Arts Advocates Head to Capitol Hill to Push for Increased NEA and NEH Funding

In partnership with Americans for the Arts and its advocacy affiliate Arts Action Fund, arts industry leaders from across the nation are gathering on Capitol Hill this month to bring a message directly to Congress. Arts advocates will represent communities from Utah, Nevada, Alaska, Texas, Kentucky, South Dakota, West Virginia, Nebraska, and Idaho—states whose Members of Congress sit on the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, the committees with direct influence over NEA and NEH funding levels.

Advocates are urging Congress to appropriate $209 million each for the NEA and NEH in FY2026—a modest $2 million increase that empowers state and local arts agencies, arts and culture organizations, and individual artists to build the creative infrastructure our communities need.

The arts and culture sector contributes $1.2 trillion to our economy and creates 5.4 million American jobs, representing 4.2% of GDP. Current federal investment amounts to just 62 cents per person, despite the NEA consistently exceeding the required 1:1 state match and operating as one of the federal government’s most efficient agencies.

As America approaches its 250th birthday, cultural institutions and organizations are being called upon to plan and honor this historic celebration. With both NEA and NEH chairs serving on the White House Task Force for America’s 250th, adequate funding becomes essential to support the very organizations tasked with commemorating our nation’s heritage.

About Americans for the Arts and the Arts Action Fund:

For 65 years, Americans for the Arts has advanced arts and culture through bipartisan collaboration, while its advocacy affiliate, the Arts Action Fund, mobilizes hundreds of thousands of grassroots supporters nationwide. Together, these organizations work in tandem to ensure arts and culture remain vital to American communities - from empowering local arts agencies to driving economic growth and social connection. Through strategic advocacy programs like the Legislative Fly-Ins, local arts successes transform into national policy advancement, creating stronger, more vibrant communities across urban, suburban, and rural America.