The organisation Americans for the Arts recently submitted a written testimony to the US House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, in which it expressed support for an increased funding level of US$170 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in the 2004 financial year. Americans for the Arts said that increased NEA funding would mean more grants for local arts agencies, which would in turn increase Americans’ access to the arts at the local level. An increase in NEA funding would therefore improve communities, by stimulating economic development and improving community life, the organisation's statement said. For a transcript of the testimony, visit the Americans for the Arts website.