Louise Slaughter: “Mr. Speaker, why would we target a program like the NEA when it costs so little for our country but provides such a…”

“Mr. Speaker, why would we target a program like the NEA when it costs so little for our country but provides such a great benefit across this wide country? We engage in a continual debate about cutting funding to this agency that increases citizens' access to the arts, helps us preserve our diverse cultural heritage, and stimulates private and local funding for the arts. In many States, like Colorado, NEA funding provides the necessary funds for small museums in tiny towns, for school programs, for children who would never have any arts education, and for a variety of arts programs across the country. This is an incredibly beneficial program. We should not be talking about cutting it. We should be talking about finding increased funding to provide this necessary public benefit across the country.”