Tucson: Arts Action Alert - Congress Threatens Cuts to Arts Education and Public Broadcasting

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From: Americans for the Arts [mailto:advocacy@artsusa.org]
Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 2:15 PM
Subject: Arts Action Alert - Congress Threatens Cuts to Arts Education and
Public Broadcasting

Arts Action Alert - Take Action Now!

June 13, 2006

Dear TTA List Member:

Earlier today the Committee on Appropriations of the U.S. House of
Representatives approved legislation that would slash funding for public
broadcasting and arts education programs. Please visit Americans for the
Arts E-Advocacy Center
<http://capwiz.com/artsusa/utr/1/CZLKFZTHTK/JGYBFZTIHB/764425496> to urge
your Representative to vote to restore the funding to these vital programs
when the bill comes to the floor later this month.

Background:
Today's House Committee activity approved action taken last week by the
House Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations that cut $115
million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the primary
agency for our nation's public television and radio broadcasting, and
zeroed-out a $36 million funding pool for arts education programs through
the U.S. Department of Education. Unfortunately, both of these cuts had
also been requested in the President's FY 2007 budget.

Only one amendment to partially restore $20 million in funding back to CPB
was adopted in full committee today, which would still leave the agency with
a devastating cut.

We expect that when the full House debates the bill, it will consider a
floor amendment to fully restore the public broadcasting funds. A similar
scenario occurred last year, when thousands of calls and emails from
grassroots advocates from around the country helped to convince the House to
reverse the cuts. A bipartisan group of representatives led the fight last
year, and we expect them to do so again this year, including Reps. David
Obey (D-WI), Jim Leach (R-IA), and Nita Lowey (D-NY).

For the sixth straight year, the House Appropriations Committee has
eliminated funding for the Department of Education's arts education
programs. As in the past, we will likely have to rely on the Senate to fully
restore funding for these important programs.

Next Steps:
In the next few weeks the full House of Representatives will consider the
Labor-HHS-Education spending bill on the floor. We hope you will make your
voices heard! Please visit our E-Advocacy Center
<http://capwiz.com/artsusa/utr/1/CZLKFZTHTK/BFJOFZTIHC/764425496> to send a
message to your Members of Congress protesting the proposed funding cuts to
public broadcasting and arts education.

Thank you again for your continued support of the arts!

###

If you have any questions, please contact Justin Beland, Government Affairs
and Grassroots Manager, at jbeland@artsusa.org

1000 Vermont Avenue NW
6th Floor
Washington DC . 20005
T 202.371.2830
F 202.371.0424

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