By Tom McClimon
June 4, 2007

The House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets the initial funding level for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), approved a $35 million increase for the NEA for its FY 2008 spending bill. If this funding level is maintained by the Senate and signed into law by President Bush, it will represent the largest increase in NEA history. The agency, currently funded at $124 million has only seen increases of under three percent for last several years.

Providence Mayor David Cicilline testified on March 13 before the Subcommittee in support of increasing funding for the NEA. This was the first hearing in over 12 years held on the importance of the arts.

Additionally, the National Endowment for the Humanities was also given an increase to match the NEA at $160 million

The House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee also approved additional funding for the Urban and Community Forestry Program for FY 2008. The Subcommittee approved a $1 million increase over the current funding level of $30 million. This is $13 million more than what the President proposed in his FY 2008 budget proposal. The Conference of Mayors joined with over 170 organizations in supporting this budget increase.

Full House action still needs to take place on both of these increases and then further action will need to take place by the Senate.