Congress advances 2026 arts funding for NEA, NEH

Congressional appropriators have advanced a three-bill spending package that would lock in federal funding for the arts and humanities in 2026, shielding the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and major cultural institutions from proposed cuts, while leaving decades-old grant restrictions untouched.

Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, described the package as Congress asserting control over spending priorities and rejecting steep cuts floated by the White House.

“Passing these bills will help ensure that Congress, not President Trump and Russ Vought, decides how taxpayer dollars are spent—by once again providing hundreds of detailed spending directives and reasserting congressional control over these incredibly important spending decisions,” Murray said in a statement.

“It is so important we pass full-year funding bills again and refuse to cede power to this administration, and I hope that Republicans will work with us to do that as we pass the remainder of our funding bills.”

The legislation—a “minibus” of Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy-Water, and Interior-Environment spending bills— would keep the government open through September 30, 2026, if enacted.

It would provide $207 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, according to its text, and includes funding for the Smithsonian Institution, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the National Gallery of Art, all of which have made headlines in recent months over decisions made by the administration of President Donald Trump.

The U.S. House passed the appropriations minibus Thursday with a 397–28 vote, signaling broad bipartisan support to push forward the spending package.

Before final passage, lawmakers voted separately to retain each of the bill’s three divisions. Division A, which includes Commerce-Justice-Science funding, cleared the House 375–47. Divisions B and C, covering Energy-Water and Interior-Environment funding, passed 419–6, clearing the path for a consolidated vote.

Following its passage, the House agreed without objection to lay a motion to reconsider on the table, a procedural step that locks in the vote and prevents immediate re-litigation of the bill.

Later Thursday, the measure was formally received in the Senate, read for the first time, and placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar. It was then read a second time and assigned to the calendar, setting it up for floor action.

That evening, Senate leaders moved to proceed to consideration of the bill. A cloture motion, a measure to limit debate and advance the legislation, was presented on the motion to proceed. The Senate has not yet voted on the minibus.

The bill's text shows that the NEA and NEH are set to continue operating under restrictions that have shaped their work for decades.

For the NEA, appropriators would continue limiting individual grants to literature fellowships, National Heritage Fellowships, and American Jazz Masters awards — a set of rules adopted in the politically charged 1990s to limit direct federal support for individual artists.

The proposal also reiterates a prohibition on “pass-through” grants, preventing most NEA recipients from re-granting federal money to others, except state and regional arts agencies.

General operating support is still limited. Ongoing or seasonal funding must be connected to specific projects or results, which continues the long-standing focus on measurable accountability.

The bill also tells the NEA to prioritize projects that serve “underserved populations,” such as rural communities and low-income areas. This language has been used in previous spending bills.

NEH funding similarly sticks to familiar terms. The endowment would receive $207 million, with the bulk devoted to grants for research, preservation, education and public humanities programming. Matching grants would remain subject to existing requirements that private donations be in hand before federal funds are released.

All NEH grants and contracts must include required anti-lobbying language, and NEH funds cannot be used for official receptions or representational expenses. These are standard rules meant to avoid controversy.

The Smithsonian, the sprawling national museum and research complex, would receive $928.5 million under the proposal. This funding would support scientific research, historical and cultural preservation, public exhibitions, and care for the institution’s collections.

A portion of the Smithsonian funding, up to $27 million available until expended, is set aside for acquisitions, exhibition reinstallation, collections care, and projects such as the American Women’s History Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino.

Appropriators also included language allowing the institution to use appropriated funds as rent deposits for property acquisition, but barred their use for direct debt service. Those provisions demonstrate persistent debate over the Smithsonian’s facilities and campus layout in Washington.

For the Kennedy Center, appropriators would provide $32.34 million for operations and maintenance, plus $4.86 million for repairs and restoration. This funding comes as discussions continue about the center’s renovation schedule and financial management.

The National Gallery of Art would get funds for facility renovations, environmental systems, and protection upgrades. The bill also allows contracts to be awarded based on qualifications as well as price, rather than selecting the lowest bidder.

The minibus would also fund the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development, and continue support for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

For now, the 2026 spending proposal shows continuity, with steady federal support for the nation’s cultural infrastructure and the same rules lawmakers have kept in place, even as the Trump administration attempts to dismantle and reorganize such institutions.

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