Reasons for the fluctuations in Funding:
In the mid 1990s, the GOP was serious about ending the deficit and serious about cutting useless programs. The NEA was a target. There were very close votes to actually kill the NEA. But thanks to RINO support, it survived.
It survived partly by a compromise that drastically shaved it back and by throwing overboard some controversial grants.
It was also saved by the GOP Congress leaders trying to 'soften' their tone:
http://www.cni.org/Hforums/nha-announce/1997/0001.html o Ralph Regula (R-OH), chair of the Interior and Related Agencies
[appropriations] Subcommittee, has been saying for months that obstacles
to a FY-98 appropriation for NEA include: a) the agency isn't authorized
and b) the agreement between the GOP leadership and GOP freshman and
others calls for a phaseout of NEA at the end of FY-97. The basic message
was that NEA supporters should seek relief from the authorizing committee.
In the last few days, Mr. Regula has begun talking about seeking Rules
Committee protection and stopped urging arts (and sometimes humanities)
supporters to "go talk to the authorizers." In general, a subcommittee or
committee chair would only go to the Rules Committee if leadership
agreement or at least acquiescence had not been secured in advance.
Seemingly, Mr. Armey's admission on the lack of votes freed Mr. Regula to
play a more active role -- the more characteristically supportive role
that many remember from past Congresses.