Americans for the Arts has reported that the FY 2013 budget released by the Obama Administration includes several increases in funding for federal arts and cultural agencies, including $8 million increases for the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities. This would bring their total annual budgets to $154 million each. 

The budget also proposes level funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

However, the budget zeroes out the U.S. Dept. of Education's Arts in Education program, slated at $25 million for FY 2012.  According to Americans for the Arts, "Similar to previous year's administration budget proposals, the Arts in Education program is consolidated with six non-arts programs. It is unclear at what level grants in arts education will be supported." 

AFTA's CEO, Robert Lynch, released the following statement regarding the proposal:

"The administration request of $154 million for the National Endowment for the Arts marks a greatly needed increase. Since 2010 the NEA has been cut $22 million, reducing it to $146 million last year, which threatens its ability to make critical grants throughout the country. By boosting specific funding for programmatic grants by $6.75 million, the White House is sending a clear message that it understands the importance of the creative sector to our communities and economy and the incredible return on investment those funds generate to federal, state and local treasuries."

The United States Senate and House of Representatives will release their own budget proposals shortly, which may contain proposed cuts to arts and culture. 

Arts for LA recommends advocates sign up for Action Alerts from AFTA's Arts Action Fund to receive the most up-to-date information about arts advocacy at the federal level.