WASHINGTON — Republicans on Tuesday proposed naming the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' Opera House after first lady Melania Trump, with the lawmaker who sponsored the measure saying he wanted to honor the first lady's "support and commitment in promoting the arts and humanities."
House Republicans tucked the provision by Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, into the bill that would fund the Interior Department, the Environmental Protection Agency and other related agencies for fiscal year 2026, which begins in October. The House Appropriations Committee adopted it as part of an amendment in a 33-25 vote and reported the legislation out of committee in a 33-28 vote. It would next head to the full House for a vote.
“First Lady Melania Trump serves as the Honorary Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Kennedy Center," Simpson, chair of the subcommittee that crafted the funding bill, said in a statement. "Naming a theater after her is an excellent way to recognize her appreciation for the arts."
Reached for comment, Simpson’s spokesperson, Lexi Hamel, said President Trump did not request that Republicans propose the change.
Simpson's subcommittee oversees federal funding for capital repairs, operations and maintenance at the Kennedy Center, which consists of three main theaters, including the Opera House. The theater was designed to host operas, ballets and musicals.
Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, ranking member on the subcommittee, said Tuesday during the full committee markup of the bill that she was "surprised" to find the Kennedy Center provision in the amendment and made it clear that she opposed it.
"The Republicans snuck in something that’s slightly divisive, which is renaming one section of the Kennedy Center after a family member of this administration," said Pingree, who suggested that a congressional authorization is required anyway to rename any part of the Kennedy Center.
The likelihood of the proposal's becoming law is slim. While it's possible the overall funding bill could pass the Republican-controlled House, it will face an uphill climb in the Senate, where government funding bills need Democratic support to pass. Congress will need to pass another government spending bill by Sept. 30 to avoid a shutdown.
If the provision were to become law, however, it would further expand President Trump's dominance over the cultural institution in downtown Washington. In February, he appointed himself as board chair of the Kennedy Center and named new members of the Board of Trustees, including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles; Usha Vance, wife of Vice President JD Vance; and other Trump aides, Dan Scavino and Sergio Gor.
The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment about the GOP proposal.
