A persuasive advocate should be up to date on the key issues affecting the opera sector.

Read the latest news on advocacy efforts prepared by OPERA America's Director of Government Affairs — and check back for regular updates.

Review the key issues affecting opera and the arts with downloadable briefs prepared by the Cultural Action Group.

Advocacy Update

Issued April 3, 2025

Please see below brief updates of the many urgent and important actions have taken place this week. We urge you to take action now defending the National Endowment for the Humanities and Institute of Museum and Library Services!
 
I also invite you to join the Arts Action Fund’s special webinar, Office Hours with Our Arts Advocacy Team, co-hosted by Americans for the Arts, Theatre Communications Group, the American Library Association, and the National Humanities Alliance tomorrow, Friday, April 4 at 4:00pm ET.
 
URGENT ACTION -
 
Take action now to defend the NEH against DOGE!
As of this morning, April 3, DOGE has begun terminating previously awarded NEH grants. The National Humanities Alliance understand that this includes operating grants to the state and jurisdictional humanities councils, scholarly societies, community organizations, and individuals. While they know that grants are being terminated, they do not yet know the full scope of terminations.

At this moment, the understanding is that the grant terminations are being issued directly from DOGE and that the email address included in the termination letter is a DOGE email address. Emails sent to this address go to DOGE directly and not the NEH. 

DOGE is rescinding grants that have already been awarded, including operating support grants for state and jurisdictional humanities councils. This money has been appropriated by Congress for the states, and DOGE is taking it against the express will of Congress. Take action now by alerting Congress!

It is imperative that grantees who have been affected by the terminations reach out to their Members of Congress directly. Fill out this form to let NHA know about the termination get contact information for the appropriate staffers. They will get back to you as soon as they can.

Update courtesy of the National Humanities Alliance
 
Latest on IMLS as of 3/31 – Take action now!
On March 31, the entire Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) staff was placed on administrative leave as a follow up to the executive order from March 14. Read AAM's statement. Placing the entire staff on administrative leave raises questions as to whether the agency will be able to fulfill its legal obligations to disperse congressionally appropriated funding, leaving museums, libraries, and communities across the country at risk of losing vital resources.
 
To date, Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who were the lead authors of the Museum and Library Services Act of 2018, sent a letter to Sonderling reminding the Administration of its obligation to faithfully execute the provisions of the law as authorized and appropriated.
 
Museums and libraries are valuable partners to opera companies, and we encourage you to continue to get the word out about the impacts of the dismantling of IMLS.  
1. Write AND call your members of Congress about IMLS.
2. Write AND call your state-level elected officials and ask them to join in speaking up to members of Congress.
3. Encourage your museum's Board, supporters, and members to write and call their members of Congress.
Update courtesy of the American Alliance of Museums
 
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
 
The National Council of Nonprofits is regularly updating this database of Executive Orders Affecting Nonprofits. Below is a brief overview of a few of the most recent orders impacting arts and culture and the nonprofit sector.
 
Executive Order on Voting and Elections
On March 25, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) seeking to make changes to the way federal elections are administered. Key parts of this EO are of highly questionable legal basis, asserting authorities over Elections and the Election Assistance Commission that legal experts note the President does not have. Nothing in federal law prohibits federally funded nonprofits from policy advocacy at the federal level or from using other revenue sources to lobby Congress or federal agencies for appropriations or for the awarding, renewal, extension, or amendment of a federal grant, contract, or cooperative agreement. President Trump’s Executive Order does not change this law. The EO is being challenged in court.
 
Update courtesy of NonprofitVOTE
 
Executive Order impacting the Smithsonian and more
On March 27, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO), aiming to shape Smithsonian displays and programs from Smithsonian's museums, education centers, and research centers. The Order directs the Vice President, who is a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, to work to “eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology from the Smithsonian and its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo.” The EO also instructs the Secretary of the Interior to investigate similar "divisive, race-centered ideology" found on federal monuments, memorials, statues, and markers within the Secretary’s jurisdiction. A fact sheet that corresponds with the order was also released.
 
Combating Unfair Practices in the Live Entertainment Market - Executive Order
On March 31, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) directs federal agencies to enforce existing laws against price-gouging by middlemen and mandates the Federal Trade Commission to ensure transparency and prevent deceptive practices in ticket sales. In the executive order President Trump stated, “My Administration is committed to making as accessible as possible the arts and entertainment that enrich Americans’ lives.” More can be found at the corresponding Fact Sheet.
 
