madam chairman , i rise in strong support of the slaughter/shays/dicks/leach/price amendment . 
madam chairman , i rise in strong support of slaughter/shays/dicks/leach amendment to increase funding for the national endowment for the arts , nea , and the national endowment for the humanities , neh . 
the arts are crucial for the flourishing and development of societies . 
as our economy continues to grow it is important that the arts remain a priority in our communities . 
as former president kennedy stated , `` i am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities , we , too , will be remembered not for our victories or defeats in battles or in politics , but for our contribution to the human spirit. '' though some would consider our economy hard pressed for such funding as this , i implore my colleagues to consider the profound influence of arts-centric businesses . 
while some of the country 's concerns only affect a minority of people , the involvement in the arts spans all walks of life . 
indeed , it weaves together all communities and crosses racial , gender , and religious boundaries . 
in my district , the arts create a sense of nationalism for the state and the rest of the country . 
for , what would chicago be without the architecture of the sears tower , the flourishing talent in second city , or the abundant museums ? 
indeed , the beating pulse of america lives and thrives through the arts . 
not only do the arts enrich societies , but the arts is also an industry . 
in my district there are 2 , 989 art related businesses and 44 , 709 people that make their daily living working in the arts . 
it is obvious that support of arts , also is support of the economy . 
arts-centric businesses supply 578 , 000 businesses in the united states and employ 2.97 million people . 
even more , it is a growing institution , exceeding the total united states business growth rate by 1.7 percent . 
not only do the arts help sustain the economy by supplying jobs and generating revenue , it helps to fuel future creative industries and workers . 
these future creative workers come in the form of our children . 
the arts help in a child 's brain development and their creative skills . 
a country without a full expression of the arts would truly create a void in a child 's development . 
they too deserve the right to blossom and flourish their imagination from the various artistic resources . 
we can not disregard the contributions and growing trends of the arts . 
the arts and humanities support our culture , it supports our economy , and most importantly it supports our future . 
in my district there is a wealth of diversity . 
this diversity is preserved through the arts . 
the arts promote respect for diversity , and appreciation of other cultures . 
it seems to me , that these elements are necessary for building stable healthy communities . 
madam chairman , if we minimize these possibilities in the arts , we will be limiting the liberty of our imagination . 
i request my colleagues to join me in support of this amendment . 
