BROOKLYN, N.Y.— Critics have accused the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) of spreading propaganda for President Obama’s political interests and funding pornography in recent months, but the agency’s chairman, Rocco Landesman, has announced that he wants to focus on the role of arts in rebuilding the economy, not partisan squabbles.

Asked about the central role the NEA has often played in debates about the government’s role in funding and shaping American culture, Landesman told the Los Angeles Times, “I think the culture war stuff is receding in history and people are focusing on much more important issues.”

Landesman has made clear that he still plans to battle other accusations made against his agency. He told a group of arts grant-makers in Brooklyn, N.Y. earlier this week, “I also want everyone to know that the days of a defensive NEA are over.” He plans to embark on a speaking tour in November to discuss the role of the arts in rebuilding the economy.

Read more at the Los Angeles Times.