ADDITIONAL ADVOCACY UPDATES
 
Update on Rhode Island Latino Arts v. National Endowment for the Arts
On March 27, the ACLU, on behalf of TCG and other co-plaintiffs appeared in federal court, arguing that a restriction from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) on funding projects that “promote gender ideology” violates the First Amendment, the Fifth Amendment, and the Administrative Procedure Act. The hearing can be viewed here.
 
After the lawsuit was filed in March, the NEA temporarily lifted the requirement and extended the FY 26 Grants for Arts Projects (GAP I) part 2 application deadline to April 7th. However, the agency has not ruled out reimposing the same restriction after review of implementation of the order—and any future prohibition could apply retroactively, even to applicants who have already submitted. The NEA previously agreed to determine how the EO would be applied by April 30th, though this date is past the adjusted application deadline.
 
The judge has indicated he hopes to issue a ruling by April 4.
 
Update courtesy of Theatre Communications Group
 
USCIS Policy Manual Update & Latest from Artists from Abroad
On April 2, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced an update to the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify that it only recognizes two biological sexes, male and female. Under this guidance, USCIS considers a person’s sex as that which is generally evidenced on the birth certificate issued at or nearest to the time of birth. USCIS will not deny benefits solely because the benefit requestor did not properly indicate his or her sex. However, USCIS does not issue documents with a blank sex field and does not issue documents with a sex different than the sex as generally evidenced on a birth certificate issued at the time of birth (or issued nearest to the time of birth). Therefore, if a benefit requestor does not indicate his or her sex or indicates a sex different from the sex on his or her birth certificate issued at the time of birth (or issued nearest to the time of birth), there may be delays in adjudication. For more from USCIS directly, please see the Policy Alert.
 
From Artists from Abroad most recent update “All indications point to enhanced scrutiny of petitions and beneficiaries, which means the entire process from USCIS approval, consular process, and entry into the U.S. require careful preparation and as much time to navigate as possible. With U.S. embassies ordered to reduce staffing by 10%, it is expected that services across the board will take longer, so all parties should plan accordingly and take care not to cut the timing too short.”
 

Issued March 27, 2025

URGENT - IMLS Update

From our colleagues at The American Alliance of Museums - Representatives Dina Titus (NV-01) and Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) are circulating a letter for other members of the House of Representatives to sign onto asking the Administration to reconsider the executive order that guts the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).  Please CALL your members of the House of Representatives to ask them to sign onto the letter. The deadline for members of Congress to sign onto the letter is end of day Friday, March 28 so calling will be the best option given the short turnaround time.  AAM has created a draft script you may use.  Type in your address to display your House member's phone number.

For more actions you can take and advocacy resources from the AAM visit the resources here.

U.S. Visa Process Updates

Processing times are longer and scrutiny at borders is stricter. Visa preparations for international guest artists require careful attention to detail. 

• The League of American Orchestra's website Artists from Abroad, provides essential tips, templates, and updates for seeking the O and P visas required for artists
• Tamizdat, a nonprofit organization that facilitates and advocates for international cultural mobility and exchange, recently created a FAQ: traveling to the US right now and will be updating it regularly.
• The Department of Homeland Security has ordered the closure of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Ombudsman’s office, which advocates for agency improvements. We encourage keeping your members of Congress up to date on the need to support international cultural activity.

Issued March 21, 2025

President Trump Signs Executive Order Aimed at Eliminating the Department of Education

On March 20, President Trump signed a long-awaited executive order that seeks to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. The EO directs Secretary McMahon to take “all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.” It also calls for the “uninterrupted delivery of services, programs and benefits on which Americans rely” and directs Secretary McMahon to work with Congress on a plan to transfer federal education programs and their funding to other agencies. While these actions signal a significant shift in federal education policy, it’s important to remember that fully dismantling a federal agency requires congressional approval.

Update courtesy of Zachary Keita at the National Association for Music Education

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released workplace DEI-related technical assistance documents 

On Thursday, March 20, the EEOC and the DOJ released a joint one-page technical assistance document, “What To Do If You Experience Discrimination Related to DEI at Work.” The EEOC also released a longer question-and-answer technical assistance document, “What You Should Know About DEI-Related Discrimination at Work.” Both documents are based on Title VII, existing EEOC policy guidance and technical assistance documents and Supreme Court precedent. 

Key Advocacy Issues

Prepare to take action by reviewing the key issues with downloadable briefs prepared by the Cultural Action Group.