Jim Matheson: “as a supporter of the arts and the humanities, I am pleased to support this amendment. During my time in Congress I have…”

“as a supporter of the arts and the humanities, I am pleased to support this amendment. During my time in Congress I have had the opportunity to meet with numerous constituents regarding the need for continued arts funding. In this time of daunting budget deficits, we must spend our collective resources as wisely as possible. Funding for the arts is sometimes construed as a giveaway on the part of the federal government, which does not result in tangible benefits to the nation. I dispute that claim--in my district in Utah, we are fortunate to have a thriving arts and humanities community that generates revenues for the local economy, teaches our children about American cultural traditions, and builds civic spirit through public events. I believed that our nation should invest in programs that generate benefits such as these and I hope my colleagues will join me in voting to restore funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for Humanities to last year's levels.”