Recent reports suggest President Donald Trump plans to defund the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Without the NEA and NEH, artists and educators could be left without crucial government grants for their projects. Everything from orchestral performances to music enrichment programs in public schools would be negatively impacted.
Funding for the national endowments are a minuscule portion -- 0.004% (!) -- of the nearly $4 trillion federal budget. In 2016, the NEA and NEH each received $148 million in funding.
We ask President Trump to support the arts by not defunding the NEA and NEH.
Response to Petition
A response to your petition
Thank you for sharing your support for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
The Administration recognizes the positive effects the arts and humanities have on our communities and believe they play a vital role in developing our Nation’s youth. The Administration is committed, however, to reducing the Nation’s debt and must make tough choices. President Donald J. Trump’s budget emphasizes national security and public safety. We must do the hard work of funding critical Government functions while being mindful of the Nation’s deficit.
The Federal Government must be accountable for every expenditure it makes. With the Federal Government running deficits of hundreds of billions of dollars each year, and the national debt now at more than $20 trillion, the Administration must carefully scrutinize every taxpayer dollar we spend.
Federal funding represents a small percentage of total investment in the arts and humanities. Given that foundations and private donations admirably provide for most resources in these areas, the Administration does not prioritize funding for these agencies. My Administration will consider your support for NEH and NEA as it drafts future budget proposals.
Thank you, again, for contacting the White House.