Image by VALERY HACHE/Getty Images

If there is one thing those of us who oppose Trump can celebrate about the man and his presidency, it is his propensity to abandon proposals he had previously championed — like completely dismantling Obamacare or putting Hillary Clinton in prison, to name a few. His administration’s new budget blueprint, which excludes, for instance, funding for a border wall, is a perfect example.

Not long ago, the Trump administration promised a budget that would entirely defund the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and the National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH). In other words, the federal budget, as Trump, the Heritage Foundation, and other right-wing organizations and individuals around the country conceived it, would have signaled the end of the government’s interest in the cultural wellbeing of its country.

But, thanks to the, uh, flexibility of the Trump administration, the Fiscal 2018 budget blueprint not only includes funding for the CPB, but also increases the (still diminutive) funding for the NEH and NEA by $2 million, total.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Arguments for keeping the NEA, the potential defunding of which garnered widespread public attention, came from both sides of the aisle. It’s worth remembering, though, that the eradication of the NEA has long been a goal of the more rightwing factions of the political spectrum, due to a preference for small government, a misunderstanding of the purpose of art, and somewhat puritanical concerns regarding certain NEA-funded pieces.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount