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• FULL ARCHIVE

Senate and House Approve NEA Funding

On June 26, the House of Representatives approved $170 million for the National Endowment for the Arts in fiscal year 2010 by a vote of 254 for the bill to 183 against it. On June 25, the Senate Committee on Appropriations unanimously approved $161.3 million for the agency in fiscal year 2010. This sum was included in the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies appropriations bills for fiscal year 2010. $161.3 million was a $6.3 million increase from the fiscal year 2009 funding levels. Despite the Senate’s funding level being lower than the $170 million appropriated by the House, the increase is a step in the right direction. The final funding level for the NEA will be decided by a conference committee, which will include members of both the House and the Senate, after each Chamber passes the bill.

The American Federation of Musicians and its allies in the Cultural Advocacy Group worked with members of both the House and Senate to see that the National Endowment for the Arts received adequate funding. The extra funding will allow the NEA to give out more grants, which will benefit AFM members.