Department Of The Interior, Environment, And Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008

Floor Speech

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 -- (Extensions of Remarks - June 28, 2007)

The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2643) making appropriations for the Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes:

* Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the Lamborn Amendment, which would cut all funding in the underlying bill for the National Endowment for the Arts.

* The NEA has been shortchanged for far too long, and it's time to ensure that it has the resources necessary to carry out its mission of supporting excellence in the arts, bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education.

* Since 1996, Congress has forced the NEA to meet the ever growing demands of our communities on a shoestring budget. Despite gross underfunding, the NEA has continued to promote arts and culture across the country.

* With the able leadership of my good friends Rep. Slaughter and Rep. Shays, co-chairs of the Congressional Arts Caucus, we've been making steady progress every year in getting back to the appropriate level of funding for the NEA. This amendment represents an enormous and simply unthinkable step backwards for the Arts in our country.

* Madam Chairman, I strongly oppose the Lamborn Amendment and urge my colleagues to do the same.

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