“While the Senate’s version of the bill, passed in June, increased the NEA’s budget by $5 million, bringing it to $126.3 million from $121.3 million, the House’s version was twice as generous, with an increase of $10 million setting the endowment’s funding at $131.3 million. In the end, the Senate-House conference committee agreed to raise the NEA budget by what the Senate had recommended, but not without applying additional cuts.”