Date: 2007-06-26
Speaker: GINNY BROWN-WAITE (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Flor

ida. Mr. Chairman. I offer this amendment today to cut the pay raise that is included in the bill for the National Endowment For the Arts. Mr. Chairman. we have many problems facing us in Congress today. We have a Federal deficit of $8.8 trillion. We still havent built the fence along the border. and we still dont have enough people out there protecting our borders. Yet. my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are pushing forward bills that would amount to the largest tax increase for Americans in American history. As a matter of fact. in my district. in Florida. it will mean about a $2.400 tax increase. not this year. but in the future years. in 2 years. when some of the tax breaks expire. Thats $2.400 more that my constituents will have to pay. And now we hear that they want to fluff up the National Endowment For the Arts by almost $36 million more. Thats more than last year. This is the same public tax dollar funded National Endowment of the Arts that boasts that they are the largest funding organization for arts in the United States. using our tax dollars. of course. This is the same NEA that provided a grant for the production of the Dinner Party. which is a 140foot triangle depicting the imagined genitalia of 39 historically important women. including -Susan B. Anthony and Georgia OKeefe. This. Mr. Chairman. is the same NEA that provided a grant for a program entitled. "Not For Republicans." which. addressed several topics. including sex with Newt Gingrichs mom. To the average American taxpayer. this is not art. This is smut. The National Endowment of the Arts has funded works of art. and I put "art" in quotes. that are so controversial. offending and downright disgusting that. quite honestly. I could not mention them on the House floor. 0i 2030 And for their work in promoting this smut. the leadership. the Democrat leadership. now wants to reward the NEA by giving them a $36 million raise over last year and a $32 million raise over what the President has requested. Thats right. The NEA was funded at $125 million last year. the President requested $128 million dollars. yet in this bill. in the Interior Appropriations bill. we see that the NEA will be funded at $160 million dollars. How many Americans get almost a 40 percent pay raise for offending most of the Nation? This is the case of reward-. ing bad behavior with tax dollars. My amendment strikes only the increase included in this bill and brings the funding back in line with the Presidents request of $128 million. Again. let me remind my colleagues that this is a $3 million increase if we go back to the Presidents level. Mr. Chairman. Americans need art in their lives and I recognize art is subjective enjoyment. Whenever possible. back in my district. I support the arts. but I do it with my dollars. not with tax dollars. where the average American does not agree with some of the "art" that is being funded with their tax dollars. Americans are tired of wasteful Washington spending and are unwilling to pay for this socalled art with their tax dollars. Dont reward the National Endowment for polishing trash and call it art. Vote in favor of my amendment to bring NEA funding back to the Presidents level of $128 million. Again. that is even $3 million more than last year. Mr.. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.