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June 7, 2007
Great news on arts education!
This afternoon the House Labor-Health-Education Appropriations
Subcommittee, which sets the initial funding level for education programs
at the U.S. Department of Education, approved
$39 million for the Arts in Education program in the FY 2008
spending bill.
This is the first time in seven years that the Arts in Education program
has received any
level of support from the House subcommittee! Typically the Arts in
Education program is zeroed out in the President’s budget, zeroed
out in the House budget and saved only by a bipartisan group of
supporters in the Senate. The House Subcommitte action ensures that
the program has a stronger footing as it moves through the appropriations
process.
Earlier this year Americans for the Arts was invited to testify before
the House Labor-HHS-ED Subcommittee. Our witness, Ayanna Hudson
Higgins of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, testified in support
of providing $53 million for the Arts in Education program in the FY 2008
budget. Click here
to view her Congressional
testimony online.
We want to extend a special thanks to all of Americans for the Arts
grassroots activists for your letters and calls to Congress in support of
arts education. It’s working!
The subcommittee also provided an increase of 5 percent ($20 million) in
advance funding for public broadcasting and an increase of 12.7 percent
($125 million) for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (after school
programs) - more good news as well!
Next Steps:
The FY 2008 Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations bill will next go to full
committee, perhaps as early as next week, and then possibly to the House
floor by the end of the month.
We must now contact our Congressional Members to support this
funding increase. Please take two minutes to visit Americans for
the Arts E-Advocacy Center to send a letter to your Members of Congress.
Click here.
to remove your name from receiving e-mails regarding arts advocacy
Click
to also remove your name from receiving other e-mails from Americans for
the Arts or its Arts Action Fund
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