Home | WebMail | Register or Login

      Calgary | Regions | Local Traffic Report | Advertise on Action News | Contact

Sign Up

Sign Up

Please fill this form to create an account.

Already have an account? Login here.

Posted: 2017-05-02T19:07:42Z | Updated: 2017-05-02T19:07:42Z

WASHINGTON Arts organizations won a major victory this week with increases for arts funding in the congressional budget agreement a rebuke of President Donald Trumps proposal to gut federal support .

The bill to keep the government operating until September, expected to pass both chambers of Congress later this week, allocates $150 million each to the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities $2 million more than the previous year. It preserves the current level of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The Trump administration in March proposed gutting funding for the three entities, prompting arts groups around the country to lobby lawmakers and hold rallies. Congress budget agreement also increased funding for science research , another area where Trump proposed deep cuts.

Many of Trumps proposals, including funding for a border wall, his signature campaign issue, were not included in the bill, reflecting limited bargaining power on Capitol Hill that contradicts his assertion that he makes the best deals.

Republican lawmakers likely would have faced consequences going along with Trumps arts cuts because federal funds provide significant financial support in small towns and rural areas places that tend to vote for the GOP.