President Obama presented the last budget of his administration yesterday, requesting a $2 million increase for the National Endowment for the Arts. If it passes it will take the NEA’s annual budget up to $150 million. Robert Lynch of Americans for the Arts said that even though that amount still falls short of what the arts in America need–and he’s right: it does–at least “it helps turn the corner on some sharp cuts made in previous years.”
This figure is the highest for the NEA since it received $167 million in 2011. (In each of the fiscal years 2013, 2014, and 2015, it received about $146 million per year. In 2012–the year of sequestration–its budget fell to $138 million.) Still, Obama’s request of $150 million is over $25 million below the agency’s all-time highest appropriation. That came in 1992 and was $175,954,680.
If NEA funding had just stayed steady at that point but accounted for inflation–if the NEA had been given “cost of living” raises–the budget for the Endowment today would be $273,869,821.
I am always amazed and how much money we have spent on war, and how little we spend on enriching our lives with art. I am glad to hear that we are at least restoring some of the money, or should I say attempting to. Congress may rather spend this increase on building walls to keep people out.
Thanks for reporting this potential increase.