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Nobody is expecting Culture Wars 2.0.

But that doesnt mean arts leaders arent a bit worried. Since last weeks elections gave Republicans control of both houses of Congress, there have been whispers in arts circles about a repeat of the 1994 midterm elections that carried conservatives to power and almost abolished the National Endowment for the Arts.

I was there for that. I always worry about that, says Robert Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. The good news was we saved the support. The bad news was it was a 40percent cut.

But Lynch and other arts leaders arent anticipating a sequel. The NEA itself is less controversial, they say, because most of its grants go to state and regional partners and arts organizations, with few dollars going directly to artists.

In addition, the conversation for arts funding now focuses more on economic impact, tax receipts and community development.

Its not what we first think of what the arts are for. The arts play a role in nurturing the soul and spirit, Lynch says. But the arts are an important tool to help other issues.

The Newt Gingrich assault on arts funding in the 1990s tapped into a simmering controversy over public funding of art. There was the Corcorans mishandling of an NEA-funded Robert Mapplethorpe exhibit in 1989, followed a year later by the NEA chairmans decision to veto grants to four performance artists based on their edgy subject matter and not on artistic quality, which had been verified through the agencys peer review.

(Those grants were reinstated after a protracted court fight.) By 1996, the NEAs budget was cut from 1992s peak of $175.9 million to $99.4 million. As is clear from this years $146 million appropriation, the arts community still hasnt fully recovered.

Its a year-in, year-out grind, says Heather Noonan, vice president for advocacy at the League of American Orchestras. In the (fiscal year 2016) budget process, well continue to make sure that the NEA isnt disproportionately affected by attempts to cut domestic spending.

Many arts leaders are cautiously optimistic, thanks to the bipartisan support theyve nurtured since the early 1990s. One such advocate is Rep. Leonard Lance (N.J.), the Republican co-chairman of the Congressional Arts Caucus, who was elected to Congress in 2008.

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Will Republican leadership in Congress harm small but significant NEA budget?