Sorry to say this, but our congressfolk (with the exception of Andy Jacobs)
seem to respond only to one tack:  MONEY.

I would stress the number of jobs the arts/humanities provide, the tax base
they attract, the hotel rooms they sell, the products the industry
"consumes", etc.  Both Illinois (state of) and Indianapolis (Arts Council)
have done studies with many quotable statistics, and I'm sure other
states/cities have done so as well.

Also, I would stress that public funding leverages private funding, and
private funders look to public funders for the "quality stamp" they
require.

Finally, I would stress that without public funding many arts events and
institutions would go under, leaving the congressfolk without anything to
attend to canvass people with money for contributions to re-election
campaigns.

Again, sorry to be so cynical but I have been hammering my head against the
congressional wall (so to speak) for a number of years and I've gotten very
discouraged.

Julia Moore