Museums on the Mall Advocacy Session
February 14, 2008
Federal and State Issues for Museums
by Roger Lidman
President’s Budget Proposal
On Monday February 4, President Bush released his proposal for the FY 2009 funding of the federal government. Overall the proposal provides strong financial support for defense-related items while freezing discretionary spending on many domestic programs and making significant cuts to healthcare accounts such as Medicare and Medicaid.
President Bush’s FY 2009 budget request to Congress, begins the yearly appropriations process for, among many things, the nation’s cultural agencies and programs:
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) FY 2009 budget request of $128.4 million represents exactly level funding to the President’s FY 2008 request. The request does not reflect the historic $20.3 million increase in NEA funding for FY 2008 that was enacted by Congress during the 2007 appropriations process. This request also includes resources to expand the Arts and Artifact Indemnity Program, amended in the FY 2008 appropriations bill, which now gives the agency the authority to cover exhibition loans of American-owned works of art on exhibit in the United States.
After three years of minimal, but incremental, funding growth the President signed the largest Congressionally-initiated funding increase for the arts in 28 years, President Bush has proposed a $16.3 million cut for FY 2009 for the NEA—from $144.7 million to $128.4 million.
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) The President asked for a slight cut to the NEH, from $144.7 to $144.3 million. $144.355 million represents a modest $3 million increase over the FY 2008 request but falls short of the $147 million funding level ($144.7 after the across-the-board 1.56% cut) enacted by Congress in 2007. FY 2009 funds will support the agency’s We the People and Digital Humanities Initiative, ongoing partnerships with state humanities councils, museum exhibitions, documentary films of and radio programming. In 2008 the agency also continues to promote its new Picturing America program, providing artworks that tell the stories of the nation’s history to public and private schools and libraries.
Institute for Museum and Library Services - Office of Museum Services (OMS) IMLS is once again requesting from Congress an increase for their museum programs of nearly 27 percent or $8.6 million from its current FY 2008 budget of $31.3 million. The bulk of the requested increase would provide additional funds for the Museums for America program. IMLS suffered from an across the board cut in FY 2008 and since FY 2006 the museum budget has remained level. The agency is asking Congress for funds to address critical issues in the care of collections, enhance learning and innovation, and support professional development.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) The proposed $6.85 billion in its FY 2009 budget request to Congress, reflects a 14 percent increase or $822 million above its FY 2008 budget. NSF is seeking to build on the support it has received from both the Administration and Congress to increase investments in research and education. Within the Education and Resources program, NSF requested $66 million for the Informal Science Education program, a $1 million increase over FY 2008.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) The FY 2009 budget request calls for a rescission of $200 million in already-approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). As a trusted community resource, CPB uses the power of noncommercial television and radio to enrich the lives of all Americans through quality programs and education services.
Department of Education’s Arts in Education Programs For the eighth consecutive year, the President’s budget has eliminated funding for the Department of Education’s Arts in Education programs, which include funding for model arts programs and collaborations with schools, teacher professional development, and arts programs for at-risk youth. Arts literacy is as central to an educated citizenry as are reading, math, and science.
Next Steps
As you know, the President’s budget is the first step in the appropriations process. While it serves as an important framework, Congress has the power to set its own priorities and change these funding levels. That’s where you come in.
| Federally Funded Arts Program | FY08 Enacted Appropriations (in millions) | FY09 President’s Budget Request (in millions) |
| National Endowment for the Arts | $144.7 | $128.4 |
| National Endowment for the Humanities | $144.7 | $143.0 |
| Office of Museum Services within IMLS | $31.3 | $39.9 |
| U.S. Dept. of Education’s Arts in Ed | $35.3 | $0 |
| Corporation for Public Broadcasting | $400.0 | $200.0 |
Helpful Resources
- Do’s and Don’ts of Citizen Lobbying
- Rules for Non-Profit Lobbying
- Getting to Know Your Legislator
- Meeting with Elected Officials
- Few Final Thoughts About Communicating with Legislators
All courtesy of American Association of Museums, www.aam-us.org.
