Democrats have saved arts funding, at least for now. Yet Trump and the Republicans still have their heart set on de-funding the arts, the CPB, and NPR.
Before Donald Trump entered the White House, his transition team promised to privatize the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Top media outlets, including NPR and Media Matters, heavily criticized the move. According to them, the US would lose an effective national teaching tool. It would also compromise the country’s civil defense and emergency alert system.
Now, Democrats may have “saved the day” for the arts. At least for now.
To keep the government funded for the current fiscal year, Democrats made several moves to save the arts from Donald Trump’s cuts.
They added provisions to fund PBS, NPR, the CPB, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEH). These agencies have been spared from cuts until September 2017. President Trump had planned to defund these organizations, or make “drastic cuts,” to boost spending on Homeland Security and the Department of Defense.
+ Does the World Really Need NPR?
The spending bill on the surface appears more of a temporary reprieve, however. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) of the House Freedom Caucus told CNN,
“We’ll see how it plays out this week but I think you’re going to see conservatives have some real concerns with this legislation.”
On May 22nd, Trump will introduce his own proposal for the federal budget. The budget may include reversals for arts-related agencies, climate change, and passenger rail service funding. Trump has vowed to make “drastic changes” to funding that go to these agencies.
Speaking to The Independent about possible upcoming cuts, Michael Montgomery, a Detroit-based consultant, said,
“[The budget cuts serve as] warning shot… to NEA, NEH, CBP and their grantees that they should be more sensitive to the political and cultural sensitivities of the broader Trump constituency or be prepared to suffer the budgetary consequences.”
As of this writing, the CPB hasn’t issued any comment over the temporary reprieve. Earlier this year, they warned that any cuts would have devastating effects on the public.
In 1789, the US government was firmly established. The purpose of government was to protect us from foreign invasion, domestic violence and our rights, that’s it.
It was not created to educate, or baby us. We were doing fine until FDR screwed it up with social security act in 1935, but obviously as we all know that there’s nothing secure about social security. It’s failing.
I was educated in the public education system and the only thing I really got out of it, was reading, writing , math, bit of history and music of course, everything else was a complete waste of time.
It’s been proven that the government does not do a good job being our educator and parent.
These programs that are mentioned are run with the government interest only. Don’t rely on them, there are better private schools out there where you can learn the arts.
musicoverlord.com
Sorry to hear that the public school system taught you (and everyone who wants it) reading, writing, math, and music. Nasty old public school system!