Senate and House Democratic leaders, including Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Ranking Member Sheldon Whitehouse, have issued a joint statement in response to an attempt by Trump-appointed members of the Kennedy Center Board to rename the institution after former President Donald Trump. The group of ex-officio board members, which includes Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Mark Warner, Rick Larsen, and Joyce Beatty, criticized the move as lacking legal authority.
The statement reads: “Beyond using the Kennedy Center to reward his friends and political allies, President Trump is now attempting to affix his name to yet another public institution without legal authority. Federal law established the Center as a memorial to President Kennedy and prohibits changing its name without Congressional action. At today’s meeting, a sitting Member of Congress was muted, and participants were prevented from speaking—actions that reflect a troubling lack of transparency and respect for the rule of law. This whole process displays the corruption that permeates the entire Trump Administration, and as ex-officio members of the Kennedy Center Board, we will be unwavering in our commitment to holding this Administration accountable.”
The Kennedy Center was established by federal law as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy. Any change to its name would require Congressional approval.
Sheldon Whitehouse serves as Ranking Member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The committee oversees federal programs related to environmental quality, natural resources and infrastructure in order to balance conservation with national needs (https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/). It also handles legislation affecting environmental regulations and infrastructure across the United States (https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/).
The committee operates from its base in Washington D.C.'s Dirksen Senate Office Building (https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/), working through subcommittees focused on clean air, water resources and transportation infrastructure (https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/). Shelley Moore Capito currently chairs the committee alongside other senators such as Kevin Cramer and Cynthia Lummis (https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/).
No official response has been released by those supporting or proposing the renaming effort at this time.
