[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 32 (Thursday, March 13, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E469]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




[[Page E469]]



                  THE NEA NEEDS OUR CONTINUING SUPPORT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK PALLONE

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 13, 1997

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the important role 
that the arts and humanities play in communities throughout our 
country.
  As a strong proponent of the arts and as a member of the 
Congressional Arts Caucus, I believe that slashing funding for the 
National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the 
Humanities would be an irreversible blow to the arts and humanities in 
America. These influential agencies encourage lifelong learning, 
promote participation within civic organizations, and preserve our 
country's cultural and intellectual heritage.
  The National Endowment for the Arts continues to lead all other arts 
organizations in encouraging the expansion of American art. The NEA 
strives to support excellence in our disparate American society. This 
organization fosters new design initiatives, encourages a renewed 
interest in dance, opera, and literature, and assists in the growth of 
new and previously established museums. In addition, the NEA remains a 
staunch advocate of arts in education. Studies illustrate that a 
student's desire to learn is facilitated by the mere presence of arts 
in the curriculum.
  As a Congressman representing New Jersey's sixth district, I have 
seen, first hand, how the NEA has directly benefited my constituents. 
The NEA provided a $6,000 grant to the George Street Playhouse, located 
in New Brunswick, a city that has been revitalized due to the explosion 
of the arts community. This $6,000 grant helps support the Touring 
Theater which reaches over 70,000 New Jersey students through issue-
oriented plays. These plays use theater as a vehicle to discuss both 
personal and social issues facing the youth of today.
  Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey also received a $12,500 
grant from the NEA, to help fund a graduate-level internship in the 
Department of Prints and Drawings at the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art 
Museum, located on the Rutgers campus which is also in my district.
  In New Jersey alone, the National Endowment for Humanities, in 
conjunction with the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, provided a 
$525,000 grant making it possible for scholars at Rutgers University to 
edit Thomas Edison's notes for publication. A challenge grant from the 
NEH totalling $550,000, has allowed the New Jersey Historical Society 
to raise $2.2 million in private funds to renovate the building that 
contains its collections. The NEH also provided programs that enable 
Americans nationwide to participate in political, social, and cultural 
programs. Without funding to the NEH, New Jersey residents would not 
have access to free videotapes, radio programs, and traveling exhibits.
  Supporting current funding levels for the NEA costs each 
taxpayer approximately 70 cents per year. A mere one-hundredth of 1 
percent of the national budget goes towards these organizations. 
Federal funding for the arts and humanities has provided Americans with 
more than 1.3 million jobs. The new jobs in turn pump hundreds of 
thousands of dollars into our local economies. For every dollar that 
the NEA spends, $11 is generated in the form of tourism, hotels, 
restaurants, and cultural community activity. If our Government cuts 
funding and decides to privatize the NEA and NEH, only the large 
agencies and institutions would survive. The smaller institutions, on 
the other hand, would suffer an untimely demise without the necessary 
Federal funding.

  These nonprofit organizations generate close to $37 billion in 
economic activity in America while supporting 1.3 million jobs. In 
addition, the arts typically produce $3.4 billion for the Federal 
Government in the form of income taxes, $1.2 billion in State 
government revenue, and $790 million in local government revenue. New 
Jersey's flourishing art community benefits greatly from the continued 
assistance from the NEA and NEH. New Jersey's 47,000 professional 
resident artists, and 800 cultural organizations provide approximately 
15 million people with the opportunity to experience the arts in New 
Jersey. Close to 2.3 million school children benefit from arts projects 
that include student matinees, study guides, and classroom workshops.
  The youth of today need art to help express themselves. As this 
year's cochair of the Congressional Art Competition, I know the 
importance of art in our daily lives.
  ``An Artistic Discovery'' provides our youth with the opportunity to 
express their creative spirits. This unique, nationwide high school 
competition brings students together from all over the United States to 
celebrate the arts and their importance in our society.
  The students' passion for the arts, epitomized in their work that 
brightens the Cannon Tunnel, makes a statement to the millions of 
visitors who pass through the tunnel that connects the Cannon Building 
with the U.S. Capitol.
  The arts provide channels for emotional expression, and a chance for 
experimentation. Without the arts, our society would be devoid of all 
imagination. The arts permeate our culture and speak in a language all 
their own.
  We need to support our national endowments, as well as all other 
vehicles that generate art that enriches our lives. Continued support 
for these institutions can expose our communities to diverse and even 
necessary schools of thought. These agencies help provide our country 
with a living record of civilization and society. The NEA and NEH 
stimulate local economies, preserve our national heritage, and 
encourage educational enrichment programs.
  I urge my fellow colleagues to vote against slashing funding for the 
National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities, and to help ensure the 
survival of the arts in our society today.

                          ____________________