Government Affairs Update: Congressional Actions and ICE Raid Guidance

The political landscape in Washington, DC continues to evolve daily. Chorus America needs to hear from you: How are the federal government’s actions affecting your work? All stories of specific impact are welcome. Please share your experience here. Thank you to those members who have already shared their stories with us. 

Visit our Government Affairs Resource Page for more tools.

These government affairs updates are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended as legal advice. Nonprofit arts organizations should consult with legal counsel for guidance specific to their circumstances.

Congressional Letter to President Trump re NEA  

On June 6th, a bi-partisan group from the House of Representatives sent a letter to President Trump asking him to reverse recent NEA grant cancellations.  The letter is signed by 120 Members of Congress.   

We write to express our deep concern about recent grant cancellations at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). These cancellations will have a resounding impact on communities in every part of the country, costing jobs and harming local economies. We urge you to direct their immediate reversal and restore full funding of the NEA as authorized by statute and approved by Congress… 

Read the full letter here. 

House Approves Cuts to Public Media Funding 

On Thursday, June 12, the House passed the President’s Rescission Package (H.R. 4) which claws back $9.4 billion previously approved by Congress.  The claw back includes about $1.1 billion in funding for the next two years to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and National Public Radio (NPR), which distributes the funding to local stations.  The Rescission Package now moves to the Senate.  However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune does not expect to take up the bill until the Senate completes its work on the One, Big Beautiful Bill (H.R. 1), which is the tax reform bill. 

Public media is a vital source of programming and news for the nonprofit performing arts; uplifting the music and stories of the choral community, among other disciplines. 

Take Action here using the alert from the Public Media Coalition. 

The Federal Agency for Museums and Libraries Ordered to Restore Grants in 21 States 

As reported by the American Association of Museums, a Judge has ordered the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to take the below actions as part of the case filed by 21 state Attorneys Generals.   

The Judge ordered IMLS to: 

• Reverse the actions taken by the Administration to implement the Executive Order;
• Not further pause or terminate IMLS grants or contracts to grantees in the plaintiff’s 21 states; and
• Restore the grants to grantees in the plaintiff’s 21 states. 

Read about the status of several lawsuits related to IMLS, here. 

Know Your Rights in Case of an ICE Raid 

As Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to ramp up raids and deportations, make sure you know your legal rights.  Here are several sources for guidance: 

Renee Public Law Group, “How Employers Can Prepare for ICE Raids.” 

Holland & Knight Law Firm, “FAQ, How Employers Can Prepare for ICE.” 

Society for Human Resource Management, “Preparing for ICE Raids.”