Tuesday’s midterm elections delivered a sweeping victory for Democrats, who will take control of both the House and Senate in January. The results represent a dramatic shift in Washington’s political landscape and will fundamentally change the approach to advocacy over the next two years. For supporters of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the election creates significant new opportunities to strengthen federal arts funding, protect the federal-state partnership, and address concerns about the administration’s approach to federal grant making.

But first, Congress has some unfinished business. Lawmakers return to Washington next week facing a December 11 deadline to fund the federal government. The current continuing resolution maintains NEA funding at its FY2026 level of $207 million.  However, Congress has yet to resolve its differences over FY2027 appropriations, including the House proposal to reduce NEA funding to $135 million. Tuesday’s election adds an important new dimension to these negotiations. Democrats now have a strong incentive to delay final spending decisions until January, when they will control both chambers. While it is too early to predict the outcome, the election makes another short-term continuing resolution increasingly likely, potentially allowing the new Congress to negotiate a final funding agreement.

Looking ahead to 2027, Democratic control of Congress will create a fundamentally different advocacy environment. Appropriations will remain a priority, and the prospects for protecting or increasing NEA funding have improved considerably. Equally important, Democrats are expected to pursue aggressive oversight of the Trump Administration, including its approach to federal grants and the expenditure of congressionally appropriated funds. For the arts community, this could be particularly consequential. Congressional hearings, investigations, and other oversight tools could bring greater transparency to federal grant-making decisions and put pressure on the administration to resolve delayed or disputed funding awards.

Democrats will also use their new majorities to advance a broader policy agenda. While they will pursue legislation that can attract bipartisan support and become law over the next two years, they will also begin laying the groundwork for 2029, when they hope to regain control of the White House. For arts advocates, this presents an opportunity to engage Congress on longer-term priorities, including strengthening the federal-state partnership, expanding access to the arts, and ensuring greater stability and predictability in federal grant programs. Even proposals that do not become law can help establish the foundation for future action.

Of course, President Trump will remain in office, and divided government will continue to present challenges and opportunities for bipartisan cooperation. For state arts agencies, the priority should remain the same regardless of which party controls Congress: build relationships on both sides of the aisle, demonstrate the value of public investment in the arts, and ensure that policymakers understand the importance of the federal-state partnership. The election will bring new committee leadership, new members, and new legislative priorities, making early engagement particularly important. For now, however, the immediate focus remains on protecting NEA funding as Congress approaches the December deadline.