Chuck Schumer: “I rise in support of full funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. The NEA is a precious gift to all Americans…”

“I rise in support of full funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. The NEA is a precious gift to all Americans, and we should be lauding, not killing it. The NEA is responsible for teaching art and music to children in our schools. It brings exhibits to small towns and cities in America-- places which cannot afford, or do not have the market to support a touring dance group or play. And it is partly responsible for allowing some of America's greatest artists to get their start. Who knows where the next Stephen Spielberg, Maya Angelou, or Leonard Bernstein will come from? As a New Yorker, I am proud that the NEA helps make our museums and galleries among the greatest in the world. I am proud that people from across the country and around the globe come to New York City to hear our operas, see our plays, listen to our symphonies, and enjoy the creativity that abounds. The NEA is an integral part of what makes New York great. And it gives those who otherwise would not receive funding a chance to succeed--a chance to be great. And NEA is an important economic tool for New York. Some areas of the country depend upon soy beans--and they get generous farm subsidies. Other areas depend upon the defense industry--and they get huge contracts. New York depends upon creativity. We get a very small stipend from the NEA to help struggling artists, struggling galleries, and struggling art schools.”