Many of the worrisome promises Donald Trump made during his candidacy are proving difficult for the President to follow through on in the ways he hoped–take, for example, the endlessly-hyped replacement for The Affordable Care Act which has been thoroughly opposed by both civilians and politicians on either side of the aisle since its reveal. But while our inexperienced new President is discovering that making things happen takes more work than simply talking about them at a rally, this hasn’t stopped him from trying to push through an overwhelming amount of highly controversial executive orders and legislation in the early months of his term.
The most recent wave of public outrage at Trump’s reactionary policies is directed toward his newly introduced budget proposal. The proposed plan includes the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities and several other organizations that do invaluable work as benefactors of creativity and arts education. Trump’s proposal marks the first time a president has called for ending these longstanding endowments, which were signed into law over 50 years ago by President Lyndon Johnson. Whether occupied by a Republican or a Democrat, our nation’s highest office has always understood the fact that any “advanced civilization” must fully value the arts, the humanities, and cultural activity.
While the combined annual budgets of both endowments — about $300 million — comprise a negligible fraction of the proposed $1.1 trillion in annual discretionary spending, grants awarded by these agencies have served as deeply valued financial lifelines and contributed to highly coveted honors for artists, musicians, writers and scholars for decades. In other words, these cuts are purely a PR move for President Trump, and a senselessly damaging one at that. Trump wants to show that he is going to be hard on federal spending and eliminate government projects he deems “wasteful,” but in reality these cuts will make a virtually inconsequential difference to the bottom line. What the cuts will accomplish, however, is crippling several organizations that do undeniable good in their support of the arts and commitment to a vibrant American culture.
However, the President alone does not decide the budget–it has to go through Congress first. Arts groups have already begun a furious lobbying campaign to press Republicans in Congress to save the endowments. The House of Representatives will draft a budget in the coming months, and arts groups have already begun focusing their lobbying efforts on the issue. The Association of Art Museum Directors issued one of the first statements denouncing the president’s plan and urging Congress to save the endowments. According to the association’s president Brian Ferriso in the New York Times, “I’m sort of dumbstruck. I’m hopeful that Congress will take the time to say, ‘Hey, wait a second. We need these cultural elements to our society.’”
All you musicians, music fans, and patrons of the arts out there may be asking yourselves, “what can I do to help stop this madness?” The answer is simple: It’s time to speak up. As Teresa Eyring of advocacy organization the Theatre Communications Group told the New York Times, “This is the beginning of a long road. Now advocates and people in the arts community will communicate with their legislators and really try to make clear the value of this relatively modest but very important investment in our country through the arts.”
Don’t let the Trump administration devalue and dismantle the artistry and creativity that is the backbone of American culture. Call your congressmen today (and every day) and demand that they protect the invaluable endowments that are under attack by the President. The power is in your hands.
You can head here to find out how to contact your Representatives and let them know that you value the arts. We urge you not to go quietly. Let Trump and his administration know that you support the arts, and they should too.
[via The New York Times]
[Cover Photo via Business Insider]