er of
             the arts to $122.5 million (NEA Newsroom 2003b). Gioia feels, "this
             special budget increase marks a new era at the NEA. Congress's action was
             not merely a budget vote. It was a vote of confidence in the value and the
             vision of the agency" (NEA Newsroom 2003b).
             The funding will support the agency's Challenge America initiative,
             which is designed to make the arts more widely available in underserved
             communities across the country. Extending the reach of the Arts Endowment
             to such communities has been a priority for Chairman Gioia. She purports
             These new funds will be invested across all fifty states. We will
             ...