1.   And supporters of the arts endowment have said they are confident the agency will survive.

2.   Before taking on the chairmanship of the arts endowment, Ms. Alexander was a leading actress.

3.   Blount used his Seattle appearance to remind Republicans that it was one of their presidents who activated the arts endowment.

4.   But it has been bracketed with the arts endowment as the target of spending cuts and its budget has been reduced in recent years.

5.   But it would also mean more dollars for other states as well, which Hutchison said could be used as seed money for establishing arts endowments of their own.

6.   By federal standards, the budget of the arts endowment is small, but the political stakes are high.

7.   Coincident with the decision, the House Appropriations Committee voted in favor of financing the arts endowment.

8.   Defenders of the arts endowment like to say that federal funding is essential because it helps artists raise money from other sources.

9.   For example, both the arts endowment and the National Endowment for the Humanities would be eliminated in three years under the House Budget Committee plan.

10.   He heads the House subcommittee that approves spending for the arts endowment.