The NEA appropriations process kicked off on June 10 when the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies met to discuss its FY16 spending bill. This bill contains funding for the NEA. Thus far, both the Interior Appropriations Subcommittees and full Appropriations Committees in both the House and Senate have recommended $146 million for the NEA. This is the same amount the agency has received in the last four years and is almost $2 million less than the President’s FY16 request. Timeline of events:

• June 10: House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee debated the spending bill and approved $146 million for the NEA
• June 16: the full House Appropriations Committee approved the spending bill with the same amount approved by the Subcommittee
• June 16: the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee debated its version of the bill and also approved $146 million for the NEA
• June 18: the full Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Interior spending bill with the same amount approved by the Subcommittee The next step in the process is for the full Senate and full House to debate their respective Interior spending bills. Both Chambers of Congress are aiming to finish appropriations before the July 4th recess.

PAA advocates for $155 million for the NEA. We ask for this amount because although the NEA has been funded at $146 million for the past four years, previously, both the President and the Senate Appropriations Committee have supported $155 million, most recently in FY11.