By Tom McClimon
August 8, 2005

Congress has completed the final conference report for the FY 2006 Interior Appropriations bill, reconciling differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The bill contains funding increases for both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Prior to applying than across-the-board rescission of 0.476 percent to all programs within the Interior bill, both cultural agencies received increases of $5 million each for next year.

The National Endowment for the Arts will received $125 million of which approximately $3 million of the increase will restore funding to the popular Challenge America program which provides arts grants to under'served communities. The remaining $2 million of the increase will fund the new American Masterpieces program, which sponsors presentations of great American works across all arts forms.

The Administration had proposed an overall flat funding for both NEA and NEH. The increases in the arts and humanities budgets reflect the strong support both of these agencies have in Congress.