Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, we have the chance today to uphold a long and a proud Federal commitment to culture and to humanity in the United States. But we can only maintain strong national support for the arts by rejecting block grants and restoring funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. NEA opponents might make my colleagues think that the NEA budget is colossal, but NEA funds are 0.01 percent of the budget, a tiny amount of money. Eliminating the NEA would not balance our budget, but it would bankrupt an essential element of our Nation's culture and artistic heritage. In fact, Mr. Chairman, it turns us back to the Dark Ages. Providing a small amount of money for the arts through the NEA is a catalyst for local, State, and private arts support. It ensures that small communities as well as large can enjoy American treasures in literature, painting, film, and the theater. A small amount of NEA seed money has helped Connecticut's arts thrive. We saw the results this summer and last summer with performers from around the world who came to New Haven for the Second Annual International Festival of Arts and Ideas. The nonprofit arts employed more than 17,000 people in Connecticut and generated more than $1 billion for the State's economy in 1 year. The NEA ensures that the arts are enjoyed not only by the affluent in large cities but by the less well off in small towns.”