Political Quotes

“I rise today to oppose the rule and support the National Endowment for the Arts. The NEA is a great investment for the American people and, quite frankly, I think that our time would be better spent debating an issue other than a program which costs each American a grand total of 38 cents a year. I would like to specifically highlight one of these propaganda newsletters that came to my office denouncing the NEA as 'offensive' and 'elitist'. Imagine my surprise when I saw that one of these objectionable grants was Dances for Wave Hill a program which is held in my district. Most of the Members of this body may not be familiar with Wave Hill but the residents of the Bronx are proud of this facility which encompasses 28 acres of gardens and woodlands overlooking the Hudson River. Dances for Wave Hill is a series of outdoor performances produced by Dancing in the Streets, a group specifically founded with the intention of introducing dance to new audiences. You might wonder what is so objectionable about the program. Strangely enough, some groups are angry that there is no subway stop in the garden so they have labeled Dances for Wave Hill as an elitist program. It is time we took a good look at the campaign of misinformation which has been aimed at the NEA. The funding for the NEA is money well spent and I urge all of my colleagues to defeat the rule.”