Congress rejects Trump cuts, restores NEA and NEH funding

The House passed a three-bill appropriations package Jan. 8, 2026, by a 397-28 vote that includes $207 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for fiscal year 2026. The overwhelming bipartisan vote rejected President Trump's May 2025 budget proposal to eliminate both agencies. The Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy-Water, and Interior-Environment appropriations package moved to the Senate. The Senate advanced it 80-13 on Jan. 12 and passed it Jan. 14. Trump signed it into law Jan. 16, 2026.

President Trump's FY 2026 budget proposal, released May 2, 2025, called for eliminating the NEA, NEH, and Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The proposal would've ended federal funding for arts and humanities programs that distribute grants to organizations, artists, scholars, and state agencies in all 50 states. Trump proposed similar cuts during his first term but Congress rejected them. The NEA has operated since 1965 with bipartisan congressional support. The last time Congress seriously considered eliminating NEA was 1995, during the Gingrich-era Republican majority. Even then, the agency survived.

During Trump's first term (2017-2020), Congress not only rebuffed his proposals to eliminate NEA and NEH but actually increased funding for both agencies. FY 2017 funding was $150 million each. By FY 2020 it had grown to $162.5 million each. The FY 2021 omnibus raised it to $167.5 million. Subsequent appropriations brought it to the current $207 million level for FY 2025. This pattern shows consistent bipartisan congressional support for arts and humanities funding despite presidential opposition. Republicans representing rural districts often support NEA because it funds local arts programs in their communities.

The NEA distributes grants to nonprofit arts organizations, individual artists, and state arts agencies across all 50 states and U.S. territories. In FY 2024, NEA funded over 2,400 projects ranging from orchestras and theaters to rural arts programs and arts education in underserved communities. The NEH funds humanities research, documentary preservation, museum exhibitions, educational programs, and state humanities councils. Both agencies leverage federal dollars to attract private matching funds, multiplying impact. In 2024, NEA grants generated an estimated $9 in private matching funds for every $1 of federal money.

Arts and humanities advocates warned that eliminating NEA and NEH would devastate cultural programs, especially in rural and low-income areas where federal grants are critical. The Federation of State Humanities Councils said elimination would jeopardize local cultural programs nationwide. NEA grants often provide seed funding that helps organizations attract additional private donations. Many small arts organizations in rural areas rely on NEA grants for 20-30% of their annual budgets. Without federal seed money, they can't leverage private or corporate donations. Advocates argued that eliminating NEA would effectively shut down hundreds of community arts programs.

The Jan. 2026 appropriations bill maintains FY 2025 funding levels of $207 million for NEA and $207 million for NEH. This represents flat funding, not an increase. It reflects a compromise between those seeking increases and Trump's elimination proposal. The bill funds these agencies through Sept. 30, 2026 (the end of FY 2026). Arts advocates are lobbying Congress to increase funding in FY 2027 to offset inflation. At $207 million, FY 2026 funding is actually lower in real dollars than FY 2025 due to inflation.

Trump hasn't publicly stated whether he'll veto future appropriations bills that fund NEA and NEH. During his first term, he signed appropriations bills that funded both agencies despite opposing them. The 397-28 House vote suggests a potential veto-proof majority (290 votes needed to override). The Senate's 80-13 vote is also veto-proof (67 votes needed). Senate Majority Leader John Thune hasn't commented on Trump's position. Arts advocates are lobbying Trump to sign the bill and Congress to sustain funding in future appropriations. If Trump vetoes, Congress would likely override.