CivicIndex

Federal Policy

Arts, Culture, and Religion

Federal arts and culture policy covers the National Endowment for the Arts, the Smithsonian, public broadcasting, and museum and library funding. Religious-liberty cases also sit here when they involve federal property or funding, though the bulk of religious-freedom law comes through judicial decisions.

Committees with jurisdiction

  • Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
  • House Committee on Education and Workforce
  • Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development
  • Border Management, Federal Workforce, and Regulatory Affairs
  • Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

Members who specialize in this area

Leadership

Committee members

99 more members on jurisdictional committees not shown.

Recent bills in this area

  • SRES. 757 — A resolution designating June 11, 2026, as "National Seersucker Day", designating every subsequent Thursday through the last Thursday in August 2026 as "Seersucker Thursday", and designating June 2026 as "Seersucker Appreciation Month".

    Sponsor:
    Bill Cassidy · Republican · LA
    Latest action:
    Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S2670; text: CR S2666)

  • HR. 1329 — Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Act

    Latest action:
    Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

  • HRES. 1280 — Supporting the designation the week of May 10 through May 16, 2026, as "Taiwanese American Heritage Week".

    Sponsor:
    Ami Bera · Democratic · CA
    Latest action:
    Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

  • HRES. 1212 — Expressing support for the staff of public, school, academic, and special libraries in the United States and the essential services those libraries provide to communities, recognizing the need for funding commensurate with the broad scope of social service and community supports provided by libraries, preserving the right of all citizens of the United States to freely access information and resources in their communities, supporting a strong union voice for library workers, and defending the civil rights of library staff.

    Sponsor:
    Pramila Jayapal · Democratic · WA
    Latest action:
    Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

  • HRES. 1181 — Expressing support for the recognition of April as "National Arab American Heritage Month" (NAAHM) and celebrating the heritage and culture of Arab Americans in the United States.

    Sponsor:
    Rashida Tlaib · Democratic · MI
    Latest action:
    Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

  • HR. 8235 — Books Save Lives Act

    Sponsor:
    Ayanna Pressley · Democratic · MA
    Latest action:
    Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

  • HRES. 1154 — Honoring and celebrating the groundbreaking cultural, historical, and social impact of the Grandassa Models in redefining standards of beauty, confronting colorism, and advancing Black cultural pride during the height of the civil rights era and beyond.

    Sponsor:
    Adriano Espaillat · Democratic · NY
    Latest action:
    Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

  • HRES. 1151 — Expressing support for the designation of the weeks of March 29, 2026, through April 11, 2026, as National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Week.

    Sponsor:
    Suzanne Bonamici · Democratic · OR
    Latest action:
    Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Frequently asked

Does Congress fund the arts?

Yes. Congress appropriates funding annually to the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, plus the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Smithsonian Institution. These agencies in turn issue grants.