House Republicans have advanced a proposal to rename the Kennedy Center’s Opera House, one of the center’s major theaters, the “First Lady Melania Trump Opera House.”
An amendment changing the name of the 2,364-seat theater, the second largest in the arts complex, was approved along party lines by the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, and would become law if Congress approves the House GOP spending bill that funds the Interior Department, Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies.
“This is an excellent way to recognize [the first lady’s] support and commitment to promoting the arts,” said Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, chairman of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee.
It’s the latest move by Republicans and the White House to turn the traditionally bipartisan Kennedy Center in a more Trumpian direction, after President Donald Trump fired board members appointed by former President Joe Biden and replaced them with his own supporters.
Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, said Republicans “snuck in” the “divisive” proposal to change the name of the Opera House and that Republicans have not technically approved a name change for a portion of the center.
“The Republicans have now given the president six times the normal amount of money to run the Kennedy Center, carte blanche over who will be on the board, and how different parts of the Kennedy Center — perhaps the whole Kennedy Center itself — will be named, and this amendment confirms that,” Pingree said in subcommittee hearing.
The Republican tax bill signed into law by Trump included $257 million for Kennedy Center repairs, restoration, maintenance work and security structures; Republicans want to make a 17% cut to the center’s budget for the next fiscal year, to $37 million.
Because the spending bills require 60 votes in the Senate to pass, it’s possible that Democrats will be able to strip the name change out of the bill or any larger government funding package.
