Madam Chairman, I rise in strong support of the amendment to increase funding for the NEA and the NEH. Without this amendment, the continued flat funding the President requested this year will really amount to another cut. I wish we could return to the days of the first President Bush when the arts were funded at $175 million. The amount we are asking for today amounts to little more than a comma in the budget, a rounding error when compared to Federal spending in other areas such as defense.

Whether it is the educational value, the cultural enrichment, or the substantial economic windfall the arts and humanities create, the NEA and the NEH are two of the best investments this Nation makes. When we shortchange the NEA, we ignore the $134 billion in business that the arts generate, the 4.8 million jobs, the $89.4 billion in household income, and the $25 billion in tax revenues. A recent RAND study noted the importance of the intrinsic benefit of the arts for individuals and communities.

This modest amount asks only to restore the funding level the House supported last year, but that was stripped during conference. It is the very least we should do today. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and to vote against any attempts to slash funding from the arts and humanities that may be offered in other amendments.