William R. Richardson: “this amendment cripples the National Endowment for the Arts. Before my colleagues think about cutting funding for the…”

“this amendment cripples the National Endowment for the Arts. Before my colleagues think about cutting funding for the NEA I want to remind you that Federal arts funding benefits every district in the country. The national endowment benefits every region in the United States through State grants, arts education, and anticrime programming. Thirty-five percent of NEA funding goes to each State's art agency in the form of a block grant. This amendment automatically reduces the size of each States grant. Of this 35 percent each State must spend 7.5 percent of these dollars on projects that serve rural, urban, and underserved communities. In New Mexico--for the last 7 years State grant moneys have funded the churches project. Over 100 communities have restored their historic churches because of the cultural and artistic symbolism they represent. Voting in favor of this amendment means no arts education for our children. Last year a $22,000 grant to the chamber music residencies pilot project which placed chamber music ensembles in rural communities for a school year. The chamber ensembles taught children in public schools in Tifton, GA; Jesup, IA, and Dodge City, KS, who would not have otherwise had any music education. Voting in favor of this amendment means reduced funding for crime control programs. A youngster with a paint brush or learning lines for a play is a lot less dangerous than one with a gun.”