Since leading a stunning takeover of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts at the start of his second term, President Trump has repeatedly lamented the building’s condition. He has described the center, which opened in 1971, as in “tremendous disrepair,” and has spoken about the need for a major renovation.
Now Republican lawmakers appear to be heeding his call. A House committee approved a budget proposal last week that called for allocating $257 million to the Kennedy Center for capital repairs and other expenses, roughly six times the amount it usually receives from the government. It is a piece of the large reconciliation measure, which Mr. Trump calls his “one big beautiful bill,” that Republicans are writing and hope to push through Congress in the coming months.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal buildings, said in a statement Tuesday that the “component of the proposal that provides funding for repairs and maintenance needs at the Kennedy Center was requested by the president.”
The White House declined to discuss the specifics of the proposal, which is still working its way through the House as the reconciliation package takes shape.
“President Trump cares deeply about American arts and culture, which is why he is revitalizing historic institutions like the Kennedy Center to their former greatness,” Anna Kelly, a White House spokeswoman, said in a statement.
The Kennedy Center declined to comment.
The center typically gets about $43 million in federal funds, which goes toward operations, maintenance and repairs of the property. That is roughly 16 percent of its $268 million annual budget.
