NEA & Public Broadcasting Included in House Budget for Fiscal 2017

It has been reported that the House Appropriations Committee's fiscal year 2017 omnibus appropriations bill is set to include increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, following outcry from citizens and artists alike at the proposal to de-fund what many consider the lifeblood of national arts organizations.

Also included in the proposal is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Humanities. This comes on the heels of conservative legislators proposing elimination of these organizations in earlier versions of the budget plan.

According to details revealed today, the organizations will receive $150 million each, $2 million above the allocation in fiscal 2016. The package will also provide the CPB an advance of $445 million for fiscal 2019.

The new package has been estimated at $1 trillion, and is expected to pass Congress with bipartisan support.

"This legislation will fund critical federal government activities, including our national defense, and enact responsible funding decisions to target U.S. investments where they are needed the most," Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) said. "It also maintains and enhances policies that bolster economic growth and support the core values that our nation is built upon."