ABC News(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump’s proposal to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts is “shortsighted and alarming,” according to the music industry’s largest organization of recording professionals.
The @WhiteHouse proposal to eliminate funding for the National Endowment for the Arts is shortsighted and alarming #SupportMusic #SavetheNEA https://t.co/Qtop7RNGTk
— Recording Academy (@RecordingAcad) March 16, 2017
“Music and art serve as one of America’s greatest exports, and support jobs for creators in cities, towns and rural areas across the country,” Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement. “The White House proposal to eliminate funding for the National Endowment for the Arts is shortsighted and alarming.”
The NEA is an independent agency of the federal government that funds artistic projects. It was created by an act of Congress in 1965.
Portnow also addressed the impact that the arts has on the economy and culture at large. “The modest support that we provide to music and the arts is returned many times over, whether measured in jobs and economic impact, or sheer cultural enrichment and introspection,” he said.
The Academy “will ask Congress to maintain funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and renew our commitment to America’s creators,” Portnow added.
NEA chairman Jane Chu was a bit more tempered with her words, saying she is “disappointed” with the proposal in Trump’s $1.15 trillion budget, which was released Thursday.
A statement from our chair @NEAJaneChu on the FY 18 budget https://t.co/xB0OntCJZT
— Nat’l Endow f/t Arts (@NEAarts) March 16, 2017
“We are disappointed because we see our funding actively making a difference with individuals of all ages in thousands of communities, large, small, urban and rural, and in every Congressional District in the nation,” Chu said in a statement. “We understand that the President’s budget request is a first step in a very long budget process; as part of that process we are working with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to prepare information they have requested. At this time, the NEA continues to operate as usual and will do so until a new budget is enacted by Congress.”
Hollywood also reacted, with a slew of actors and actresses taking to Twitter to slam the president’s proposal.
JAMIE LEE CURTIS
After all the wars are fought what remains are people, art, nature and culture. Trump can try but he cannot cut us out of the picture.
— Jamie Lee Curtis (@jamieleecurtis) March 16, 2017
ROSIE PEREZ
Outrageous! Proposed cuts also hurts our public schools in addition to many our important issues. Yet #Trump says he’s for the “people”. https://t.co/VupIFj8Okh
— Rosie Perez (@rosieperezbklyn) March 16, 2017
BILLY EICHNER
Trump cutting funding to SESAME STREET but Melania has all the taxpayer money she needs to stay in her penthouse in NYC. #JusticeForBigBird
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) March 16, 2017
RAINN WILSON
My budget takes 50 billion AWAY from the military and adds it to the EPA and the NEA & healthcare for the poor
— RainnWilson (@rainnwilson) March 16, 2017
CHRISTINA APPLEGATE
Save @PBSKIDS @PBS! The only shows my kid is allowed to watch! She knows more about dinosaurs than anyone I know! Disgraceful WH!
— christina applegate (@1capplegate) March 16, 2017
KAL PENN
Proposed Trump #SkinnyBudget eliminates @NEAarts. Tell your representative we need to #SAVEtheNEA. More here: https://t.co/oFscNGDM6v
— Kal Penn (@kalpenn) March 16, 2017
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