On the recordJuly 17, 2018
I certainly agree with the gentleman that we have a budget problem. I served on the Budget Committee for a number of years and recognize the fact that we are spending too much money. However, if we take a look at the entire budget picture, nondefense discretionary accounts represent 16 percent of total Federal outlays. And if you take a look at the nondefense discretionary accounts, over the last number of years, we are pretty flat. We are pretty flat spending right now. I mean, even with this increase, even with this increase. However, this NEA-NEH program is something I can't support. While I understand, again, why the gentleman wants to save money, this amendment would have unintended consequence affecting the men and women who serve in the country in uniform, military veterans, their families, as well as Native Americans, Alaska natives. We are putting a lot of this money in to help people get through their post-traumatic stress syndrome. This amendment would have devastating consequence on critical work for the National Endowment for the Arts at Walter Reed Medical Center, 11 other clinical sites across the country that are supporting therapy service. We have reformed the National Endowment for the Humanities to make sure that we have low overhead, and that this money is getting out into the country. This money doesn't go to New York or L.A. This goes out to the rural areas around the country that don't have the benefit of large interest in arts.…
