Did you know that in 2002, taxpayers funded a $10,000 grant that went to support the Arctic Chamber Orchestra's tour through rural Alaska? The government agency that administered the funding is the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1965 and received about $146 million in appropriations last year.
Congress has tried to defund the NEA before, and this week's edition of The Taxpayer's Tab features the latest version of such legislation, introduced by Representative Matt Salmon (R-AZ). H.R. 5090 was introduced as part of the Congressman's "Shrinking Our Spending" (SOS) initiative, and would prohibit any future funding of the NEA.
Also featured this week:
- Most Expensive: Congressman Matt Cartwright (D-PA) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced the VARIETY Act, which would refund 30 cents of every SNAP dollar used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables in order to encourage healthier eating habits. H.R. 4904 would cost about $824 million per year.
- Wildcard: Senator Chris Coons' Manufacturing Universities Act would offer additional federal funding to American colleges and universities that develop engineering programs with a special focus on manufacturing applications. S. 2719 would cost about $125 million per year.
- Farewell, interns: NTUF had the pleasure of hosting 11 interns this summer, all of whom helped us research legislation and write about our findings. Find out more about them and our internship program!