On Monday, February 10, 2020, the White House released its fiscal year 2021 budget proposal. For the fourth year in a row, the administration has proposed eliminating numerous cultural agencies, including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). 

Although, the House and the Senate previously increased the budgets of both the NEA and the NEH by $7 million for fiscal year 2020, the administration’s budget proposal often serves as a blueprint for the president’s priorities, without actually impacting the congressional appropriations process.

In continuation of its advocacy on behalf of the dance field on policies that support dance and the performing arts and as a National Partner for Arts Advocacy Day on March 31, Dance/USA, will be joined by Dance/NYC, and from across the country in asking Congress to fund the NEA and NEH at $170 million for fiscal year 2021.

FY2021 Budget Proposal:

NEA: The budget requests $30 million to close out the agency;

NEH: The budget requests $33.4 million to close out the agency;

IMLS: The budget requests $23 million to close out the agency;

Corporation for Public Broadcasting: The budget requests $58 million over two years to close out the agency;

State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs: The budget requests $310 million, a reduction of $421 million from the current fiscal year;

The Assistance for Arts Education program at the U.S. Department of Education, currently funded at $30 million, would be defunded and consolidated into the Elementary and Secondary Education for the Disadvantaged Block Grant.

Please join us in reaching out to members of Congress and urging them to continue to support robust funding for the NEA.