Oregon Rep. calls Trump’s cuts to arts humanities unconstitutional, ‘unacceptable and infuriating’
Leaders in the statewide arts community met Monday to discuss approaches to cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities. Afterward, they addressed reporters to raise alarm and show a united front against the Trump Administration’s funding cuts.
“I’m here to say that Donald Trump and the unelected billionaire Elon Musk do not understand the value of arts and culture,” said Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, whose office convened the meeting at the studio of All Classical Radio in the KOIN Tower. “(They) do not understand the importance of differing opinions, and, in fact, are trying to censor opinions. And they do not understand the separation of powers our founding fathers embedded in the Constitution, and we’re here to say that we will not stand by as they attack Oregon’s arts community and culture community.”
ACR recently opened the studio, aka media arts center, on the third floor of the KOIN Tower. The organization was the recipient of a $20,000 NEA grant that would have allowed local artists free use of the center’s studio resources and auditorium. But ACR director Suzanne Nance says she learned May 2 the funding had been withdrawn at order of the president. In response, she and the heads of other affected groups opted to meet for what they hope will be the first in a series of summits to share information and strategize a response.
“The arts are a vital force in our economy, our communities, our education and in our daily lives,” Nance said at the press conference. “Creative professionals, from musicians and writers to stage hands and curators, are a part of a vibrant workforce that fuels small and big businesses, attracts tourism, stimulates the economy, bolsters our children’s success and a brighter and more successful future and revitalizes our neighborhoods.”
“Around the world, there is a correlation between a government’s high investment in the arts with higher literacy rates and lower crime rates,” she added. “The value of the arts goes far beyond the bottom line.”
Since re-taking office, Trump has signed executive orders seeking to rescind nearly all federal money allocated to the NEA and NEH and laid off staff. The president’s newly unveiled budget proposes eliminating both agencies as well as the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Trump also proposed eliminating both agencies in his first term, but they were saved through bipartisan Congressional support and ultimately their budgets grew in Trump’s first term, the New York Times reports.
Elected in 2012, Bonamici is the longest-serving of Oregon’s six Congressional representatives. She was the only rep in office during the first Trump administration and fought to save the NEA and NEH.
“Federal investment in the arts — it’s a tiny part of the federal budget but a very important part of the federal budget, with ramifications way beyond the small amount of dollars that are spent,” said Bonamici, whose district includes most of Portland west of the Willamette River, most of Washington and all of Tillamook, Clatsop and Columbia counties. “Taking away that funding is unacceptable. It’s also infuriating. It’s especially concerning because many arts and cultural organizations are still recovering from the pandemic, struggling to keep their doors open.”
In total around 20 groups in Oregon and the Oregon Arts Commission lost funding pledged by Congress. On Monday, they discussed the arts sector’s statewide economic contribution which is said to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Sankar Raman, founder and director of The Immigrant Story, said the email notifying him of the loss of funding clarified that move was in line with a new direction to prioritize projects that reflect the nation’s “rich artistic heritage and creativity.”
“Apparently, with a name like The Immigrant Story, we don’t fit that version of American heritage,” Raman said. “We believed that when a federal agency says ‘We support your work,’ we could trust that promise. That belief has been tested. And for us, this is more than financial, it is personal. It makes us ask, do our stories matter? Are our voices part of this American conversation?”
The funding pulled back by Trump’s executive order had been approved by Congress, which Bonamici said threatens Congress’ Constitutionally granted authority over budgetary matters — the “power of the purse” — as well as the Empower Act of 2024, which protects funds appropriated by Congress. Because the funds were formally approved by Congress, there is a formal appeals process and affected groups say they are taking part
“I’m going to do everything in my power to prevent this,” Bonamici said.
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