Two Congressional appropriations subcommittees have come out with
funding recommendations and the news is mixed.

On the Senate side, a panel recommended $46 million for the Informal
Science Education program at the National Science Foundation, an
increase of $10 million.

On the House side, the Interior approps subcommittee released its
figures for the Office of Museum Services within IMLS, the National
Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Here is what it recommended:

for OMS, a very small increase of just $125,000 to keep up with rising
costs.  Total budget for the agency would be $23.405 million.  We had
hoped for more.

for NEA, nothing at all.  This was expected though annoying.

for NEH, level funding (neither an increase nor a decrease) at $110.7
million.

There is a very complicated parliamentary situation around NEA but the
long and short of it is that we expect a "clean" up-or-down roll-call
vote on the floor of the full House, possibly as early as the July 4
recess.  Regardless of the House, the Senate still has to make its move,
and then the two chambers will have to reconcile their recommendations.
Overall, we are optimistic that the NEA will come through.

On another note, if anybody wants to hear about my experiences trying to
get an entry-level job on Capitol Hill, just let me know.  But it's not
a pretty story.

Andy Finch
AAM Government Affairs
[log in to unmask]

CLEARLY NOT AN OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION