Cultural Alliance of Southeastern MI: HELP STOP DRASTIC NEA CUTS

The following message was sent out today by CASM (the Cultural Alliance of Southeastern MI) to their email distribution list:

WE NEED YOUR HELP TODAY TO HELP STOP DRASTIC NEA CUTS

AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS reports that overnight Sunday the House Appropriations Committee made even deeper cuts to the NEA and dozens of other programs and agencies. The proposed cut to the NEA is now set at $22.5 million (yesterday it was $12 million) which would represent the largest cut to that agency in 16 years.

A key paragraph in yesterday's Washington Post story covering these budget cuts explains what is happening: The Republican Study Committee, "Its ranks swollen with enthusiastic freshman who have never taken calls from constituents angry about loss of a favored program...threatened to oppose the package on the House floor next week unless deeper cuts were adopted."

It is quite possible these members of the Republican Study Committee will offer amendments to fully eliminate the NEA during floor consideration. We need you to send a message to your Members calling on them to reject these cuts to the NEA because they will negatively affect the district back home.

By taking two minutes today to send a customizable message through the Americas for the Arts E-Advocacy Center, we will automatically send letters on your behalf to both your Senators and your House Representative. This will ensure that your voice will be heard by Members of Congress (especially freshmen members), who are now assessing their constituents' viewpoints on these budget cuts.

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Learn more about CASM here http://www.culturalalliancesemi.org/cms/