The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) were each recommended to receive $207 million from the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Committee on June 28, 2022, which is $6.3 million and $3.45 million more than President Biden had requested for each organization. Following a significant hearing on the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Budget Request for the Arts and Humanities, this $27 million increase in funding from Fiscal Year 2022 legislated levels was granted. Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (Chairwoman, D-ME), Congressman David Joyce (Ranking Member, R-OH), and Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson (13th Chair, NEA), Ms. Shelly Lowe (12th Chair, NEH), and Ms. Kaywin Feldman (Director, National Gallery), among others, testified at a bipartisan hearing on June 8, 2022.

The hearing mainly covered issues like fair funding allocation for the humanities and arts (with a focus on underrepresented and rural regions), the increasingly common link between the arts and health, educational initiatives, historical preservation, and global representation and awareness. The NEA’s intentions to build the Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, which is run in collaboration with Americans for the Arts, a pioneer of the National Initiative for Arts & Health Across the Military, were also covered by Chair Jackson.

With the impending FY23 budget, Chairs Jackson and Lowe discussed with the committee their plans to establish new Diversity Chairs at the NEA and the NEH. Additionally, NEH Chair Lowe intends to establish an Office of Outreach and an Office of Data and Evaluation within the NEH, while NEA Chair Jackson is pursuing an Equity Action Plan. Involvement with historically underserved communities and the creation of opportunity for underrepresented groups are the goals of both projects. Chairwoman Pingree vigorously promoted NEA and NEH funding throughout the session in her opening remarks.

The focus now shifts to the Senate where the appropriations process has yet to begin for NEA and NEH funding.