As part of a plan that will reduce federal spending by $10.5 trillion over 10 years, Trump’s budget proposal will reportedly see the elimination of both the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the privatization of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The NEA has long been a target for conservatives. Ronald Reagan considered cutting all funding for the agency during his presidency in the 1980s; more recently, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan called for its elimination in his proposed 2015 budget. Though the NEA has endured, years of political controversy during the culture wars of the 1990s saw harsh cuts in funding. Today, the NEA represents a miniscule fraction of federal discretionary spending—its budget of $146 million makes up just .012% of such funds. Even as reports swirl that Trump will do away with the NEA entirely, he has yet to name a director for the agency. Bolton, A. (2017/01/19). Trump team prepares dramatic cuts...
