[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 134 (Wednesday, September 25, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S11276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE 
                               HUMANITIES

  Mr. PELL. Mr. President, during my last days in Congress, I wish to 
state my unequivocal support of the restoration of funds to the 
National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the 
Humanities. These fine agencies have sustained disproportionate and 
unreasonable cuts over the past 2 years, and the erosion must stop.
  As coauthor of the legislation that created the endowments 31 years 
ago, I have felt like a proud father as both endowments have served the 
guiding principles upon which they were conceived. Overall, their 
programs have been remarkably successful. There has been overwhelming 
evidence of the positive impact of the arts and humanities on 
education, the economy, urban renewal, and cultural pride. It is 
important that two endowments are funded sufficiently to be able to 
continue their worthwhile and extremely effective endeavors to improve 
the quality of life for all Americans.
  Mr. President, I am by no means alone today in favor of continued 
Federal funding for the arts and humanities. There is a strong 
bipartisan commitment. Earlier, Senator Jeffords and I circulated a 
letter signed by 31 Members that expressed their support of 
appropriations for the NEA, NEH, and IMS in fiscal year 1997 at current 
or slightly increased levels, and I ask that the letter be included in 
the Record. Other Members have spoken with us subsequently regarding 
their support.
  The American public remains solidly and strongly behind Federal 
support for the arts and humanities. A recent Harris poll found that a 
61 percent majority of Americans--to 37 percent saying ``no''--would be 
willing to be taxed $5 more in order to pay for Federal financial 
support for the arts. These people believe the arts to be important and 
would sorely miss them if they were not there.
  In Rhode Island, the restored Humanities funding means quite 
literally survival for an extremely important project that provides 
fascinating information to all Americans, not just the residents of my 
State. With NEH funding, the Rhode Island Historical Society is 
reassembling the Papers of Nathanael Greene from over 100 libraries and 
collections scattered around the country, and is currently preparing 
the 10th of a total of 13 planned volumes. Nathanael Greene, you will 
recall was a Rhode Islander sent by George Washington to liberate the 
South--a task he accomplished with distinction. If work on the Papers 
stops now, it will be the history of Georgia and the Carolinas that 
would not be published. Interestingly, while Greene was alive, Congress 
promised to publish his daily letters and orders. How poignant that we 
fulfill this promise now.
  As I enter my last days as a U.S. Senator--36 years among wonderful 
colleagues--I urge Congress to support the National Endowment for the 
Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of 
Museum Services at a level where they can fulfill their potential and 
continue to bring American culture to all Americans. I hope to hear 
that the issues that are preventing the reauthorization of the programs 
of these agencies will be resolved amicably in the 105th Congress.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a letter to the chairman 
of the Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                                  U.S. Senate,

                                    Washington, DC, June 18, 1996.
     Senator Slade Gorton,
     Chairman, Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Slade: As the appropriations process for fiscal year 
     1997 begins in the Senate, we wanted to take a moment to 
     share with you our strong commitment to supporting continued 
     funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the 
     National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute 
     for Museum Services (IMS). As you know, this issue of 
     continued federal funding for the arts and humanities is one 
     of great importance to us--one which was successfully 
     resolved last year, in large part due to your leadership in 
     working out the differences between the House and the Senate.
       As you recall, last July, the Labor and Human Resource 
     Committee passed a bill to reauthorize the National 
     Endowments for the Arts and Humanities and the Institute for 
     Museum and Library Services--by a vote of 12-4. This strong 
     show of bi-partisan support, we believe, demonstrates a 
     continued sentiment on the part of the Senate to fund these 
     agencies. Therefore, we strongly support your efforts to 
     include appropriations for the NEA, NEH and IMS for the 
     upcoming fiscal year and hope that we might see an increase 
     over last fiscal year's appropriations for these agencies--
     enabling each one to continue the important job of making the 
     arts and humanities more accessible to people all across our 
     nation.
       We recognize that you will face many difficult decisions in 
     the weeks ahead, and ask only that you continue to keep in 
     mind the positive and valuable effect that arts and 
     humanities projects have in all of our respective States. The 
     Senate's commitment to federal support will ensure that arts 
     and humanities programs, activities and exhibitions will 
     continue to be available in local communities--engaging and 
     educating individuals of all ages--in addition to making an 
     enormous contribution to expanding and enriching our nation's 
     cultural heritage and artistic traditions.
       We are grateful for your support of the reauthorization of 
     the National Endowments as well as your leadership in 
     managing the Interior Appropriations bill last year, and look 
     forward to working with you again this year.
           Sincerely,
         Jim Jeffords, John Chafee, Al Simpson, Bill Frist, Jay 
           Rockefeller, Barbara A. Mikulski, Frank R. Lautenberg, 
           Paul D. Wellstone, Carol Moseley-Braun, Claiborne Pell, 
           John Glenn, ------, Barbara Boxer, J. Lieberman, John 
           Breaux, Bill Bradley, ------, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, 
           Carl Levin, Bob Kerry, Wendell H. Ford, ------, Charles 
           S. Robb, Olympia J. Snowe, ------, Patrick J. Leahy, 
           Christopher J. Dodd, Ron Wyden, Daniel K. Akaka, ------
           , Thomas A. Daschle

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