[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12762-12763]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, August 1, 2011

  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the 
millions of Americans employed through our nation's vibrant arts 
sector. I stand in opposition to the unreasonable cuts proposed in Mr. 
Walberg's amendment to H.R. 2584, the Department of the Interior, 
Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2012. Both the 
amendment and the underlying bill propose irresponsible cuts to the 
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
  To understand the rich history of federal funding for the arts, one 
need look no further than my home state of Florida. From our State 
Library's extensive archives of folksongs documenting the history of 
Florida's multicultural fishing communities, the exquisite Depression-
era murals that tell the history of Florida along the walls of our 
Federal Courthouse in Tallahassee, to Key West's intricate Hurricane 
Memorial down south, evidence of the positive impact of federally 
supported art projects abound throughout Florida.
  Federal funding for the arts began during a time of great economic 
hardship in our country, under President Roosevelt's New Deal. During 
the Great Depression, artists were among the tens of millions of 
Americans out of work. They were able to get back to work through vital 
federal arts programs of the day. A significant portion of the 
materials documenting Florida's New Deal arts projects are housed in my 
home district, in the Broward County Library's Bienes Museum of the 
Modern Book. This collection contains hundreds of vintage Florida 
tourism posters and postcards created by artists employed by the 
Federal Arts Program (FAP), and visual aids produced for use in schools 
across the country.
  The words of President Roosevelt's director of the FAP, Harry 
Hopkins, ring just as true today as they did in 1939 when he said of 
artists struggling during the Depression, ``Hell, they have to eat 
too.'' The arts are not just a nice thing to have on display or 
something to do if there's free time, or if one can afford it. Arts 
jobs are real jobs, and today, more than ever, the arts are an economic 
engine in our communities.
  My Congressional district is home to at least 2,800 arts-related 
businesses that employ 10,000 people. In this time of economic 
hardship, we know that the arts community has been affected deeply--
forced to shed jobs and lose critical donations from the private 
sector.
  I hear my colleagues across the aisle say that the arts can and 
should be supported by the private sector and philanthropy alone. 
However, federal support for the arts plays a critical role in 
leveraging private funding. On average, each NEA grant leverages at 
least seven dollars from other state, local, and private sources. 
Private support cannot match the leveraging role of government cultural 
funding. In our current economic climate when private donations are far 
harder to come by, this public seed money is more important than ever.

[[Page 12763]]

  The NEA facilitates essential public-private partnerships through its 
grants and initiatives. Thanks to NEA support, previously underserved 
rural and inner city communities across the country are seeing a 
resurgence of cultural opportunities, which in turn increases tourism 
and attracts business. The arts have been shown to be a successful and 
sustainable strategy for revitalizing rural areas, inner cities and 
populations struggling with poverty. Arts organizations purchase goods 
and services that help local merchants thrive. Last year alone, arts 
tourism contributed more than $192 billion to the U.S. economy. Arts 
audiences spend money--more than $100 billion a year--on admissions, 
transportation, food, lodging and souvenirs that boost local economies.
  Across the country, we see the positive impact of the arts on our 
students and families; yet, this bill proposes cuts to the NEA that 
will negatively affect thousands of children, young adults, and seniors 
engaged in lifelong learning.
  As a legislator of more than 18 years and as a mother of three, I 
have seen time and again the tremendous impact art has on the 
developmental growth of children. It helps level the learning playing 
field without regard to socioeconomic boundaries. Students engaged in 
the arts perform better academically across the board and the NEA plays 
a crucial role in enhancing arts education across the country.
  Children exposed to the arts are also more likely to do better in 
math, reading, and foreign languages. I will always support funding for 
arts in education because I know it is critical to America winning the 
future. An innovative country depends on ensuring that everyone has 
access to the arts and to cultural opportunity. We must guarantee that 
all children who believe in their talent are able to see a way to 
create a future for themselves in the arts community, be it as a hobby 
or as a profession.
  Ever since our nation's founding, the inspired works of our artists 
and artisans have reflected the ingenuity, creativity, independence and 
beauty of our country. Federal support for the arts has helped preserve 
our cultural legacies for generations and we must protect its ability 
to do so in the years to come. The art our culture produces defines who 
we are as a people and provides an essential account of our history for 
future generations of Americans.
  I urge my colleagues to stand against these irresponsible cuts to the 
NEA, which provides essential support for arts education and the arts 
community. Federal support for the arts keeps people employed and puts 
more Americans back to work. Now is certainly not the time to falter on 
our commitment to our nation's dynamic arts sector.

                          ____________________