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January 20, 2022

Dear Chairwoman DeLauro, Chairman Leahy, Ranking Member Granger, and Vice Chairman Shelby,

I write to convey the urgency of passing a Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 appropriations bill that funds the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) at $201 million each and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) at $565 million. These funding levels were passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in July 2021. 

Many union creative professionals earn their living working on nonprofit productions and in performances that receive funding from the NEA, NEH, and CPB. As such, passing a government spending bill with federal arts funding at the above stated levels is a priority for the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) and our 12 affiliate unions that represent professionals working in the arts, entertainment, and media industries. 

Funding the NEA and NEH at $201 million and CPB at $565 million means that these agencies can reach more Americans with their vital missions. Through grants, seed money, and technical support, the NEA, NEH, and CPB ensure that Americans of all means, geographies, and abilities have access to artistic and educational content. NEA, NEH, and CPB-funded programs help veterans heal from the invisible scars of war, inspire the next generation of creators and innovators, and deliver content that unites people across small towns and big cities. In addition, the nonprofit arts sector is a proving ground where people wanting to work in the commercial parts of the arts, entertainment, and media industries can establish their careers.

 Increased NEA, NEH, and CPB funding will also allow the agencies to help support more jobs for more people in every congressional district. That is because the nonprofit arts community helps power a sector that supports over five million jobs, including, as previously noted, jobs for many of our members. These funding levels are also an important step toward restoring the NEA to an inflation-adjusted full funding level of $331 million, or $1 per capita.

This is a critical moment for helping ensure that creative professionals can get back to work in the wake of the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act and American Rescue Plan helped creative professionals get through the worst of the pandemic, and allowed them to start to get back on stage and return to sets, but the reality is that industry employment remains below pre-pandemic levels. Increased NEA, NEH, and CPB funding will help ensure that professionals working in the arts and public media can fully recover from the pandemic.

 Passing an FY 2022 appropriations bill with increased funding for the NEA, NEH, and CPB will also help the economy as a whole continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Arts audiences spend an estimated $31.47 per person, per event, beyond the cost of admission, on lodging, restaurants, clothing, transportation, and other goods and services - the type of establishments that need the draw of more customers to their doorsteps. 

 In sum, increased funding for the NEA, NEH, and CPB is an investment that helps union creative professionals earn a living, while enriching the lives of everyday Americans and bolstering local economies. It is for this reason that I ask you to pass an FY22 appropriations bill that provides the NEA and NEH with $201 million in funding and the CPB with $565 million in funding. 

 If you have any questions, please contact DPE Assistant to the President/Legislative Director Michael Wasser at mwasser@dpeaflcio.org

                                                     Sincerely,  

Jennifer Dorning, President