Ovation TV is once again taking to the field to fight against the latest Republican proposal to phase out funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
President Trump, who has repeatedly recommended the phase-out, is trying again with his latest (2021) budget, released Monday (Feb. 10). To date, legislator on both sides of the aisle have foiled that attempt.
"This is now the third year in which the administration has proposed a budget eliminating all funding for the National Endowment for the Arts," the arts and entertainment network said in a statement. "Ovation TV is hopeful that once again Congress will reject these cuts and instead increase funding for the NEA. It has been proven time and again that the arts are a cultural and economic boon for our society."
Congress has to approve the President's budget, and frequently changes are made before that happens.
Ovation pointed out that the NEA funding goes mostly to smaller organizations serving underserved communities. That includes the rural communities the Administration professes to want to serve through precision agriculture programs and closing the digital divide.
The NEA cut was under the heading of: STOPPING WASTEFUL AND UNNECESSARY SPENDING, subheading "eliminating programs with no proper federal role."
"Activities funded by NEA/NEH are not considered core Federal responsibilities, and make up only a small fraction of the billions spent each year by arts and humanities nonprofit organizations," the White House said of what it called "low-priority and wasteful government spending."
