Nita Lowey: “As one of the members of the Council on the Arts, I rise in strong support of the Johnson amendment and want to…”

“As one of the members of the Council on the Arts, I rise in strong support of the Johnson amendment and want to associate myself with the remarks of my colleague, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Ballenger). Mr. Chairman, I rise in very strong support of the NEA, and I do so not only as a proponent of federal support for the arts, but also as one who has seen first-hand the inner workings of the NEA. Along with Mr. Ballenger and Mr. Doolittle, I have the privilege of serving as one of six Congressional members on the National Council on the Arts, which basically serves as the Board of Directors for the NEA. Among the distinguished members of the National Council are Father Leo O'Donovan, the president of Georgetown University; and Wallace McRae, a third generation livestock rancher from Montana and the author of four volumes of poetry. Let me also point out that the new chairman of the NEA, William Ivey, is the former director of the Country Music Foundation. This is not a radical group, needless to say. In reviewing and voting on NEA grant applications, the members of the National Council take their responsibilities to U.S. taxpayers very seriously. They are united by their commitment to making the arts accessible to all Americans--which is what this debate is all about.”