Debbie Dingell: “I rise today in support of increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for…”

“I rise today in support of increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Public investment in arts and humanities benefits society in countless ways, including enhancing individual creativity, increasing skills in math, reading, language development and writing, and expanding global relationships and understanding. President Bush has recommended FY 2003 funding for NEA and NEH at $116 million and $126 million, respectively. It is important to note that NEA's amount is $46 million below its 1995 level. However, the payoff from even this meager public investment is still enormous. In addition to the aforementioned benefits of public funding for arts and humanities, a recent study found that arts groups generate at least $134 billion in economic activity each year, 4.85 million full-time equivalent jobs, $89.4 billion in household income, and $24.4 billion in government taxes. Although NEA and NEH are the sole source off arts funding in some communities, in others, grants from NEA and NEH leverage millions of dollars each year in private support for arts projects.”