#CAArtsChampion Congressman Ken Calvert

text excerpt from Americans for the Arts

Congressman Ken Calvert (R-CA), a lifelong resident of Riverside County and 17-year small business owner in the restaurant and real estate industries, represents the 42nd Congressional District of California.

In the 114th and 115th Congresses (2015-2018), Representative Calvert served on the House Appropriations Committee as Chairman of the Interior and the Environment Subcommittee. As Chairman of this important subcommittee, Rep. Calvert secured increases for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and several other federal cultural agencies. He consistently urged his colleagues to vote against floor amendments to cut funding for these essential agencies.

Under Rep. Calvert’s leadership, the Interior Subcommittee also provided critical seed funding for the NEA’s Creative Forces program that serves the special needs of military patients and Veterans with traumatic brain injury and psychological health conditions, as well as their families and caregivers. With Rep. Calvert’s ongoing support, these kinds of creative arts therapy programs now enjoy expanded bipartisan support in Congress and additional funding within the Defense and Veterans Affairs appropriations committees as well.