This afternoon the U.S. House of Representatives approved its final version of the Economic Recovery bill by a vote of 246-183. The $789 billion package includes $50 million in direct support for arts jobs through National Endowment for the Arts grants; the Coburn Amendment language, banning certain arts groups from receiving any other economic recovery funds, has been removed. According to the advocacy group Americans for the Arts, the inclusion of arts funding was the result of efforts from arts supporters including more than 85,000 letters sent to Congress, coverage in print and online media, blogs, and in op-ed pages. The Senate is scheduled to have its final vote tonight, and President Obama plans to sign the bill on Monday, Presidents’ Day.
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