Arts, Entertainment, And Media Unions Urge Congress To Pass FY 2022 Funding For The Arts

Today, the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO sent a letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leadership urging the passage of a Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations bill that funds the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for Humanities at $201 million each and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting at $565 million.

DPE President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement on the need for a FY22 appropriations bill that increases federal arts funding:

"DPE and our affiliate unions in the arts, entertainment, and media industries want Congress to know that continued investment in the NEA, NEH, and CPB is essential. These agencies fund programs that help veterans heal from the invisible scars of war, inspire the next generation of creators and innovators, and deliver content that unites people across small towns and big cities. By funding the NEA and NEH at $201 million each and the CPB at $565 million, programs supported by these agencies will be able to reach even more Americans.

Increased federal arts funding will also help get creative professionals, including members of DPE's affiliate unions, back to work and help economies across the country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. While creative professionals have started to get back on stage and return to sets, industry employment remains below pre-pandemic levels. Increased NEA, NEH, and CPB funding will help ensure that professionals working in the arts and public media can fully return to work. Funding the arts also generates consumer spending at restaurants, hotels, and other local businesses trying to build back from the pandemic.

Simply put, funding the NEA and NEH at $201 million and the CPB at $565 million will help creative professionals earn a living and provide Americans with access to enriching programs that lift up local economies. These funding levels are also an important step toward restoring the NEA to an inflation-adjusted full funding level of $331 million, or $1 per capita."