Congressional leaders rejected the Trump administration's proposal to eliminate money for federal arts programs, providing a small increase as part of a bipartisan spending deal. President Trump, in his budget, had proposed eliminating all federal money for the NEA and the NEH, generating an intense lobbying campaign by arts supporters. Most NEA funds go to support community arts groups in all 50 states, with rural, Republican-leaning states topping the lists of spending per person. As a result, arts programs have a strong constituency in Congress, especially on the appropriations committees that dole out spending. Mulvaney and his allies in the most conservative wing of the GOP have tried to cut money for arts programs in the past with no success.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 01, 2017 16:28 UTC