President Obama Releases FY2010 Budget Request

(May 7, 2009, Americans for the Arts) - President Obama today released the final details of his FY 2010 budget request to Congress which includes the nation’s cultural agencies and programs, including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA, $161m request), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH, $161m request), Institute for Museums and Library Services (IMLS, $266m request), and the Department of Education’s Arts in Education program ($38.1m request). 

As Americans for the Arts President & CEO Robert Lynch noted in a press statement, "The president's proposed funding of $161 million would take the NEA to its highest funding level in 15 years and will help continue the upward trend of budgetary growth that Congress established several years ago.  In contrast to the previous administration, this year's budget includes funding for the Arts in Education program at the Department of Education at $38.16 million. We hope that Congress will build on these initial budget requests to secure even higher funding levels to address the needs of the arts and arts education community."

The President’s budget is the first step in the appropriations process.  The bill now goes to Congress for debate.  To take action by contacting your US Senators and Representatives, click here.