both agencies provide for arts, education and research. As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I fought hard for this additional funding, which puts the agencies in a stronger position as we begin work on the FY2018 budget,” Udall said. “One in 10 jobs in New Mexico is related to the arts, and with more artists per capita than any other state, New Mexico is home to one of the most vibrant artistic communities in the nation. Many of those artists, artisans and others have benefited in some way from grants and programming supported by the NEA and NEH. We must keep these agencies strong so they can continue to play a vital role in shaping our culture, attracting tourists and creating jobs in New Mexico and across the nation.”

In New Mexico alone, the NEA has provided about $25 million in grants over the last two decades, and $1.2 million in just 2016. As is true across the country, these grants support arts and cultural programs in communities throughout the state — the majority of which are in rural areas — where they also provide economic stimulus and help create jobs. Grants have been awarded to programs across the state, from Española to Las Cruces for projects in literature, arts education, music and more.

The NEH is a large contributor to cultural programming in New Mexico, providing grants and support for museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, and public television and radio stations. Between 2008 and 2012, institutions including the University of New Mexico and the New Mexico History Museum received $5.5 million from the NEH for programming such as student resources and cultural preservation.